dorothy vralsted - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by dorothy vralsted
University of Pittsburgh Press eBooks, Jul 27, 2008
Environmental History, 2019
Berghahn Books, Oct 24, 2022
African Americans and the Mississippi River
African Americans and the Mississippi River
African Americans and the Mississippi River
African Americans and the Mississippi River
African Americans and the Mississippi River
Review of International American Studies, 2021
Throughout the nineteenth century, major rivers assumed multiple roles for the emergent nation-st... more Throughout the nineteenth century, major rivers assumed multiple roles for the emergent nation-states of the western world. The Thames in England, Seine in France, and Rhine in Germany all served as fodder for a growing sense of national identity. Offering a unity and uniqueness, the rivers were enlisted by poets, artiss, and writers to celebrate their country's strengths and aesthetic appeal. The Mississippi and Volga Rivers were no exceptions to this riverine evolution. At the same time, however, less vocal populations experienced the rivers differently. To African Americans--enslaved and free--laboring on the Mississippi offered a freedom of movement unknown to the land-bound. While employed on steamships, African Americans escaped the vigilance of an overseer with the possibility to escape bondage. Still the work was demanding and relentless. To the burlaki, the Volga was taskmaster and nurturer. But for both groups, laboring on the rivers resulted in connections t...
Thesis Eleven, 2019
Long touted in literary and historical works, the Mississippi River remains an iconic presence in... more Long touted in literary and historical works, the Mississippi River remains an iconic presence in the American landscape. Whether referred to as ‘Old Man River’ or the ‘Big Muddy,’ the Mississippi River represents imageries ranging from pastoral and Acadian to turbulent and unpredictable. But these imageries – revealed through the cultural production of artists, writers and even filmmakers – did not adequately reflect the experiences of everyone living and working along the river. The African-American community and its relationship to the Mississippi River down the ages is occluded by these discourses. In focusing on this alternate history, namely the African-American experience with the Mississippi River, the overarching framework of this paper will consist of three lenses on the river as: refuge, labor, and cultural icon. From the moment of their arrival, the intersection of their lives with the Mississippi River reveals a history where the river offers freedom, oppression, escape...
Choice Reviews Online, 2015
Environment and History, 2014
Simon Schama's provocative work, Landscape and Memory, reveals the role that nature has histo... more Simon Schama's provocative work, Landscape and Memory, reveals the role that nature has historically played in shaping culture. Although much of Schama's focus predates the twentieth century, this essay on the historical development of the Volga River extends up to the present. The thesis, however, of demonstrating the continuity of earlier nature myths with the present, is an ongoing theme in this recounting of the effects of modernisation on the Volga while a nationalist rhetoric touts its aesthetic qualities. These aesthetics - symbolised through literary and artistic representations of Mother Volga - contributed to an emerging national narrative in Russia in the nineteenth century. This national identity is articulated through a rich visual culture that includes the work of Russian artists such as Isaac Levitan and Ilya Repin with their landscape portrayals of the Volga. As a result, the river assumed an iconic status which enhanced the story of its transformation. By th...
Water and Human Societies, 2021
Water insecurity is one of the greatest challenges facing the world today. Since water is essenti... more Water insecurity is one of the greatest challenges facing the world today. Since water is essential to live, the threat of not having enough to sustain a nation's population can lead to aggression between nations and massive migrations as people flee from waterscarce, drought-ridden countries, placing tremendous burdens upon host regions. These burdens include threats to health-especially during times of pandemics like COVID-19, when hygiene is critical-food supply, employment, and other infrastructure capabilities. Today, water supplies are threatened by climate change and variability and demographic trends such as growing urban populations demanding more water for domestic uses and energy needs. Climate change, in particular, has led to what one study has called the "expanded water nexus" as experts recognize the central role water plays in food and energy production. Without an adequate water supply, communities are without the means to produce food and certain types of energy. As competition for a shrinking resource increases, many countries are faced with internal unrest with the potential to expand beyond national borders. The reverse can also be found when populations are threatened by increased flooding as sea levels rise in countries, such as Bangladesh. Yet, the literature on water security is relatively new as the term "security" assumes new dimensions for decision-makers. Previously, security was viewed narrowly and referred to a nation's military capabilities and the protection of its borders. In the world of classical diplomacy, security was often associated with a "realpolitik" approach to statecraft. In the twenty-first century, however, the meaning of security became more inclusive and comprehensive. A commonly accepted definition, drafted by UN-Water states: The capacity of a population to safeguard sustainable access to adequate quantities of and acceptable quality water for sustaining livelihoods, human well-being, and socioeconomic development, for ensuring protection against water-borne pollution and water-related disasters, and for preserving ecosystems in a climate of peace and political stability. 1 Reading 2
Water and Human Societies, 2021
Water and globalization cover multiple topics overlapping many of the earlier sections. For purpo... more Water and globalization cover multiple topics overlapping many of the earlier sections. For purposes of this section, the topic will be limited to two focus areas. First, the phenomena of globalization and its impact upon water supplies and use will be considered. Second, certain aspects, of a global market, such as virtual water, will be reviewed. The first reflects the results of economic, social, and cultural changes upon water use while the second reflects a shift in the commodification of water. Differences between the two focus areas are slight and often intersect but still warrant distinct discussions (Image 8.1). Since the 1980s, globalization, or the integration of markets, culture, and society, has made substantial gains with the liberalization of trade, technological advances in commerce, communications, and transportation, coupled with the rise of multinational organizations empowering these developments. With the acceleration of production and consumption, natural resources, particularly water, have been affected. Paired with the economic growth has been a growing global population. Entering the second decade of the twenty-first century, the earth's population is an estimated 7.7 billion people with projections of 9.7 billion by 2050. (According to United Nations' statistics, this growth will peak in 2100, reaching 11 billion people.) At the same time, water consumption-fueled by population growth and the growth of water-intensive lifestyles-has increased by 1% annually. As discussed in previous chapters, for most of human history, agriculture was the major consumer of water resources. In recent years, however, with the expansion of markets and improved standards of living, more water is being consumed for industrial and domestic use, although agriculture remains the primary water user. 1 For example, eating habits have changed as people are consuming more water-intensive diets. The consumption of beef has increased worldwide as more countries include beef in their diet. Yet, the price of water is high. In data provided by the United States Image 8.2 The global economy and agribusiness: irrigated agriculture in California (USA).
Water and Human Societies, 2021
This chapter considers the early riverine civilizations of Egypt and India and their dependence a... more This chapter considers the early riverine civilizations of Egypt and India and their dependence and spiritual regard for the Nile and Ganges Rivers, respectively. In both civilizations, the rivers were central to everyday life, informing culture as documented through art, prose, and song. The valorization of rivers, such as the Ganges in the mid-nineteenth century, contributed to a robust nationalism that emerged in the 1800s. Indigenous groups, including the Maori in New Zealand, also recognized the centrality of rivers to their livelihoods. For the Maori, their kinship with surrounding rivers was reflected in their roles as stewards of nearby rivers. The Maori, in turn, became one of the first to have one of their rivers accorded legal standing, demonstrating the role of rivers in communities as providers and influencers.
University of Pittsburgh Press eBooks, Jul 27, 2008
Environmental History, 2019
Berghahn Books, Oct 24, 2022
African Americans and the Mississippi River
African Americans and the Mississippi River
African Americans and the Mississippi River
African Americans and the Mississippi River
African Americans and the Mississippi River
Review of International American Studies, 2021
Throughout the nineteenth century, major rivers assumed multiple roles for the emergent nation-st... more Throughout the nineteenth century, major rivers assumed multiple roles for the emergent nation-states of the western world. The Thames in England, Seine in France, and Rhine in Germany all served as fodder for a growing sense of national identity. Offering a unity and uniqueness, the rivers were enlisted by poets, artiss, and writers to celebrate their country's strengths and aesthetic appeal. The Mississippi and Volga Rivers were no exceptions to this riverine evolution. At the same time, however, less vocal populations experienced the rivers differently. To African Americans--enslaved and free--laboring on the Mississippi offered a freedom of movement unknown to the land-bound. While employed on steamships, African Americans escaped the vigilance of an overseer with the possibility to escape bondage. Still the work was demanding and relentless. To the burlaki, the Volga was taskmaster and nurturer. But for both groups, laboring on the rivers resulted in connections t...
Thesis Eleven, 2019
Long touted in literary and historical works, the Mississippi River remains an iconic presence in... more Long touted in literary and historical works, the Mississippi River remains an iconic presence in the American landscape. Whether referred to as ‘Old Man River’ or the ‘Big Muddy,’ the Mississippi River represents imageries ranging from pastoral and Acadian to turbulent and unpredictable. But these imageries – revealed through the cultural production of artists, writers and even filmmakers – did not adequately reflect the experiences of everyone living and working along the river. The African-American community and its relationship to the Mississippi River down the ages is occluded by these discourses. In focusing on this alternate history, namely the African-American experience with the Mississippi River, the overarching framework of this paper will consist of three lenses on the river as: refuge, labor, and cultural icon. From the moment of their arrival, the intersection of their lives with the Mississippi River reveals a history where the river offers freedom, oppression, escape...
Choice Reviews Online, 2015
Environment and History, 2014
Simon Schama's provocative work, Landscape and Memory, reveals the role that nature has histo... more Simon Schama's provocative work, Landscape and Memory, reveals the role that nature has historically played in shaping culture. Although much of Schama's focus predates the twentieth century, this essay on the historical development of the Volga River extends up to the present. The thesis, however, of demonstrating the continuity of earlier nature myths with the present, is an ongoing theme in this recounting of the effects of modernisation on the Volga while a nationalist rhetoric touts its aesthetic qualities. These aesthetics - symbolised through literary and artistic representations of Mother Volga - contributed to an emerging national narrative in Russia in the nineteenth century. This national identity is articulated through a rich visual culture that includes the work of Russian artists such as Isaac Levitan and Ilya Repin with their landscape portrayals of the Volga. As a result, the river assumed an iconic status which enhanced the story of its transformation. By th...
Water and Human Societies, 2021
Water insecurity is one of the greatest challenges facing the world today. Since water is essenti... more Water insecurity is one of the greatest challenges facing the world today. Since water is essential to live, the threat of not having enough to sustain a nation's population can lead to aggression between nations and massive migrations as people flee from waterscarce, drought-ridden countries, placing tremendous burdens upon host regions. These burdens include threats to health-especially during times of pandemics like COVID-19, when hygiene is critical-food supply, employment, and other infrastructure capabilities. Today, water supplies are threatened by climate change and variability and demographic trends such as growing urban populations demanding more water for domestic uses and energy needs. Climate change, in particular, has led to what one study has called the "expanded water nexus" as experts recognize the central role water plays in food and energy production. Without an adequate water supply, communities are without the means to produce food and certain types of energy. As competition for a shrinking resource increases, many countries are faced with internal unrest with the potential to expand beyond national borders. The reverse can also be found when populations are threatened by increased flooding as sea levels rise in countries, such as Bangladesh. Yet, the literature on water security is relatively new as the term "security" assumes new dimensions for decision-makers. Previously, security was viewed narrowly and referred to a nation's military capabilities and the protection of its borders. In the world of classical diplomacy, security was often associated with a "realpolitik" approach to statecraft. In the twenty-first century, however, the meaning of security became more inclusive and comprehensive. A commonly accepted definition, drafted by UN-Water states: The capacity of a population to safeguard sustainable access to adequate quantities of and acceptable quality water for sustaining livelihoods, human well-being, and socioeconomic development, for ensuring protection against water-borne pollution and water-related disasters, and for preserving ecosystems in a climate of peace and political stability. 1 Reading 2
Water and Human Societies, 2021
Water and globalization cover multiple topics overlapping many of the earlier sections. For purpo... more Water and globalization cover multiple topics overlapping many of the earlier sections. For purposes of this section, the topic will be limited to two focus areas. First, the phenomena of globalization and its impact upon water supplies and use will be considered. Second, certain aspects, of a global market, such as virtual water, will be reviewed. The first reflects the results of economic, social, and cultural changes upon water use while the second reflects a shift in the commodification of water. Differences between the two focus areas are slight and often intersect but still warrant distinct discussions (Image 8.1). Since the 1980s, globalization, or the integration of markets, culture, and society, has made substantial gains with the liberalization of trade, technological advances in commerce, communications, and transportation, coupled with the rise of multinational organizations empowering these developments. With the acceleration of production and consumption, natural resources, particularly water, have been affected. Paired with the economic growth has been a growing global population. Entering the second decade of the twenty-first century, the earth's population is an estimated 7.7 billion people with projections of 9.7 billion by 2050. (According to United Nations' statistics, this growth will peak in 2100, reaching 11 billion people.) At the same time, water consumption-fueled by population growth and the growth of water-intensive lifestyles-has increased by 1% annually. As discussed in previous chapters, for most of human history, agriculture was the major consumer of water resources. In recent years, however, with the expansion of markets and improved standards of living, more water is being consumed for industrial and domestic use, although agriculture remains the primary water user. 1 For example, eating habits have changed as people are consuming more water-intensive diets. The consumption of beef has increased worldwide as more countries include beef in their diet. Yet, the price of water is high. In data provided by the United States Image 8.2 The global economy and agribusiness: irrigated agriculture in California (USA).
Water and Human Societies, 2021
This chapter considers the early riverine civilizations of Egypt and India and their dependence a... more This chapter considers the early riverine civilizations of Egypt and India and their dependence and spiritual regard for the Nile and Ganges Rivers, respectively. In both civilizations, the rivers were central to everyday life, informing culture as documented through art, prose, and song. The valorization of rivers, such as the Ganges in the mid-nineteenth century, contributed to a robust nationalism that emerged in the 1800s. Indigenous groups, including the Maori in New Zealand, also recognized the centrality of rivers to their livelihoods. For the Maori, their kinship with surrounding rivers was reflected in their roles as stewards of nearby rivers. The Maori, in turn, became one of the first to have one of their rivers accorded legal standing, demonstrating the role of rivers in communities as providers and influencers.