Published in 1999, this book discusses the role that marginality has had in the past, has today and will have in the future. The Commission on Dynamics of Marginal and Critical Regions held its annual conference in Harare, Zimbabwe in July 1997. This volume represents a carefully selected, revised and reviewed selection of the papers presented at this conference. The articles reflect the various aspects of marginality currently existing in the world and it is the intention of the Commission to pursue research that would eventually result in a more coherent approach towards the issues of marginality in space. The articles in the book are grouped into three main parts. The first part discusses the role of theory and also methodological aspects and approaches towards the question of marginality. The second part gives a 'time-space' perspective by examining the past, present and future aspects of marginality. The third part is dedicated to empirical evidence about the changes in existing marginality and its possible future implementations. The conclusions of the book summarize the various and sometimes conflicting, aspects of marginality and its ’images’ both in space and in time.
This volume examines the applicability of central place theory in contemporary archaeological practice and thought in light of ongoing developments in landscape archaeology, by bringing together ‘central places’ and ‘un-central landscapes’ and by grasping diachronically the complex relation between town and country, as shaped by political economies and the availability of natural resources. Moving away from model-bounded approaches, central place theory is used more flexibly to include all the places that may have functioned as loci of economic or ideological centrality (even in a local context) in the past. Fourteen chapters examine centrality and un-central landscapes from Prehistory to the late Middle Ages in different geographical contexts, from Cyprus and the Levant, through Greece and the Balkans to Italy, France, and Germany.
No matter where they are located in the world, communities living in mountain regions have shared experiences defined in large part by contradictions. These communities often face social and economic marginalization despite providing the lumber, coal, minerals, tea, and tobacco that have fueled the growth of nations for centuries. They are perceived as remote and socially inferior backwaters on one hand while simultaneously seen as culturally rich and spiritually sacred spaces on the other. These contradictions become even more fraught as environmental changes and political strains place added pressure on these mountain communities. Shifting national borders and changes to watersheds, forests, and natural resources play an increasingly important role as nations respond to the needs of a global economy. The works in this volume consider multiple nations, languages, generations, and religions in their exploration of upland communities' responses to the unique challenges and opportunities they share. From paintings to digital mapping, environmental studies to poetry, land reclamation efforts to song lyrics, the collection provides a truly interdisciplinary and global study. The editors and authors offer a cross-cultural exploration of the many strategies that mountain communities are employing to face the concerns of the future.
In Revolutionary Tunisia: Inequality, Marginality, and Power, Stefano Pontiggia examines marginality and inequality in Tunisia through the stories of people living in Redeyef, a mining town in the Tunisian south that is well known for its militant past. Considering the ongoing formation of the post-revolutionary Tunisian state, Pontiggia explores the extent to which state-led institutions, local power relations, the social structure, and the dynamics of space production coincide to perpetuate inequality. Far from being a process of exclusion from wealth and development, Pontiggia asserts, marginality is instead synonymous with a gradual integration of territories and populations into a socio-territorial hierarchy that is rooted in the colonial experience. What emerges is a country whose revolution is characterized by change as much as continuity with the past.
Based on 15 months of ethnographic research in the city of Alto Hospicio in northern Chile, this book describes how the residents use social media, and the consequences of this use in their daily lives. Nell Haynes argues that social media is a place where Alto Hospicio’s residents – or Hospiceños – express their feelings of marginalisation that result from living in city far from the national capital, and with a notoriously low quality of life compared to other urban areas in Chile. In actively distancing themselves from residents in cities such as Santiago, Hospiceños identify as marginalised citizens, and express a new kind of social norm. Yet Haynes finds that by contrasting their own lived experiences with those of people in metropolitan areas, Hospiceños are strengthening their own sense of community and the sense of normativity that shapes their daily lives. This exciting conclusion is illustrated by the range of social media posts about personal relationships, politics and national citizenship, particularly on Facebook
While most of the earlier scholarship of the Meo community has focused on the community’s troubled histories, their backwardness and unusual social and religious configuration; this research—conducted over a span of five years—shines a light upon modern Meos in the twenty-first century, and their embracing of mobile technology to leapfrog into the future. With special attention given to Meo youth and women, this work engages with the lived-experience of these actors delving into their aspirations, challenges and self-devised solutions as they negotiate the structures of tradition and patriarchy. The Meo community—saddled with high levels of illiteracy and marginalization— inhabits the Mewat area of North-West India nestled between Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. Their spoken language is Mewati and there are multiple conjectures put forth about their origin and continual migrations throughout history before finally settling in Mewat. Practitioners of Islam, the Meos, at the same time, observe Hindu social practices such as division into Pals and Gotras with clearly laid-down exogamous rules. Historically this has rendered the Meos as an enigma to outsiders, and as a problem for the reigning political state, from the Delhi Sultanate to the British colonizers, contributing to their marginalized status. As an oral society, the traditional Meo medium was that of the mirasi—folklore tellers and bards—who would sing about Meo valor in the face of state authority. So deeply entrenched in tradition and alterity, how do Meos then tread and engage with modern techno-centric new media? The answer to such an inquiry is not simple or straightforward. While over 90% of Meos owned a mobile phone as of 2016, different audience segments provide different narratives, and leverage the technology in different ways. College students use their mobile phones to access different social media platforms and opportunities for employment and higher education; truck drivers on the other hand use their mobiles to remain in touch with their families when out on long distance driving assignments. Meanwhile married women and young girls while not allowed to own a phone, nonetheless find ways of gaining access to the technology. With the use of new media, Bollywood consumption is on the rise, and one sees changes in sartorial choices, ideas on grooming and marriage and social life in general. So much so, the traditional profession of the mirasi has now become defunct. Present-day Meo society is experiencing a change at multiple levels which is a complex negotiation between traditional and modern. And in this twenty first-century story—empowered by technology— rather than being a ‘victim’ the Meo emerges as a ‘hero’.
Land, Indigenous Peoples and Conflict presents an original comparative study of indigenous land and property rights worldwide. The book explores how the ongoing constitutional, legal and political integration of indigenous peoples into contemporary society has impacted on indigenous institutions and structures for managing land and property. This book details some of the common problems experienced by indigenous peoples throughout the world, providing lessons and insights from conflict resolution that may find application in other conflicts including inter-state and civil and sectarian conflicts. An interdisciplinary group of contributors present specific case material from indigenous land conflicts from the South Pacific, Australasia, South East Asia, Africa, North and South America, and northern Eurasia. These regional cases discuss issues such as modernization, the evolution of systems and institutions regulating land use, access and management, and the resolution of indigenous land conflicts, drawing out common problems and solutions. The lessons learnt from the book will be of value to students, researchers, legal professionals and policy makers with an interest in land and property rights worldwide.
This book proves, through empirical research, that indigenous and traditional agricultural communities have experienced severe climate change impacts, and have developed corresponding livelihood strategies to strengthen their resilience in a variable climate. With a focus on indigenous minority farming communities in the developing region of South-Western Zimbabwe, the study presents both qualitative and quantitative approaches of data analysis to assess sustainability problems amid climate change and climate variability challenges, and proposes potential solutions. In eight chapters, the book expands on the scarce availability of community-based research on climate change and variability in Zimbabwe. The book is meant for college and university students and stakeholders involved in development work in rural minority farmer communities, especially in climate change prone regions of Africa and other developing countries who have very few options of adaptation and mitigation.
This book takes a new approach on understanding causes of extreme poverty and promising actions to address it. Its focus is on marginality being a root cause of poverty and deprivation. “Marginality” is the position of people on the edge, preventing their access to resources, freedom of choices, and the development of capabilities. The book is research based with original empirical analyses at local, national, and local scales; book contributors are leaders in their fields and have backgrounds in different disciplines. An important message of the book is that economic and ecological approaches and institutional innovations need to be integrated to overcome marginality. The book will be a valuable source for development scholars and students, actors that design public policies, and for social innovators in the private sector and non-governmental organizations.
