Dorceta Taylor’s Toxic Communities

October 1, 2020 · by · in

This week, we’ve posted two chapters from Dorcetta Taylor’s Toxic Communities: Environmental Racism, Industrial Pollution, and Residential Mobility in Perusall.

Dorceta Taylor’s Toxic Communities

Please read and comment on Chapter two concerning the nature of Environmental Justice work, considering the questions below:

  • Who has power and agency – whose voices are heard?
  • How is intersectionality addressed in this work? How does disproportionate siting relate to other structural dynamics (like those in Schell et al)?
  • Consider that much research critical of EJ findings came out of UMass (e.g. Anderson, Anderton, Oakes research group). How do you think this has shaped the cultures/politics of UMass departments/research?
  • How do different EJ research methods (scale, timing, etc.) influence the results and comparability of studies?

We have also uploaded the first chapter from the text with case studies you may find interesting. Feel free to comment on that chapter as well.