5th Global Conference
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Conference Programme, Abstracts and Papers
Monday 3rd July - Thursday 6th
July 2006
Mansfield College, Oxford
Session 2: Footprints, Society and Ethnic Communities
Chair: Janet Brewer
A Road to Sustainability? Ecological Footprints in
the Himalayas
Jonathan
Demenge
Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton,
United Kingdom
The ecological footprint is a powerful concept, enabling to document the dependence of human societies on the environment. As such, it is increasingly seen as a tool to assess sustainability, as a tool to highlight the global divide between the North and the South in terms of consumption of natural resources, and ultimately as a means to achieve environmental justice. In this paper, it is utilised to document the consequences of transport infrastructures on people’s use of natural resources, whether local or imported. The study examines the ecological footprints and demographic trends of the populations of two clusters of villages in Ladakh, one on the road, one four days walk away from the road. It compares the size and internal structure of ecological footprints to that of the biological capacity of the land. Interestingly, the results are far from being self-evident, regarding both ecological footprints and demographic patterns. The results suggest the presence of complex processes and are further examined in the light of the different development strategies that prevail in the two regions. The road appears as both enabling and limiting sustainability. Practically, the conclusions point to the ambiguous consequences of the road on the environment. On a theoretical ground, the paper reflects critically on the role of ecological footprints in the sustainability debate, while grounding the conclusions of the study in wider discussions regarding the complex, dynamic and non-linear nature of humans’ interactions with their environment.
Search for a Theory Linking Environment and Society
Doriana
Dariot
Department of
Business Management, UFRGS, Brasil
The link between environment and society configures a field where nature, society and economics should be studied together. This relationship opens possibilities for different approaches and interpretations about environmental themes and its management inside organizations. More than descriptions, for the comprehension of the field, are necessary studies that promote questions, which can lead to transformations in the management and production regime. The present study brings to environmental theme different approaches coming from management, economics and sociology to discuss environmental management. Data were collected in companies with certificate ISO9000, in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Theory section stands out the criteria of efficiency from Scientific Management and from Simon, the Transation Cost Economics with Coase, Williamson and North works, and discusses the importance of conflicts and power for environmental decisions and actions. The data analysis showed that all theories can contribute to understanding the relations between environment and society.
Corporation and Ethnic Communities - A Need for Introspection
Abir
Roy & Anil
Raj
National Law University, Jodhpur, India
With the passage of time, world
has become more commercialized and has desiccated even the effervescence
of conscience that was left in the soul of mankind—Lets pause
here and have an introspection before its too late.
Corporate Social Responsibility is a buzzword that is in vogue in the
present days so as to foster sustainable and equitable development worldwide.
Corporate Social Responsibility is an understanding of the social, ethical
and environmental impact of the activities of the business. It is where
the companies integrate the social and environmental concerns in their
business operations and the focus is on social cohesion and preserving
the social impact on the same.
In the paper, an apercu would be shown into the Culture v. Corporation debate,
which evinces increased response today as a result of the large-scale
ramifications of liberalization. Culture consumed by cavernous Corporations
has given a deathblow to the sustenance of the group’s identity.
On the parameters of World Bank definition of Indigenous Tribe, the authors
of the paper have taken ground realities of tribes, to prove their hypothesis
and reach to a definite conclusion that compromises made by the indigenous
tribes are the order of the day. The practical realities of Agta Negritos of
Eastern Luzon in the Philippines and The Ogiek community is
taken to show that how the MNC, in satiating their profit motive are
causing cultural upheavals within the tribals.
So in reaching our conclusion, we have found out that government in its
role as parens patrea (Charan Lal Sahu v, Union of India (1990)
1 SCC 613) should set up and make appropriate laws such
that cultural identities of such indigenous tribes are not sacrificed
at the altar of profit seeking enterprises.