Sullivan, S (2011) 'Conservation is sexy! What makes this so, and what does this make? An engagement with 'Celebrity and the Environment'.' Conservation and Society, 9 (4). pp. 334-345.
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Abstract
This essay offers an engagement with Daniel Brockington’s (2009) recent book 'Celebrity and the environment.' I highlight the book’s contribution to debate regarding processes of human displacement arising through biodiversity conservation under conditions of neoliberal capitalism. I first situate the book in relation to contemporary perspectives on displacement, justice, and human rights, using examples to illustrate complex and dynamic patterns of conservation inclusions and exclusions globally. This is followed by a summary of Brockington’s typology of conservation celebrities, and of the ways in which celebrities assist with the amassing of conservation finance. I proceed to elaborate the roles of a celebrity saturated mass media (and mediated) ‘spectacle of conservation’ in structuring social and consumptive engagements with the non-human world globally. I draw attention to how diverse peoples in conservation landscapes might become part of the spectacle of conservation by reconfiguring themselves as cultural objects of touristic consumerism in a script not necessarily of their choosing. By way of acknowledging the significance of social networks and alliances in influencing conservation perspectives and practice, I close with a disclaimer regarding my own long-term collaborations with the author of 'Celebrity and the environment.'
| Item Type: | Article |
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| Keywords: | conservation, celebrity, displacement, neoliberalism, tourism, spectacle, capitalism, biodiversity, biocultural diversity, finance |
| Divisions: | School of Writing, Publishing and the Humanities |
| Date Deposited: | 15 Jan 2014 12:08 |
| Last Modified: | 15 Jan 2024 16:16 |
| ISSN: | 0972-4923 |
| URI / Page ID: | https://researchspace.bathspa.ac.uk/id/eprint/1814 |
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