Exploring The Perpetuation of the Racial “Other” in the Environmental Justice Movement

Résumé

This paper poses the question, “How do different philosophical perspectives of race contribute to a critical understanding of how the racial ‘Other’ is perpetuated in the environmental justice movement?” The grounding work is the book What is Race? Four Philosophical Perspectives, authored by S. Haslanger, C. Jeffers, Q. Spencer, and J. Glasgow. I will critically examine the intersection of racial theory and the environmental justice sphere. I will interrogate how race, as a political construct, results in a hierarchy by drawing on Sally Haslanger’s argument. Additionally, I will consider how these notions of race help us to understand the role of race in the environmental justice movement. The study will delve into the historical and contemporary contexts of the environmental justice movement, emphasising how racial constructs have influenced its development and operations. The application of these approaches to race in the research will further clarify the mechanisms through which racial constructs perpetuate the concept of the racial “Other,” further entrenched by environmental injustices. Through a critical analysis of theoretical frameworks and case studies, this paper aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the perpetuation of racial “Othering” and offer insights for more equitable and inclusive environmental policies and practices. This paper contributes to the broader discourse on race, environmental justice, and social equity, advocating for a more intersectional and philosophically informed approach to addressing systemic injustices.