The Routledge Handbook of Critical Resource Geography

This Handbook provides a comprehensive guide to the study of resources and their role in socio-environmental change, offering conceptual and methodological approaches for documenting, analyzing, and reimagining resources and the worlds with which they are entangled. It includes an introduction and four thematic sections, exploring epistemological entry points, resource systems, critical resource geography, resource-making/world-making, and case studies. It is an essential reference point for researchers, students, and practitioners interested in understanding how resources matter to the world.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 466 pages
Publication date: 29 January 2024
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This comprehensive Handbook serves as an essential guide to the study of resources and their pivotal role in shaping socio-environmental change. Drawing upon the expertise of over 60 authors, who hail from diverse world regions and specialize in various resource types, the Handbook offers a rich toolkit of conceptual and methodological approaches for documenting, analyzing, and reimagining resources and the interconnected worlds they inhabit.

The volume is organized into four thematic sections, each designed to provide a deep understanding of the complexities surrounding resources. The introductory chapter sets the stage by outlining key trajectories for thinking critically with and about resources.

Section I, titled (Un)knowing resources, presents distinct epistemological entry points and approaches for studying resources. Chapters in this section explore the multifaceted nature of resources, delving into their ontological, epistemological, and ethical dimensions. They examine the ways in which resources are constructed, perceived, and contested, shedding light on the power dynamics and inequalities that shape their distribution and utilization.

Section II, titled (Un)knowing resource systems, delves into the intricate components and logics of capitalist systems, which govern the production, circulation, consumption, and disposal of resources. Chapters in this section examine the ways in which resources are commodified, capitalized, and embedded within economic and political structures, highlighting the social and environmental consequences of such processes.

Section III, titled Doing critical resource geography: Methods, advocacy, and teaching, focuses on the practices of critical resource scholarship. Chapters in this section explore the opportunities and challenges of carrying out engaged forms of research and pedagogy, emphasizing the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and the role of critical inquiry in shaping our understanding of resources.

Section IV, titled Resource-making/world-making, employs case studies to illustrate how things are made into resources and how these processes of resource-making transform socio-environmental life. Through vivid and diverse examples, the section showcases the complex interplay between human actions, technological advancements, and ecological systems, highlighting the ways in which resources shape and are shaped by social, economic, and political processes.

This vibrant and diverse critical resource scholarship offers an indispensable reference point for researchers, students, and practitioners interested in understanding how resources matter to the world and to the systems, conflicts, and debates that make and remake it. The Handbook provides a wealth of insights and perspectives, fostering a deeper understanding of the complex relationships between resources, society, and the environment. By exploring the multifaceted nature of resources, the Handbook encourages readers to critically examine the ways in which they are used, managed, and transformed, and to develop innovative solutions for sustainable resource management and development.

Weight: 453g
Dimension: 246 x 174 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032023113