Othered Bodies and Ecophobia
Mamak Garbage Area
abstract
This study aims to examine Mamak Garbage Area and the residents in that neighbourhood within ecophobic discourse in terms of analysing why and how they have become the target of ecophobic psyche. Garbage areas in general constitute elemental bodies combining natural elements and human influences since these areas are human-made natural storage yards. Moreover, junkyards reflect the relationship between human and nonhuman encounters. However, when disastrous results are experienced, human beings simply blame nature itself for the wrongdoings of the human practices. Furthermore, ecophobia is also targeted towards the human bodies residing in the garbage areas and depending on garbage for their living. Moreover, similar to wild nature, those human bodies are also excluded from the civil order, contributing to the discursive deep clash between nature and culture.