56 pages • 1 hour read
Rob NixonSlow Violence and the Environmentalism of the Poor
Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 2011A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Essay Topics
Pick one real-world example of an environmental catastrophe from the last 10 years that embodies slow violence. Discuss the catastrophe, including whether certain groups were differently impacted and how the dominant power (e.g., corporation, government, NGO) responded to the event. What are the challenges in visually representing this event, particularly the consequences it will have on humans and the environment through time? How would you go about building public awareness of it?
Do you think people will be able to rethink their view of violence? What are the potential consequences of maintaining the status quo of current thinking? How would Nixon respond to your argument?
What are the different types of representational power described in the book? Are there any that you consider especially concerning? Why?
Pick one of the writer-activists whom Nixon highlights. How did they go about dismantling the representational bias against the injustice they describe? What challenges did they face, and were they successful in overcoming these challenges? Why or why not?
How do environmental injustices impact people differently within a community? Do you think marginalized communities will ever truly receive environmental justice? Use examples from the text to support your assertion.
What are the differences between postcolonialism and environmental studies? How have their histories impacted their development? Do you agree with Nixon that bringing them more fully together would lead to productive dialogue? Why or why not?
Nixon states that “public debate is overdue on war’s hidden human and environmental costs, a debate that acknowledges major shifts in the ways that contemporary war kills” (200). Why does Nixon want to see this public debate? Do you agree with his assertions? How else could we strengthen national security?
How do visibility and scale impact slow violence?
Several times in the book, Nixon discusses the collaboration between transnational companies and local elites. Why? How is this collaboration important as it relates to slow violence and environmentalism of the poor?
Nixon argues that neoliberal globalization is responsible for both “exacerbating unequal economic development and uneven development of official memory” (66). Why? What is the relationship between neoliberal globalization and slow violence? Consider whether you agree with his assessment—and explain why or why not.
