Constructing the Poacher: Narratives of Blame in Ivory Poaching

poaching;ivory;human rights;biopower;violence;School for Environment and Sustainability

de Jong, MarlotteHardin, Rebecca ;

University of Michigan

关键词: poaching;    ivory;    human rights;    biopower;    violence;    School for Environment and Sustainability;   

Others  :  https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/148673/deJong_Marlotte_Thesis.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

瑞士|英语

来源: The Illinois Digital Environment for Access to Learning and Scholarship

【 摘 要 】

Poaching has been, and continues to be, of significant concern to the conservation ofbiodiversity. While media descriptions of poaching often include vivid details about the animalvictims and the heroics of those fighting to conserve biodiversity, ambiguity still surrounds ;;thepoacher’. Clarifying the identity of a poacher is necessary to expose a societal tendency toenforce stereotypes on others that perpetuate violence and inequality. Without knowing theidentity of a poacher, it becomes easy to impose unsubstantiated beliefs upon them thatlegitimize unjust and violent policies like shoot-to-kill and life-time jail sentences. This researchseeks to understand how the media has constructed the identity and context of the poacher toanswer critical questions of how and why violent protected area policies have become perceivedas necessary conservation strategies. Through a media content analysis of newspaper reports andfield interviews with conservation actors, this paper explores the human rights implicationsaround how the media and society place poachers within a ;;space of exception’ that legitimizesthe state and private sector’s claims biopower and strengthens a post-democratic conservationapproach.