Domicide: The Global Destruction of Home

Franзois Boudreau is a professor of sociology at Laurentian University.

Domicide is the deliberate destruction of homes by the powerful of the
world. This book examines domicide from a unified, worldwide,
synchronic, and diachronic perspective, elaborating on the endless
motives invoked for the destructions of homes as well as on the profound
psychological impact that such destruction has on the inhabitants. In
seven chapters, the authors introduce the concept of domicide; develop a
comprehensive definition of domicide; demonstrate how domicide has been
used as a tool of war throughout human history; document domicide in its
everyday manifestation, from road and dam building to national park
creation and airports construction; analyze the Columbia River Basin
domicide in British Columbia that evolved over a 25-year period; attempt
to develop both a typology and a theory of domicide; and present
strategies for alleviating the suffering of the victims of everyday
domicide.

Domicide is manifested in many different ways. Using critical thought,
the authors convincingly present this common phenomenon as a single act
of power. Their chapter on assisting domicide’s victims is a welcome
reminder of what democracy should be.