Political Landscapes

Christopher R. Boyer

ISBN 10: 0822358328 / ISBN 13: 9780822358329

Published by Duke University Press, US, 2015

About this Item

Following the 1917 Mexican Revolution inhabitants of the states of Chihuahua and Michoac聲 received vast tracts of prime timberland as part of Mexico's land redistribution program. Although locals gained possession of the forests, the federal government retained management rights, which created conflict over subsequent decades among rural, often indigenous villages; government; and private timber companies about how best to manage the forests. Christopher R. Boyer examines this history in Political Landscapes, where he argues that the forests in Chihuahua and Michoac聲 became what he calls "political landscapes"-that is, geographies that become politicized by the interactions between opposing actors-through the effects of backroom deals, nepotism, and political negotiations. Understanding the historical dynamic of community forestry in Mexico is particularly critical for those interested in promoting community involvement in the use and conservation of forestlands around the world. Considering how rural and indigenous people have confronted, accepted, and modified the rationalizing projects of forest management foisted on them by a developmentalist state is crucial before community management is implemented elsewhere.

Seller Inventory # LU-9780822358329

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Political Landscapes
• Publisher: Duke University Press, US
• Publication Date: 2015
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0822358328
• ISBN 13: 9780822358329
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: New
• Weight: 490 grams

About this title

Synopsis

Following the 1917 Mexican Revolution inhabitants of the states of Chihuahua and Michoac嫕 received vast tracts of prime timberland as part of Mexico's land redistribution program. Although locals gained possession of the forests, the federal government retained management rights, which created conflict over subsequent decades among rural, often indigenous villages; government; and private timber companies about how best to manage the forests. Christopher R. Boyer examines this history in Political Landscapes, where he argues that the forests in Chihuahua and Michoac嫕 became what he calls "political landscapes"—that is, geographies that become politicized by the interactions between opposing actors—through the effects of backroom deals, nepotism, and political negotiations. Understanding the historical dynamic of community forestry in Mexico is particularly critical for those interested in promoting community involvement in the use and conservation of forestlands around the world. Considering how rural and indigenous people have confronted, accepted, and modified the rationalizing projects of forest management foisted on them by a developmentalist state is crucial before community management is implemented elsewhere.

About the Author

Christopher R. Boyer is Professor of History and Latin American and Latino Studies at the University of Illinois, Chicago. He is the editor of A Land between Waters: Environmental Histories of Modern Mexico.