19
1
but in practice, they resist it through various passive forms of everyday resistance (7 Chap. 2).
9. Finally, power resources presented above are often unequally distributed within
categories such as ethnicity gender, age, class and nationality. This implies, for
instance, that some ethnic groups tend to have small chances to win struggles
over land and natural resources (this constitutes a basic assumption behind
Avatar), and in 7 Chap. 5 we provide examples of how women have been
excluded in decisions about environmental governance.
In political ecology, all nine types of power resources, as well as others, are discussed in studies of environmental conflicts.
► The Power Struggle on Pandora
Avatar can be seen as a story about a power struggle over environmental governance.
The intention of the mining company is to transport the mineral unobtanium from Pandora to Earth. In order to achieve this aim, the company has used its economic power
resources to establish both a military unit and a research unit.
The company has power resources at its disposal in the conflict with the Na’vi that
make it seem completely invincible. It is difficult to imagine that the company would
adjust itself to the Na’vi’s local knowledge, environmental management and decisionmaking. Instead, the intruders try to use the knowledge they can gain about the Na’vi as
well as military power resources to forcefully remove the local inhabitants. Seen from the
Na’vi, the war takes place in their own environment, and they possess crucial knowledge
about nature. Furthermore, marine soldier Jake Sully’s knowledge of the enemy’s fighting methods appears to be useful.
In order for Jake to lead the fight for the Na’vi, he must acquire authority and political power on their terms. In Na’vi history, there have been five great leaders who have
tamed and flown a great dragon bird called Toruk. When Jake manages to repeat this
achievement, he is appointed their leader. The breakthrough in the fight comes when the
nature goddess Eywa helps by mobilizing Pandora’s wildlife.
The parties obviously fight about two very different forms of environmental governance
on Pandora, and they use indeed very different power resources to try to achieve this. ◄
1.7 Seventh Synthesis: Linkages between Different
Geographical Levels
A central scope in political ecology is to try to understand how everyday life and local
environmental conflicts are not only influenced by local conditions, but that structural
factors and actors at both national and global levels also can have great influence at
the local level. In their seminal contribution to political ecology, Blaikie and Brookfield
(1987) show how power relations in environmental change can be studied starting
with the agency of a local land manager (for example a farmer) through various
1.6 · Sixth Synthesis: Different Types of Power
1
but in practice, they resist it through various passive forms of everyday resistance (7 Chap. 2).
9. Finally, power resources presented above are often unequally distributed within
categories such as ethnicity gender, age, class and nationality. This implies, for
instance, that some ethnic groups tend to have small chances to win struggles
over land and natural resources (this constitutes a basic assumption behind
Avatar), and in 7 Chap. 5 we provide examples of how women have been
excluded in decisions about environmental governance.
In political ecology, all nine types of power resources, as well as others, are discussed in studies of environmental conflicts.
► The Power Struggle on Pandora
Avatar can be seen as a story about a power struggle over environmental governance.
The intention of the mining company is to transport the mineral unobtanium from Pandora to Earth. In order to achieve this aim, the company has used its economic power
resources to establish both a military unit and a research unit.
The company has power resources at its disposal in the conflict with the Na’vi that
make it seem completely invincible. It is difficult to imagine that the company would
adjust itself to the Na’vi’s local knowledge, environmental management and decisionmaking. Instead, the intruders try to use the knowledge they can gain about the Na’vi as
well as military power resources to forcefully remove the local inhabitants. Seen from the
Na’vi, the war takes place in their own environment, and they possess crucial knowledge
about nature. Furthermore, marine soldier Jake Sully’s knowledge of the enemy’s fighting methods appears to be useful.
In order for Jake to lead the fight for the Na’vi, he must acquire authority and political power on their terms. In Na’vi history, there have been five great leaders who have
tamed and flown a great dragon bird called Toruk. When Jake manages to repeat this
achievement, he is appointed their leader. The breakthrough in the fight comes when the
nature goddess Eywa helps by mobilizing Pandora’s wildlife.
The parties obviously fight about two very different forms of environmental governance
on Pandora, and they use indeed very different power resources to try to achieve this. ◄
1.7 Seventh Synthesis: Linkages between Different
Geographical Levels
A central scope in political ecology is to try to understand how everyday life and local
environmental conflicts are not only influenced by local conditions, but that structural
factors and actors at both national and global levels also can have great influence at
the local level. In their seminal contribution to political ecology, Blaikie and Brookfield
(1987) show how power relations in environmental change can be studied starting
with the agency of a local land manager (for example a farmer) through various
1.6 · Sixth Synthesis: Different Types of Power