Maan Barua | University of Cambridge (original) (raw)

Papers by Maan Barua

Progress in Human Geography, 2019

Relations between nature and capital have been a longstanding concern in the social sciences. Goi... more Relations between nature and capital have been a longstanding concern in the social sciences. Going beyond antinomies of posthumanist and political economic enquiry, this paper advances a set of relational analytics for incorporating liveliness into critical analyses of capital. Firstly, developing the concept of animal work, it shows how metabolic, ecological and affective labour become a productive economic force. Secondly, animating the commodity, it demonstrates how lively forces influence commodification and exchange, enabling or hindering accumulation. Thirdly, tracking animal circulation, it examines the logics of rendition that transform nonhuman life into capital. In conclusion, the paper develops a relational grammar for anatomizing the nature-capital dynamic, one that reorients the economic to be co-constituted by the ecological from the outset.

Understanding the social and political in relation to fabrications of earth/life has been one of ... more Understanding the social and political in relation to fabrications of earth/life has been one of geography's most enduring concerns. Friedrich Ratzel's Lebensraum essay, subtitled 'a biogeographical study', is an early exposition of how relations between the bio and the geo are politically molten. Yet his oeuvre, whilst of interest to political geographers, has been overlooked in the recent proliferation of work on the earth/life nexus in more-than-human geography. To this end, this commentary asks what it might mean to read Ratzel's essay in light of attempts to articulate and specify the cartographies of life. Three key themes are highlighted that resonate with contemporary more-than-human approaches: the spatial ontologies of animal life, animals' mobilities and cartographies of the living world. More specifically, this commentary expands upon Ratzel's notion of the oecumene and argues that it offers up critical purchase for diagramming animals' ontologies in ways sensitive to geographical concerns with nonhuman difference , lifeworlds and movement. A brief conclusion identifies avenues for future research and engagement.

What work does the naturalization of work do? What are its politicaleconomic implications? Trajec... more What work does the naturalization of work do? What are its politicaleconomic
implications? Trajectories of bringing nature into the ambit of
capitalist accumulation have been a longstanding concern in the social
sciences. Yet how might one explain capitalist logics of accumulation without
placing nature’s forces and potentials squarely on the side of capital—as
political-economic straightjackets tend to do? After all, these are potentials
that capital presupposes but does not itself produce. I address these
questions by focusing on concepts of animal work and nonhuman labor
(Barua 2017; see also Blanchette 2015; Porcher 2015) that offer crucial
insights into how nature is constitutive of political-economic organization.

Urban animals and their political ecologies constitute an arena of geographical scholarship that ... more Urban animals and their political ecologies constitute an arena of
geographical scholarship that has intensified in recent years. Yet, little
headway has been made in terms of understanding how sentient
creatures inhabit and negotiate dynamic, metabolic environments.
Focusing on urban macaques in Indian cities, the paper develops
a conversation between geography and ethology. Firstly, the
conversation provides insights into what urbanisation might entail
for animals. Secondly, it assays ways in which non-human knowledges
enable rethinking what expertise counts in urban governance. Thirdly,
the conversation foregrounds other spatial topologies of the urban
that become evident when animals’ lifeworlds are taken into account.
The paper advances efforts to animate urban political ecology in
registers yet inattentive to non-human lifeworlds. It concludes by
reflecting upon the purchase of such etho-geographical conversations
generate for political ecologies of urbanisation.

This paper maps into geographies of 'lively commodities', commodities whose value derives from th... more This paper maps into geographies of 'lively commodities', commodities whose value derives from their status as living beings. In an era where life itself has become a locus of capitalist accumulation, picking apart the category of 'liveliness' underpinning commodification has important analytical and geographical stakes. To this end, by tracking historical geographies of commodifying lions in political economies of ecotourism in India, this paper shows how more-than-human labour and lively potentials affect commodification and influence accumulation, not simply through recalcitrance, but as active participants within political economic organization. The paper advances and develops a triad of relational concepts – nonhuman labour, encounter value, spectacular accumulation – through which the political economic potency of lively commodities might be articulated and grasped. It concludes by discussing the analytical potential of this approach and its future purchase for rethinking commodity geographies.

Rendering nonhuman life for sale is a fundamental facet of contemporary capitalism. Political eco... more Rendering nonhuman life for sale is a fundamental facet of contemporary capitalism. Political economy extensively examines how nature is commodified but fails to analyse the difference liveliness of animals makes to processes of commodification. Drawing upon empirical work on lions and elephants in the political economies of tourism and biodiversity conservation in India, this paper proposes analytics for understanding commodification and accumulation in relational and less humanist terms. First, it develops Haraway's concepts of 'lively commodities' and 'encounter value', foregrounding animal ecologies to rework political economic categories of the commodity, labour and production in more-than-human terms. Second, it examines how lively commodities and encounter value configure political economies, mapping their specificities and economic potential. The paper advances potential diagnostics and vocabularies through which ecology and non-dualist accounts of agency might be integrated into the nature-as-resources approach of political economy.

This paper calls for a framework linking what happens in the “clinic” to wider ecological forces,... more This paper calls for a framework linking what happens in the “clinic” to wider ecological forces, both material and social. The aim is to enhance a crucial, yet neglected, aspect of India’s National Mental Health Programme: that individual mental suffering is related to a wide range of local factors. The current India National Mental Health Policy, both radical and holistic (NHMP 2014) requires a cross-disciplinary approach to reinvigorate theory to bridge the gap between policy makers and practice (Jain and Jadhav, 2009). To ensure congruency between mental health policy and practice, a framework is required which integrates ecological, economic and social sciences as applied to mental health.

The relation between the bio and the geo has been amongst geography’s most enduring concerns. Th... more The relation between the bio and the geo has been amongst geography’s most enduring concerns. This paper is a contributes toward ongoing attempts in human geography to politicize the dynamics and distribution of life. Drawing upon postcolonial environmental histories, animal ecology and more-than-human geography, the paper examines how humans and elephants cohabit with and against the grain of political and cartographic design. Through fieldwork in northeast India, it develops a ‘dwelt political ecology’ that reanimates landscapes as a dwelt achievements whilst being remaining sensitive to postcolonial histories and subaltern concerns. The paper develops conceptualizes and deploys a methodology of ‘tracking’ through which archival material, elephant ecology and voices of the marginalized may can be integrated and mapped. It concludes by discussing the implications of this work for bringing fostering new conversations between more-than-human geography and subaltern political ecology.

Environment & Planning A, Nov 15, 2013

Political ecology has had a long connection with materials, going back to some of its canonical c... more Political ecology has had a long connection with materials, going back to some of its canonical concerns. Yet materials are rendered inert with no capacity to mobilize political action. Further, the influence of matter in wider ecologies of human–animal cohabitation is poorly acknowledged. This paper examines the role of materials in mediating people’s relationships with elephants in rural northeast India. Drawing upon ethnographic research
and ethological studies of elephants, the paper shows that human–elephant conflict is not simply a linear outcome of interactions between elephants and people. Materials, in this case alcohol, play a vital role. Alcohol binds people and elephants in unforeseen ways.
The sociopolitical outcomes alcohol generates have deep impacts on the livelihoods of the rural poor and the well-being of elephants. This examination of social and political life through concerted interactions between humans, animals, and materials ecologizes
politics, making it more attuned to the more-than-human collectivities within which material lives are lived. The paper strives towards a political ecology that is symmetrical and challenges the discipline’s humanist focus. It concludes with a discussion of the future implications and potential of this approach.

Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers

Cosmopolitanism has emerged as an important concept in geography and the social sciences. The ris... more Cosmopolitanism has emerged as an important concept in geography and the social sciences. The rise of mobility, circulation and transnational networks has been paralleled by academic scholarship on un-parochial others: diasporas, travellers and itinerant social groups. However, the role of nonhumans as participants in and subjects of cosmopolitanism has received scant attention. This paper seeks to develop a ‘more-than-human’ cosmopolitanism that accounts for the presence of nonhuman animals and entities in stories of circulation and contact. Through a multi-sited ethnography of elephant conservation in India and the UK, the paper illustrates how animals become participants in forging connections across difference. Through their circulation, elephants become cosmopolitan, present in diverse cultures and serving banal global consumption. The paper then illustrates how cosmopolitan elephants may be coercive, giving rise to political frictions and new inequalities when mobilised by powerful, transnational environmental actors. It concludes by discussing the methodological and conceptual implications of a more-than-human cosmopolitanism.

Human-wildlife conflicts impact upon the wellbeing of marginalized people, worldwide. Although t... more Human-wildlife conflicts impact upon the wellbeing of marginalized people, worldwide. Although tangible losses from such conflicts are well documented, hidden health consequences remain under-researched. Based on preliminary clinical ethnographic inquiries and sustained fieldwork in Assam, India, this paper documents mental health antecedents and consequences including severe untreated psychiatric morbidity and substance abuse. The case studies presented make visible the hidden mental health dimensions of human-elephant conflict. The paper illustrates how health impacts of conflicts penetrate far deeper than immediate physical threat from elephants, worsens pre-existing mental illness of marginalized people, and leads to newer psychiatric and social pathologies. These conflicts are enacted and perpetuated in institutional spaces of inequality. The authors argue that both wildlife conservation and community mental health disciplines would be enhanced by coordinated intervention. The paper concludes by generating questions that are fundamental for a new interdisciplinary paradigm that bridges ecology and the clinic.

Biodiversity and Conservation

"Invertebrates have a low public profile and are seriously underrepresented in global conservatio... more "Invertebrates have a low public profile and are seriously underrepresented in global conservation efforts. The promotion of flagship species is one way to generate interest in invertebrate conservation. Butterflies are frequently labeled invertebrate flagships, but clear definitions of the conservation actions they are meant to catalyze, and empirical assessments of their popularity amongst non-Western audiences are lacking. To improve the use of invertebrate flagships, we examine how butterflies compare with other taxa in terms of popularity. We then identify characteristics of individual species that are appealing and explore whether these may be used to derive a set of guidelines for selecting invertebrate flagships. We conducted questionnaire-based surveys amongst two target audiences: rural residents (n = 255) and tourists (n = 105) in northeast India. Invertebrates that were aesthetically appealing, or those that provided material benefits or ecological services were liked. Butterflies were the most popular group for both audiences, followed by dragonflies, honeybees and earthworms. A combination of large size and
bright colours led to high popularity of individual species, whilst butterflies with unique features were liked by tourists but not rural residents. These results provide empirical evidence that butterflies appeal to diverse audiences and have the potential to be deployed
as flagships in different contexts. However, prior to promoting invertebrate flagships, their intended uses need to be specified. Here we define an invertebrate flagship as an invertebrate species or group that resonates with a target audience and stimulates awareness, funding, research and policy support for the conservation of invertebrate diversity. In conclusion we outline a set of heuristic guidelines for selecting flagships to raise awareness
of invertebrate diversity and conservation."

The impact of conservation policies on human wellbeing is critical to the integration of poverty ... more The impact of conservation policies on human wellbeing is critical to the integration of poverty alleviation and biodiversity conservation. In many low-income countries, human–wildlife conflict adversely affects wellbeing of communities that closely interface with wildlife. Approaches to framing and mitigating conflict emphasize its visible costs. Hidden impacts, i.e. costs that are uncompensated, temporally delayed, or psychosocial in nature, remain poorly addressed. This paper examines the hidden impacts of human–wildlife conflict in low-income countries. It presents an account of the known and potential hidden impacts, investigating their effects on rural communities. Hidden impacts of human–wildlife conflict include diminished psychosocial wellbeing, disruption of livelihoods and food insecurity. Considerable opportunity costs are incurred through crop and livestock guarding. When seeking compensation for damage, bureaucratic inadequacies result in added transaction costs. Even though communities may be tolerant of wildlife, the hidden impacts of conflict jeopardize various components of global wellbeing. The paper concludes by identifying gaps in knowledge and outlining areas for future research that better address hidden dimensions of human–wildlife conflict.

As a crisis-oriented discipline, conservation biology needs actions to understand the state of na... more As a crisis-oriented discipline, conservation biology needs actions to understand the state of nature and thwart declines in biodiversity. Actors-traditionally individuals, institutions, and collectives-have been central to delivering such goals in practice. However, the definition of actors within the discipline has been narrow and their role in influencing conservation outcomes inadequately conceptualised. In this paper, we examine the question 'What is a conservation actor?' Who or what creates the capacity to influence conservation values and actions? Drawing from theoretical developments in Actor-Network Theory and collective governance, we argue that the concept of an actor in conservation biology should be broadened to include non-humans, such as species and devices, because they have the agency and ability to influence project goals and outcomes. We illustrate this through four examples: the Asian elephant, International Union for Conservation of Nature red lists, the High Conservation Value approach, and an Integrated Conservation and Development Project. We argue that a broader conceptualisation of actors in conservation biology will produce new forms of understanding that could open up new areas of conservation research, enhance practice and draw attention to spheres of conservation activity that might require stronger oversight and governance.

We welcome Lorimer’s (2010) renewed appeal for more constructive conversations and collaborations... more We welcome Lorimer’s (2010) renewed appeal for more constructive conversations and collaborations between physical and human geographers interested in the diversity and dynamics of life. Lorimer proposes a new approach to biogeography by
unravelling three important dimensions of human–elephant companionship and elephant conservation in Sri Lanka, namely (1) concerns for nonhuman difference, (2) interspecies conviviality and (3) cosmopolitan environmentalism. The first dimension (i.e. nonhuman difference) seeks to reorient
‘conservation towards responsible relations’ and ‘pay close attention to modes of companionship under which humans and elephants . . . emerge’ (Lorimer 2010, 499). The second strand in Lorimer’s approach – interspecies conviviality – traces aspects
of ‘elephant difference’ and human–elephant companionship
in situations of conflict and captivity. Cosmopolitan environmentalism seeks to attend to the politics involved in ‘living with’ and ‘speaking for’ elephants. By bringing together a revitalisedhuman geography and aspects of biogeographical
science, Lorimer proposes a ‘lively biogeography’ that will foster intradisciplinary rapprochement and collaboration.

Misrepresentation of terminology is a major impediment for attempts at enhancing public conservat... more Misrepresentation of terminology is a major impediment for attempts at enhancing public conservation literacy. Despite being critically important for improving conservation practice, there have been few systematic analyses of the popular use of conservation terminology. This paper draws from science communication studies and metaphor analysis, to examine how keystone, flagship and umbrella species concepts are used and represented in non-academic contexts. 557 news articles containing these terms were systematically analyzed. Mammals featured in 60% of articles on keystones, 55% on flagships and 63% on umbrella species. Number of articles explaining the terms keystone (35%) and flagship (31%) was low, and keystones were the most misrepresented term. Keystones were metaphorically linked with balance, flagships with representation and umbrella species with protection. These metaphors influenced public interpretation of scientific terminology, oriented actions towards select species, and led to a valuation of such actions. Together, the findings highlight three important aspects of popular use of conservation terminology: (1) communication is largely biased towards mammals, (2) everyday language plays a vital role in the interpretation of concepts, and (3) metaphors influence peoples’ actions and understanding. Conservation biologists need to engage with issues of language if public conservation literacy is to be improved. Further evaluations of concepts with high public and policy relevance, systematic identification of communication shortfalls, and linguistic assessments prior to promoting new terms are potential ways of achieving this.

At the Copenhagen climate change conference in 2009, the International Union for the Conservatio... more At the Copenhagen climate change conference in 2009, the
International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
proposed ten additional species to ‘‘share the polar bear’s
burden’’ and ‘‘illustrate’’ global effects of climate change
(IUCN 2009). Images of polar bears in melting ice have
become synonymous with environmentalist climate campaigns
(Stirling and Derocher 2007). The IUCN proposal
adopts the logic that if one flagship species for global climate
change can apparently influence public opinion, a
whole fleet of flagships would have an even greater effect.
The new IUCN climate change flagship fleet includes
staghorn corals, the ringed seal, the leatherback turtle, the
emperor penguin, the quiver tree, clownfish, the arctic fox,
salmon, the koala, and the beluga whale (IUCN 2009).

Flagship species are used to leverage public support for conservation. The success of a flagship ... more Flagship species are used to leverage public support for conservation. The success of a flagship is potentially determined by its popularity and ability to foster conservation intentions among a target audience. When flagships come into conflict with people, however, it is likely that conservation intentions get negatively affected. By examining peoples’ exposures to the Asian elephant—a global conservation flagship—this study
sought to (a) identify exposures that enable conservation intentions and (b) test whether human–elephant conflict undermines them. Survey results showed that exposure
to wild elephants negatively affected intentions to conserve elephants, while specific concern for the elephant and direct involvement in conservation activities led to positive intentions. These results suggest that the effective use of the Asian elephant as a flagship may be contingent on mitigating human–elephant conflict, for which engagement with concerned local actors and initiation of participatory conservation frameworks need to be considered.

The media play a key role in communicating conservation issues such as human-wildlife conflict, b... more The media play a key role in communicating conservation issues such as human-wildlife conflict, but corresponding literature on how issues are represented is limited. This article traces the depiction of human-elephant conflict in the media by examining (a) how conflicts are framed and (b) how ultimate and proximate causes are communicated in Indian and international newspapers. Issues were often polarized or framed in dramatic terms, and consonance in reporting causes was lacking. Active engagement with the media is needed to produce a nuanced debate on conflict, for which recognizing the role of different actors and working closely with individual journalists are vital.

Progress in Human Geography, 2019

Environment & Planning A, Nov 15, 2013

Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers

Biodiversity and Conservation

Univ. of Aberdeen): Tackling conflicts over species conservation Nancy Priston (Oxford Brookes Un... more Univ. of Aberdeen): Tackling conflicts over species conservation Nancy Priston (Oxford Brookes Univ.): Buton Macaques -crops, conflict and behaviour Alexandra Zimmerman (Univ. of Oxford): Patterns and principles in human-wildlife conflicts Andrew Loveridge (Univ. of Oxford): The ecology of human-carnivore conflict Saskia Dijk (Univ. of Kent): Values and India's 'monkey menace' Maan Barua (Univ. of Oxford): The hidden dimensions of conflict

To critically examine theoretical questions and practical challenges posed by human-wildlife conf... more To critically examine theoretical questions and practical challenges posed by human-wildlife conflicts in order to develop analytical frameworks for addressing issues in 21 st century conservation.