Waters As Creative Forces For Social Relations In Ras Al-Khaimah Emirate

Bibliographic Data

ID15042313
AuthorsWilliam Lancaster (Yahoo (United Kingdom), corresponding author), Fidelity Lancaster (Yahoo (United Kingdom))
Year2013
Volume132-133
Pages95-121
Publication date2013-01-01
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal des anthropologues (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1156-0428 • E-ISSN: 2114-2203
PublisherOpenEdition (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.4000/jda.4920
OpenAlexW1561645923
LanguageEN
References cited5

The paper uses data collected between 1997 and 2005 during the compilation of an archive on « Life before Oil » in RAK Emirate.Waters were seen as a driving force in the creation of landscapes and social practices. No environment is considered to provide livelihoods and profits of itself, but only through enhancements of natural waters. Through observations, experience and work, some waters permit livelihoods and profits and so create sets of political, jural and economic relations; these waters become integral parts of the communities they create. Other waters provided more generalised or more indirect benefits for people and engendered different relations. The local, autonomous, non-hierarchical, long-term and sustainable relations with waters were transformed by incorporation into the global oil economy and the nation state. Livelihoods and profits now come from the state; relations with waters have been largely subsumed into federal ministries. Waters were regarded as a sign from God, a symbol of his mercy, to be enhanced by work into livelihood; now, water is a commodity of the state, to be consumed and paid for with money

Agriculture · Archaeology · Commodity · Economics · Economy · Geography · Livelihood · Market economy · Natural resource · Political science · Politics · Sign (mathematics · State (computer science · Symbol (formal · Work (physics · Archaeology and Historical Studies · Engineering · Law · Middle East and Rwanda Conflicts · Water management and technologies

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