People and pollution : cultural constructions and social action in Egypt PDF
Preview People and pollution : cultural constructions and social action in Egypt
People and Pollution This page intentionally left blank Cultural Constructions and Social Action in Egypt Nicholas S. Hopkins Sohair R. Mehanna Salah El-Haggar The American University in Cairo Press Cairo New York Copyright © 2001 by The American University in Cairo Press 113 Sharia Kasr el Aini, Cairo, Egypt 420 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10018 http:llwww. aucpress. com All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Dar el Kutub No. 4677/01 ISBN 977 424 663 2 Photographs by Salah El-Haggar Muhammad Hassan Nicholas S. Hopkins Hugh Hughes Said Samir Designed by the AUC Press Design Center/Hugh Hughes Printed in Egypt To our families, for a clean environment This page intentionally left blank Contents List of Tables ix List of Illustrations xi Foreword xiii By H.E. Nadia Makram Ebeid Preface xv Maps 1. Greater Cairo and the lower Delta xix 2. Kafir al-Elow xx 3. Dar al-Salam xxi 4. Sayyida Zeinab xxii 5. Abkhas xxiii 1 Environmental Change and Social Response in Egypt 1 The Research Problem 1 Theoretical and Conceptual Approaches 7 Conclusion: Lessons from the 'Black Cloud' 18 2 Methodology 22 Research Questions 23 Research Sites 23 Discovery Procedures 28 Description of the Samples 29 Data Analysis 35 3 Measuring Pollution 37 Measurements 38 Comparison 44 4 Environmental Conditions in the Research Localities 46 Standard of Living 47 Domestic Conditions 52 Other Problems 67 Quality of Life in the Research Sites 70 5 Cultural Construction of the Environment 71 and Pollution Definitions and General Attitudes 72 Ranking of Concerns 76 viii Contents Causes of Pollution 82 Contrasts 89 Opinions (1995 and 1997) 95 Choices 98 Conclusion 105 6 Health 107 Evaluations 108 Reported Illnesses in 1997 110 Sports and Smoking 115 Health Care and Insurance 116 Conclusion 116 7 The Politics of Environmental Action 118 The Role of the Government 119 Knowledge and Responsibility 126 Taking Action 131 Conclusion 152 8 Sustainability and a Cultural Model of the 153 Environment in Egypt The Study 154 Effect of Independent Variables on the Data 158 Construction of the Social Dimension of the Environment 161 Frames and Action 162 Culture and Theory in Environmental Change 164 Achieving Sustainability 165 God Bless the Chimneys by Shahira Elmusa 168 Notes 169 Works Cited 178 Tables 1. Categories of respondent samples 30 2. Percentage of respondents exposed to various media (1995) 34 3. Ranges of TSP, smoke, and lead concentrations 39 4. Pollutant concentrations in water from various localities 40 5. Average noise levels at the study locations (daily ranges) 43 6. Comparative environmental fitness ranking of the research localities 45 7. Amenities by locality 47 8. Responses to the question: "Do you consider yourself concerned about the environment?" 74 9. Respondents' perceptions of those who are "very concerned" about the environment 75 10. Perceptions of neighborhood environmental problems 77 11. Perceptions of environmental threats 79 12. Ranking of problems by locality 81 13. What is the major source of air pollution? 82 14. What is the major source of water pollution? 83 15. WTiat is the major source of noise pollution? 83 16. WTiat is the major source of air pollution? 84 17. What is the major source of water pollution? 84 18. What is the major source of noise pollution? 85 19. Perceived environmental change over the last five years 88 20. Perceived changes in drinking water over the past five years 88 21. Perceived relative effect of pollution on different categories 91 22. Direction of change in cooperativeness 92 23. Perceived reasons for throwing garbage in the streets 94 24. Others' concern for the environment 96 25. Factories conflict with a clean environment 96 26. A clean environment preferred to new factories 97 27. The responsibility of the present generation 97 28. Environmental optimism 97 29. Responsibility to the next generation 102 30. Effect of mass media on knowledge and attitudes 104 31. Media and changing attitudes 105 32. Health ratings 108 33. Health experience of respondents 109
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