Are we Going to Burn Everything? Agbogbloshie’s Informal E-waste Workers’ Perspectives
(2018) SIMV32 20181Graduate School
Master of Science in Development Studies
- Abstract
- This study engages with the informal e-waste sector, its financial, environmental and human health impacts as perceived by the e-waste workers. Although recovering resources from e-waste informally is useful to the financial needs of the workers, the rudimentary techniques employed are detrimental to the human-environment system. Surprisingly, not much is known about the perception of informal e-waste workers on their activities and how they triangulate the monetary benefits with the environment and human health consequences. Using the Problem-Centred Interview technique, I explored how informal e-waste workers at Agbogbloshie make meaning of their activities in relation to their financial needs, their duty to protect their lives and the... (More)
- This study engages with the informal e-waste sector, its financial, environmental and human health impacts as perceived by the e-waste workers. Although recovering resources from e-waste informally is useful to the financial needs of the workers, the rudimentary techniques employed are detrimental to the human-environment system. Surprisingly, not much is known about the perception of informal e-waste workers on their activities and how they triangulate the monetary benefits with the environment and human health consequences. Using the Problem-Centred Interview technique, I explored how informal e-waste workers at Agbogbloshie make meaning of their activities in relation to their financial needs, their duty to protect their lives and the environment. Additionally, their views on eco-friendly ways of processing e-waste, which would not compromise the financial benefits they accrue from their activities, were examined. The study found that informal e-waste workers accord significant importance to the monetary benefits of their activities. Equally, e-waste workers disclosed several health challenges and considered their activities of burning e-waste as polluting the environment. However, the financial rewards derived from processing e-waste informally override concerns for their health and the environment, and consequently influences their views on alternative methods of processing e-waste. The findings augment the e-waste literature and would guide attempts to minimize the adverse effects of processing e-waste informally at Agbogbloshie and elsewhere. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/8949527
- author
- Rabiu, Mubarik Kassim LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- SIMV32 20181
- year
- 2018
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- Agbogbloshie, e-waste, informal recycling, e-waste workers, human-environment system.
- language
- English
- id
- 8949527
- date added to LUP
- 2018-06-27 12:18:43
- date last changed
- 2018-06-27 12:18:43
@misc{8949527,
abstract = {{This study engages with the informal e-waste sector, its financial, environmental and human health impacts as perceived by the e-waste workers. Although recovering resources from e-waste informally is useful to the financial needs of the workers, the rudimentary techniques employed are detrimental to the human-environment system. Surprisingly, not much is known about the perception of informal e-waste workers on their activities and how they triangulate the monetary benefits with the environment and human health consequences. Using the Problem-Centred Interview technique, I explored how informal e-waste workers at Agbogbloshie make meaning of their activities in relation to their financial needs, their duty to protect their lives and the environment. Additionally, their views on eco-friendly ways of processing e-waste, which would not compromise the financial benefits they accrue from their activities, were examined. The study found that informal e-waste workers accord significant importance to the monetary benefits of their activities. Equally, e-waste workers disclosed several health challenges and considered their activities of burning e-waste as polluting the environment. However, the financial rewards derived from processing e-waste informally override concerns for their health and the environment, and consequently influences their views on alternative methods of processing e-waste. The findings augment the e-waste literature and would guide attempts to minimize the adverse effects of processing e-waste informally at Agbogbloshie and elsewhere.}},
author = {{Rabiu, Mubarik Kassim}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Are we Going to Burn Everything? Agbogbloshie’s Informal E-waste Workers’ Perspectives}},
year = {{2018}},
}