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Globalism and the Enclosure of the Landscape Commons

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Cultural Severance and the Environment

Part of the book series: Environmental History ((ENVHIS,volume 2))

Abstract

‘Enclosure,’ it will be argued, severs people from the landscape of not just the material commons, but the ‘cultural commons,’ thereby breaking the living bonds of custom that motivate sustainable use. Globalism, it will be further argued, is the contemporary manifestation of the enclosure movement, and thereby a threat to both the material and the cultural commons. Enclosure leaves behind, however, a residue of the cultural commons, as picturesque tradition, that easily dissolves into death by nostalgia. But before delving into enclosure, globalism and picturesque tradition, the meaning of the ‘cultural commons’ in relation to the material commons will be explored.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    This information is based upon fieldwork in South Orleans, Massachusetts.

  2. 2.

    Hardin traces the historical background for his ideas in (Hardin and Baden 1977).

  3. 3.

    ‘Globalism’ is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as ‘the belief, theory, or practice of adopting or pursuing a political course, economic system, etc., based on global rather than national principles; an outlook that reflects an awareness of global scale, issues, or implications’ (O.E.D 1989).

  4. 4.

    This is arguably the European Landscape Convention’s premise (Olwig 2007).

  5. 5.

    I thank Graham Bathe for his insightful critical reading of this text. Any remaining errors are fully my responsibility.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Landscape Architecture, Planning and Heritage, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 58, Sundsvägen 4–6, 23053, Alnarp, Sweden

    Kenneth R. Olwig

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  1. Kenneth R. Olwig
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Correspondence to Kenneth R. Olwig .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Faculty of Development & Society, Sheffield Hallam University, City Campus, Pond Street, Sheffield, S1 1WB, United Kingdom

    Ian D. Rotherham

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Olwig, K.R. (2013). Globalism and the Enclosure of the Landscape Commons. In: Rotherham, I. (eds) Cultural Severance and the Environment. Environmental History, vol 2. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6159-9_3

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