LE3 .A278 2021

2021

Cohen, Alice

Acadia University

Master of Arts

Masters

Social and Political Thought

Sociology

The protection of biodiversity through conservation is presented as both urgent and apolitical. Violence inflicted on humans and nonhumans in the name of conservation is considered a necessary means to an end. This thesis argues that conservation is a perpetuation of colonial violence underpinned by the ideologies of mastery and purity. This argument is important, because it changes the narrative of conservation from being something scientific and apolitical, to something colonial and violent. To do this, the thesis uses a postcolonial theoretical lens to examine theories of depoliticization and contends that scientization, commodification, and securitization work together to obscure the colonial ideologies that inform conservation concepts and policy. To expose these obscured ideologies, this thesis creates a visualization that investigates the colonial roots and depoliticization of several normative concepts in conservation. It suggests that in order to begin decolonizing conservation, the enduring colonial legacy must be confronted. Additionally, embracing a politics of plurality can be a step towards dismantling, reinventing, and creating concepts that do not validate and perpetuate colonial violence.

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https://scholar.acadiau.ca/islandora/object/theses:3696