
Uncommon Cause
Living for Environmental Justice in Kerala
John Mathias(Author)
University of California Press
1st Edition
Published on 2. May 2024
Book
Hardback
276 pages
978-0-520-39550-3 (ISBN)
Description
How can activists strike a balance between fighting for a cause and sustaining relationships with family, friends, and neighbors? Uncommon Cause follows environmental justice activists in Kerala, India, as they seek out, avoid, or strive to overcome conflicts between their causes and their community ties. John Mathias finds two contrasting approaches, each offering distinct possibilities for an activist life. One set of activists repudiates community ties and resists normative pressures; for them, environmental justice becomes a way of transcending all local identities and affiliations, even humanity itself. Other activists seek to ground their activism in community belonging, to fight for their own people. Each approach produces its own dilemmas and offers its own insights into ethical tensions we all face between taking a stand and standing with others. In sharing Kerala activists' diverse stories, Uncommon Cause offers a fresh perspective on environmental ethics, showing that environmentalism, even as it looks beyond merely human concerns, is still fundamentally about how we relate to other people.
More details
Edition
First Edition
Language
English
Place of publication
Berkerley
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Cloth over boards
Illustrations
22 b-w figures, 3 maps, 1 table
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 20 mm
Weight
590 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-520-39550-3 (9780520395503)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
05/2024
1st Edition
Naval Institute Press
€28.99
Available for download
Person
John Mathias is a cultural anthropologist and associate professor in the College of Social Work at Florida State University, where he teaches on activism, community organizing, and social theory.
Content
Contents
List of Illustrations
Acknowledgments
Note on Translation and Orthography
Introduction: Activist Lives
1. Living for the People
2. Living for Our People
3. Uncommon Subjects
4. Unquiet Objects
Conclusion: Life Beyond Activism
Appendix: Note on Methods
Notes
Bibliography
Index
List of Illustrations
Acknowledgments
Note on Translation and Orthography
Introduction: Activist Lives
1. Living for the People
2. Living for Our People
3. Uncommon Subjects
4. Unquiet Objects
Conclusion: Life Beyond Activism
Appendix: Note on Methods
Notes
Bibliography
Index