Graduation Date
Summer 2018
Document Type
Thesis
Program
Master of Arts degree with a major in Applied Anthropology
Committee Chair Name
Yvonee Everett
Committee Chair Affiliation
HSU Faculty or Staff
Second Committee Member Name
Laurie Richmond
Second Committee Member Affiliation
HSU Faculty or Staff
Third Committee Member Name
John Meyer
Third Committee Member Affiliation
HSU Faculty or Staff
Subject Categories
Environment and Community
Abstract
This research presents a case study of resistance to contamination from three large chemical plants by activists in the communities of Montague and Whitehall located on White Lake, Michigan. Although clean-up efforts have met state and federal guidelines for brownfield and Superfund sites, the people and community of White Lake have continued to be vigilant regarding environmental protection and harbor many concerns regarding their future and redevelopment of sites that are likely still contaminated.
The connection to place and sense of community that the residents of White Lake honor is the foundation of their resistance. Using data collected from semi-structured interviews and archival research, this study addressed the community’s resilience towards the generation of industrial pollution, the residents’ perceptions of place, concerns about their environment, and the role activists played in their community’s socio-ecological resilience. By sharing the narratives of local White Lake activists, my hope is that these stories of resistance and dissent will strengthen the socio-ecological resiliency of this community and other communities facing similar situations.
Citation Style
APA
Recommended Citation
Revord, Elizabeth A., "Legacies of industrial contamination: Voices of resistance in White Lake, Michigan" (2018). Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects. 178.
https://digitalcommons.humboldt.edu/etd/178