The author assesses the politics of different humanitarian interventions in the Mexico-US border region developing a unique perspective on the significance of people, places and things to contemporary border struggles.

The book is well written, accessible, and engaging, and the author discusses the contested politics of mobility and the motivations behind humanitarian responses of activists. The book is a significant contribution to the critical border, migration, and politics of humanitarianism bodies of literature. Highly recommended for undergraduate and graduate students and policy makers. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates and above. (I. Coronado, Choice, Vol. 53 (7), March, 2016)

Autorentext

Vicki Squire is Associate Professor of International Security at the Department of Politics and International Studies (PAIS), University of Warwick, UK. She is author of The Exclusionary Politics of Asylum (2009), editor of The Contested Politics of Mobility (2011), and Associate Editor of the journal Citizenship Studies.

Inhalt

The Sonoran Borderzone Introduction The Sonoran Desert State Borders And The Governing Of Mobility Asymmetric Divisions Unauthorised Border Crossings Migrant Deaths The Intensification And Contestation Of Control The Politics Of Control Humanitarian Activism Between Migration And Control Post/Humanitarian Politics Across The Sonoran Borderzone 2. A More-Than-Human Analysis Of Humanitarian Border Politics Critical Border And Migration Studies The Proliferation Of Borders Normalisation And Biopolitics Migrant Agency As Given And/Or Denied Humanitarian Activism Humanitarian Ethics And Law Humanitarian Government And Politics Humanitarian Politics As Contestation A More-Than-Human Analysis People, Places, Things 3. People, Privilege And Pity Toothbrushes In The Green Valley Engaging People Through Things Documenting Things Las Madres, No Mas Lágrimas Inscribing Privilege Through Pity A Danger Unto Themselves (And Unto Others) Violating Clandestine Acts Of Migration Exclusionary At HeartCut I: A Pitiful Humanitarianism? 4. Places, Violence And Response-Ability Water Bottles In The Desert Changing The Desert To A Human/E Place The Desert As A Site Of Biophysical Violence Beyond A 'Minimalist Biopolitics' Fighting For People By Transforming Place Humanitarian 'Littering' Contesting 'The Human' Through Things Cut II: A More Response-Able Humanitarianism? 5. Things, Gifts And Solidarity Hunting For 'Trash' Renewing Things Through Exchange Things That 'Go To Waste' Regeneration Over Preservation Humanitarian Recycling Fighting For People By Transforming Things Gifts As A Collective Force Cut III: A Solidaristic Humanitarianism? 6. Post/Humanitarian Border Politics