The meaning of urban river pollution and sense of place: an ethnographic study of Klang River, Malaysia

Tajuddin, Nor Azlin (2014) The meaning of urban river pollution and sense of place: an ethnographic study of Klang River, Malaysia. In: XVIII ISA World Congress of Sociology, 13-19 July, Pcifico Yokohama, Yokohama, Japan.

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Abstract

This paper is based on a PhD research, which investigates values, beliefs and practices associated with two polluted rivers in urban settings – the Klang River in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and the Torrens River, South Australia. However, this paper focuses on the findings from the Klang River ethnographic data. Theoretically, the concept of place is central to this paper. Findings suggest that in the urban setting where rivers have increasingly been polluted and modified, and as a consequence whose water is not suitable for direct contact, the visual faculty plays a prominent role in determining the state of the river. From the perspective of everyday users, what constitutes pollution depends significantly on what can and what cannot be seen with naked eyes. In particular, the colour and texture of water, the decline or abundance of aquatic species in the river are some of the common visual experiences described by the locals indicative of pollution. In conclusion, the concept of place is a useful means to understand and analyse the manner in which people comprehend environmental degradation and more specifically river pollution.

Item Type:	Conference or Workshop Item (UNSPECIFIED)
Additional Information:	3840/38691
Uncontrolled Keywords:	the Klang River, urban anthropology, river pollution
Subjects:	G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GF Human ecology. Anthropogeography G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GN Anthropology H Social Sciences > HM Sociology > HM1 Sociology (General and theoretical)
Kulliyyahs/Centres/Divisions/Institutes (Can select more than one option. Press CONTROL button):	Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences > Department of Sociology & Anthropology
Depositing User:	Dr. Nor Azlin Tajuddin
Date Deposited:	14 Oct 2014 09:12
Last Modified:	19 Jun 2018 14:21
URI:	http://irep.iium.edu.my/id/eprint/38691

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