SOCIOLOGY

PROJECT
16 DECEMBER 2011 THE PROBLEM OF

A THREAT TO IES
 SUPERVISED BY-
Ms. Preeti Priyam Sharma
(Asst. Professor of Sociology)
National Law University and Judicial Academy

PRESENTED BY-
Praveen Jhalani (Id no. 46)
Rachna Jha (Id no. 47)
Rashmi Patowary (Id no. 48)
1st Semester
B.A.,LL.B. (Hons.) FYIC
 INTRODUCTION
 Environmental Concern – a hot burning topic
 Toxic waste is waste material that can cause death or injury
to living creatures. It spreads quite easily and can
contaminate lakes and rivers. The term is often used
interchangeably with “hazardous waste”, or discarded
material that can pose a long-term risk to health or
environment.
 Electronic waste, e-waste, e-scrap, or Waste Electrical
and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) describes discarded
electrical or electronic devices.
 Developing countries: lack of proper system for recycling and
disposal.
 REVIEW OF EXISTING LITERATURE
 Norbrand Sara (2009), Out of Control: E-waste trade flows from the EU to
developing countries, Sedwach
 UN estimates that up to 50 million tonnes of e-waste may be generated in
the world each year.
 Burden of e-waste
• Developing countries in Asia and Africa that lack proper systems for
recycling and disposal.
• Increase in consumption of electronics .
• Export of e-waste from the rich world to third world nations.
 Problems
Health
Water
Marine Life
Economic
 CONTD..
 The Risk Society: Towards a new modernity, Authored by Beck, Ulrich.
Barcelona, Paidos. 2006. Reviewed by Maximiliano E. Korstanje

 Discusses one of the pioneer projects authored by Ulrich Beck,

regarding risk perception issues.
 Beck is regarded as the authority of current concerns regarding the
relationship between modernity and hazards.
 Beck is concerned about the degradation of the environment because
of toxic waste.
 The consequences of capitalism are being debated in all corners of the
globe. Pollution, the contamination of rivers, nuclear accidents, global
warming, deforestation and other issues are on the agenda of
international environment.
 METHODOLOGY
OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT
 TO UNDERSTAND THE ROLE/IMPORTANCE OF TOXIC WASTE
MANAGEMENT IN CURRENT CONTEXT

 TO UNDERSTAND THE NATURE OF THREAT FROM TOXIC WASTE

MATERIALS FOR FRAGILE ECOLOGIES.

 TO UNDERSTAND THE GLOBAL SCENARIO WHEREIN THE DEVELOP

COUNTRIES WITH GREATER IMMUNITY AND CAPACITY TO MITIGATE RISK,
EXPLOIT THE THIRD WORLD COUNTRIES IN SHORT-SIGHTED, ATTEMPTED
TO SAFEGUARD THEIR ECOLOGY
 RESEARCH DESIGN

EXPLANATORY
DESIGN

OBJECTIVE
S OF THE
PROJECT

DESCRIPTIV DIAGNOSTIC
E DESIGN DESIGN
 CONTD..
SURVEY OF THE CONCERNED
LITERATURE
PROBLEM

CASE STUDY RESEARCH METHOD (THEORY)

OBSERVATION
PROBLEM :- TOXIC WASTE MANAGEMENT
THEORY:- ULRICH BECK’S CONCEPT OF ‘RISK SOCIETY’
OBSERVATION:- FLOW OF ELECTRONIC WASTES FROM DEVELOPED
COUNTRIES TO AFRICAN NATIONS
 Great importance – Contemporary Theories of
Modernity.
 Classical Stage of Modernity – former stage of
modernity – industrial society
 Reflexive Stage of Modernity – emerging stage – risk
society
 Contemporary Society – a combo!
 Similarities and Differences (classical stage vs.
reflexive stage)
• Central issue – wealth vs. risk
• Ideal – equality vs. safety
• Solidarity for equality vs. solidarity for preventing
risks
 Class and risk are related

 FLOW OF ELECTRONIC WASTES FROM
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES TO AFRICAN NATIONS
 Developed nations are focused on mitigating environmental risks than
gathering of capital through industrialization.
 Concept of social classes is true for nations also.
 Wealthier-Developed-Upper class-I World Countries
 Poorer- Underdeveloped-Lower class-III World Countries
 African Nations – Home to some of the wondrous fragile ecologies and
rich in natural resources.
 The quality and richness of terrestrial, freshwater, and marine
environments have been polluted and subsequently declined
 Wealthy countries that produce risk, even after pushing their risk to
poorer countries are still vulnerable- Boomerang Effect.
Benguerra Island - a fragile largest threat to its fragile
ecosystem CONTD.. ecological system. Mahajanga,
Madagascar

Northern Botswana, a unique and

fragile wetland ecosystem,
 CONTD..

A boy hauls e-waste in Lagos,

Nigeria. In a 2005 Flow article
 CHAPTERIZATION
CHAPTER 1- TOXIC WASTE MANAGEMENTS: DEFINITION AND SOME FACTS
1.1) Definition of Toxic Wastes
1.2) Electronic Wastes
1.3) Toxic Waste Management: An Overview
CHAPTER 2- ECOLOGY AND ENVIRONMNET: AN INSIGHT INTO FRAGILE
ECOLOGIES
2.1) Defining Ecology
2.2) Ecosystem
2.3) Fragile Environment
CHAPTER 3- RISK SOCIETY: A CONCEPT
3.1) Ulrich Beck: About the Proponent
3.2) Risk Society: Theoretical Aspects
CHAPTER 4– FLOW OF ELECTRONIC WASTES FROM DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
TO AFRICAN NATIONS: A CASE STUDY
4.1) Introduction
4.2) An Insight into the Story
4.3) Factors for the flow of E-Wastes to the African nations
4.4) Toxic E-Waste Dumping in Africa Harming Children
CHAPTER 5 – DRAWING A PARALLEL BETWEEN THE THEORY AND THE CASE
CONCLUSION
BIBLIOGRAPHY
 CONCLUDING
OBSERVATIONS
 “Risk Society” well explains the
phenomenon- Problem of Toxic Waste
Management : A Threat to Fragile
Ecologies.
 High Time to realize the
interconnectivity – Boomerang Effect.

Take care of the small

things,