Domicide

"Their eyes see rubble, former exiles see home" Globe and Mail, 23 June 2000 Douglas Porteous and Sandra Smith begin their analysis by examining just how important home is to human life and community. Using a multitude of case studies of displacement, they derive a theoretical framework that addresses the methods, effects of, and motives for domicide. Two case studies of resettlement resulting from hydro-electric power development in British Columbia are used to test this framework. Porteous and Smith assess the implications of loss of home, evaluate current efforts at mitigation, suggest better policies to alleviate the suffering of the dispossessed, and - as a last resort - urge resistance against unacceptable projects.

J. Douglas Porteous is professor of geography at the University of Victoria, British Columbia.