Invisible Scourge: What Bed Bugs and Propoxur Can Teach Us About Health and the Urban Environment

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dc.contributor.advisorWalker, Peteren_US
dc.contributor.authorNienaber, Saraen_US
dc.date.accessioned2014-06-17T19:40:16Z
dc.date.available2014-06-17T19:40:16Z
dc.date.issued2014-06-17
dc.description.abstractBed bugs were once considered eliminated from the United States, so recent resurgence of this pest has been cause for concern. Presence of these troublesome insects has resulted in the proposal of controversial policies. For example, the state of Ohio petitioned the EPA for a FIFRA Section 18 emergency exemption to use the insecticide propoxur, a neurotoxin, to treat bed bug infestations in the state. In this thesis, I analyzed public comments for the exemption, task force reports, and media to examine how health and the urban indoor environment are framed in this decision-making process. Though bed bugs carry stigma, those who have them are not overtly blamed for the pest. However, an inability to eliminate them effectively is situated as a lack of personal responsibility. A political ecology of health analysis and healthism are used to understand how narratives of health and personal responsibility justify use of this pesticide.en_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1794/17896
dc.language.isoen_USen_US
dc.publisherUniversity of Oregonen_US
dc.rightsAll Rights Reserved.en_US
dc.subjectBed bugsen_US
dc.subjectEnvironmental healthen_US
dc.subjectEnvironmental justiceen_US
dc.subjectHealthismen_US
dc.subjectPesticidesen_US
dc.subjectPropoxuren_US
dc.titleInvisible Scourge: What Bed Bugs and Propoxur Can Teach Us About Health and the Urban Environmenten_US
dc.typeElectronic Thesis or Dissertationen_US
thesis.degree.disciplineEnvironmental Studies Programen_US
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Oregonen_US
thesis.degree.levelmastersen_US
thesis.degree.nameM.S.en_US

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