Problematization and De-stigmatization

Abstract

Although they live up and downstream on the same polluted river, residents of the two villages of Liangqiao and Shangba have quite different perceptions of the risk of heavy metal pollution from a local mine and different responses to it. At the time of this research, Liangqiao villagers were actively trying to problematize pollution, and attract attention in order to resolve it, while Shangba had already gone through this process of problematization, and realized that although it had brought some relief, being known as a ‘cancer village’ also had downsides. It was now trying to ‘de-stigmatize’ the community. The differences between the two communities were largely related to factors such as clan organization, local or migrant origin, population size, economic power and other such factors.