The Fable of The Three Little Pigs: Climate Change and Green Cultural Criminology

Avi Brisman

doi:10.5204/ijcjsd.v8i1.952

Abstract

This paper builds on previous calls for a green cultural criminology that is more attuned to narrative, as well as a narrative criminology that does not limit itself to nonfictional stories of offenders, in two ways. First, it considers how a particular kind of environmental narrative—that of climate change—appears, as well as criticisms thereof. In analysing and assessing existing climate change narratives, this paper contemplates the approach of heritage studies to loss and the (theme of) uncertainty surrounding climate-induced migration and human displacement. Second, this paper allegorises the fable of The Three Little Pigs as a story of climate change migration—an aspect of climate change that is misrepresented (and sometimes missing) in the discourse. This paper concludes with additional arguments for approaching, reading and analysing stories regarding human–human and human–environment relationships.

Highlights

In ‘Introduction à l’analyse structural des récits’ (‘An Introduction to the Structural Analysis of Narrative’), Roland Barthes writes: narrative starts with the very history of mankind; there is not, there has never been anywhere, any people without narrative; all classes, all human groups, have their stories, and very often those stories are enjoyed by men of different and even opposite cultural backgrounds
The present paper extends the efforts undertaken in Brisman (2017b) by considering how a particular fable—that of The Three Little Pigs—can illustrate dynamics regarding climate-induced migration and injustice
As noted in the Introduction to this paper, previous work in green cultural criminology has examined the representation of victims and offenders, causes and consequences, and responses and solutions to environmental crime and harm in stories that are advertised as such—that is, in fiction, whose plotlines and often titles are explicit in their environmental subject matter

Summary

Introduction

In ‘Introduction à l’analyse structural des récits’ (‘An Introduction to the Structural Analysis of Narrative’), Roland Barthes writes: narrative starts with the very history of mankind; there is not, there has never been anywhere, any people without narrative; all classes, all human groups, have their stories, and very often those stories are enjoyed by men of different and even opposite cultural backgrounds. Storytelling is an essential part of the human experience in general’, Ugelvik (2016: 216) contends that ‘stories should be seen as a central part of the smooth running of any government agency’ He attempts to demonstrate as much by examining how officers in a Norwegian immigration detention centre make sense of their roles and construct their jobs and the institution in which they work as legitimate. I present Randall’s argument for why this is the case, and analyse and assess her recommendations In examining her suggestions, I contemplate the approach of heritage studies to loss and the (theme of) uncertainty surrounding climate-induced migration and human displacement. I contend that The Three Little Pigs can be interpreted as a tale about climate change, and conclude the paper with additional arguments for approaching, reading and analysing stories regarding human–human and human–environment relationships

Narrative in green cultural criminology

The Three Little Pigs as a climate change fable

Findings

Conclusion