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Disparate Lives, Fractured Mineral: Toxic Displacement in the Global Economy of Asbestos

Surber, Nicholas LU (2018) HEKM51 20181
Human Ecology
Abstract
The established scientific reality of asbestos is that (a) asbestos is toxic
at a minuscule dose, and (b) exposure should be avoided whenever
possible, with the evidence expanding almost exponentially over the
past century. The purpose of this research is to explore the historical
and global socio-natural entanglements of the economy of asbestos
and the resulting mechanisms at play to occlude and marginalise the
toxicity and emphasise profitability. Therefore, the aims are threefold.
First, the work will uncover and critically examine (utilising
critical discourse analysis) asbestos product advertisements and
related documents, specifically a selection of Eternit (asbestos-cement)
variants from Skandinaviska Eternit AB in Sweden.... (More)
The established scientific reality of asbestos is that (a) asbestos is toxic
at a minuscule dose, and (b) exposure should be avoided whenever
possible, with the evidence expanding almost exponentially over the
past century. The purpose of this research is to explore the historical
and global socio-natural entanglements of the economy of asbestos
and the resulting mechanisms at play to occlude and marginalise the
toxicity and emphasise profitability. Therefore, the aims are threefold.
First, the work will uncover and critically examine (utilising
critical discourse analysis) asbestos product advertisements and
related documents, specifically a selection of Eternit (asbestos-cement)
variants from Skandinaviska Eternit AB in Sweden. A
secondary goal is to compare the often antithetical stance, evidenced
by their marketing strategies, of the asbestos-cement industry with
those exposed victims confronted with the toxic realities frst hand.
Thirdly, the research will evince the global reach and attendant forms
of environmental, toxic, and entropic displacement of the economy of
asbestos vis-à-vis the omnipresent yet prosaic use of its products.
Finally, these three attritional types of displacement are posited as
prototypical instances of slow violence, extrapolating from an
ecological Marxist framework in dialogue with perspectives in
environmental public health and post-humanism. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Surber, Nicholas LU
supervisor
organization
course
HEKM51 20181
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
Eternit, economy of asbestos, displacement, abstract space, socio-natural transformation, slow violence, toxicity, environmental public health, ecological Marxism, post-humanism
language
English
id
8960399
date added to LUP
2018-12-21 11:02:13
date last changed
2018-12-21 11:02:13
@misc{8960399,
  abstract     = {{The established scientific reality of asbestos is that (a) asbestos is toxic
at a minuscule dose, and (b) exposure should be avoided whenever
possible, with the evidence expanding almost exponentially over the
past century. The purpose of this research is to explore the historical
and global socio-natural entanglements of the economy of asbestos
and the resulting mechanisms at play to occlude and marginalise the
toxicity and emphasise profitability. Therefore, the aims are threefold.
First, the work will uncover and critically examine (utilising
critical discourse analysis) asbestos product advertisements and
related documents, specifically a selection of Eternit (asbestos-cement)
variants from Skandinaviska Eternit AB in Sweden. A
secondary goal is to compare the often antithetical stance, evidenced
by their marketing strategies, of the asbestos-cement industry with
those exposed victims confronted with the toxic realities frst hand.
Thirdly, the research will evince the global reach and attendant forms
of environmental, toxic, and entropic displacement of the economy of
asbestos vis-à-vis the omnipresent yet prosaic use of its products.
Finally, these three attritional types of displacement are posited as
prototypical instances of slow violence, extrapolating from an
ecological Marxist framework in dialogue with perspectives in
environmental public health and post-humanism.}},
  author       = {{Surber, Nicholas}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Disparate Lives, Fractured Mineral: Toxic Displacement in the Global Economy of Asbestos}},
  year         = {{2018}},
}