Remember that a discussion board post should make connections between the case(s) and key course
concepts. You should also provide your own reflection/opinion on the material. See the Discussion Board
Assignment Guidelines for more details.
You are also encouraged to pose a question for your peers either asking about something youre unclear
about, or seeking their opinion/thoughts on an issue as a way of getting discussion going. Feel free to
bring in insights from outside materials, your own life experiences, or current events!
OPTION 1: How does racism get perpetuated through water service provision and management? You
might also consider: How might we understand the week 5-6 cases and readings in light of this years
protests against anti-Black racism and the dispossession of Indigenous peoples (e.g. the Wetsuweten
pipeline protests)? How do you think we might work to advance racial justice through water
governance? Answer with reference to the Detroit case (guest lecture, readings) AND/OR the case of First
Nations water in Canada. In your response, draw on at least two course readings from weeks 1-6.
o One strategy might be to link to a key course theme(s):
Institutions
Access & control
Infrastructure, knowledge, & power
o When thinking of how we might advance racial justice, you can select an actor(s) of your
choice: policymakers/planners, activists, etc.
OPTION 2: In what way are water justice struggles about ideas and knowledge, as much they are about
access to and control over water as a material resource? What do you think the implications of this are
for how we work towards more just water governance? Unpack this idea with reference to the Detroit
case in Week 5 AND/OR the discussions of settler colonial waterscapes and First Nations water
management in Canada from Week 6. Make sure to draw on at least two course readings from weeks 1-
6.
E.g. think about ideas about imaginaries of places and peoples (such as stigma); forms of
water knowledge; different ways of defining equity/justice, etc.
OPTION 3 (OPEN REFLECTION): Reflect on the Week 5 Detroit AND/OR Week 5 First Nations water cases
in relation to course theme(s) or concepts of your choice from weeks 1-4. Make sure to draw on at least
two course readings in total (from weeks 1-6).
