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Intensifying crises in fishing communities at Lake Victoria Uganda. A case study on the impact of capitalist rationales on marginalized groups of society

Reuter, Ricarda LU (2014) HEKM50 20141
Human Ecology
Abstract
Today's fishery policies and development strategies form a global wave of enclosures. They displace small-scale fisher peoples and fishing communities from the fisheries and localities their livelihoods and cultures depend upon. With a case study at Lake Victoria Uganda this thesis investigates the role of capitalist rationales in this development. Theories on socio-cultural processes behind emergence and preservation of capitalist regimes are used to analyse how these systems exploit, and oppress producers in favour of economic and political elites. Qualitative semi-structured interviews and group discussions compiled information on the fishery at Lake Victoria Uganda from the perspectives of marginalized groups of society. The analysis... (More)
Today's fishery policies and development strategies form a global wave of enclosures. They displace small-scale fisher peoples and fishing communities from the fisheries and localities their livelihoods and cultures depend upon. With a case study at Lake Victoria Uganda this thesis investigates the role of capitalist rationales in this development. Theories on socio-cultural processes behind emergence and preservation of capitalist regimes are used to analyse how these systems exploit, and oppress producers in favour of economic and political elites. Qualitative semi-structured interviews and group discussions compiled information on the fishery at Lake Victoria Uganda from the perspectives of marginalized groups of society. The analysis unpacks how fisher folk, fishing communities, and nature at Lake Victoria Uganda are exploited to satisfy the needs of global capitalist markets. Exploitation co-creates false needs through which vulnerability and dependency in fishing communities increases. Since Lake Victoria is overfished, those needs increase poverty through numerous vicious circles. Additionally, global capitalist regimes increasingly focus on new forms of ownership to sustain themselves independently of physically-based production. Thus a switch towards enclosures displaces marginalized groups, such as fisher folk at Lake Victoria Uganda, and further intensifies and co-creates crises and inequality. Capitalist rationales are hence unsuitable to achieve sustainable and just fisheries. (Less)
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author
Reuter, Ricarda LU
supervisor
organization
course
HEKM50 20141
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
language
English
id
4586710
date added to LUP
2015-11-09 16:28:44
date last changed
2015-11-09 16:28:44
@misc{4586710,
  abstract     = {{Today's fishery policies and development strategies form a global wave of enclosures. They displace small-scale fisher peoples and fishing communities from the fisheries and localities their livelihoods and cultures depend upon. With a case study at Lake Victoria Uganda this thesis investigates the role of capitalist rationales in this development. Theories on socio-cultural processes behind emergence and preservation of capitalist regimes are used to analyse how these systems exploit, and oppress producers in favour of economic and political elites. Qualitative semi-structured interviews and group discussions compiled information on the fishery at Lake Victoria Uganda from the perspectives of marginalized groups of society. The analysis unpacks how fisher folk, fishing communities, and nature at Lake Victoria Uganda are exploited to satisfy the needs of global capitalist markets. Exploitation co-creates false needs through which vulnerability and dependency in fishing communities increases. Since Lake Victoria is overfished, those needs increase poverty through numerous vicious circles. Additionally, global capitalist regimes increasingly focus on new forms of ownership to sustain themselves independently of physically-based production. Thus a switch towards enclosures displaces marginalized groups, such as fisher folk at Lake Victoria Uganda, and further intensifies and co-creates crises and inequality. Capitalist rationales are hence unsuitable to achieve sustainable and just fisheries.}},
  author       = {{Reuter, Ricarda}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Intensifying crises in fishing communities at Lake Victoria Uganda. A case study on the impact of capitalist rationales on marginalized groups of society}},
  year         = {{2014}},
}