Displacement: uprooting, survival and perspectives
Abstract as pdf
Corresponding Author:
Matias Barberis Rami
EFIS Centre Belgium
mattbarberis@gmail.com
Author(s):
According to the International Organization for Migration, more than 200 million people were environmentally displaced in the las decade, becoming one of the visible consequences of disasters and climate change. Displaced people may experience two processes: on one hand, the uprooting linked to different losses including daily life, the identity and the memories; on the other hand, they will often be confronted with different people, other languages and diverse habits during the journey or at destination, creating a potential cultural shock.
Likewise, “Mara and Dann: an adventure” by Doris Lessing and “Three hundred years hence; or a voice from prosperity” by William Hay are two examples of post-apocalyptic and dystopic literature that introduced the issue of displacement. The authors proposed future scenarios contextualized by a degraded environment as a consequence of the climate change or a catastrophic situation. Along the stories, they write about survival strategies, cultural changes and the role of memory, topics that allow us to reflect on contemporary issues.
The design of policies to prevent and mitigate displacement requires a deep understanding of socio-cultural processes associated to it. Therefore, this paper aims at analyzing the contributions of Doris Lessing and William Hay’s postapocalyptic narratives to approach socio-cultural variables related to contemporary studies about environmental displacement. The comparative analysis attempts to reveal the critiques to society introduced by both authors and contrast them to the philosophical debates on the field of displacement policies.
Post-apocalyptic dystopias and disaster studies: Crossdisciplinary perspectives on environmental challenges today