Book aims to help readers understand the meaning of sovereignty

Islands and Oceans: Reimagining Sovereignty and Social Change by Sasha Davis explores how struggles for decolonization, self-determination and political rights are ingrained in sovereignty. Sovereignty is a term used by stateless people seeking decolonization as well as by dominant social groups struggling to reassert their socially privileged positions, and Davis’ book aims to deepen and specify the meaning of the term by exploring how it functions.

In the book, Davis uses case studies to support his theoretical claims. The case studies are based on research that he conducted between 2013 and 2017 in Korea, Guam, Yap, Palau, the Northern Marianas, Hawai’i, and Honshu and Okinawa in Japan. These sites provided excellent sites to discuss the topic because of each area’s differences in sovereignty.

Davis is an associate professor of environmental studies, geography and sustainability at Keene State College.