At home in national parks : a study of power, knowledge and discourse in Banff National Park and Cairngorms National Park
Abstract
National Parks bear greater implications than simply preserving or conserving pockets
of
landscape. They
evoke values of conservation versus development, livelihood
economics, environmental stewardship and personal enrichment; they fulfil
positions
in
relation to the national and the international
stage.
Social
characteristics are
revealed though this comparative study of
Banff National Park
and the Cairngorms
National Park. Perceptions of space, place and boundaries crucially
imply different
meanings to the people
living inside the national park
boundaries
and those living
outside the boundaries. 'Insiders'
are
long-term
permanent residents
for
whom
being
in the park
is
a practical activity;
'outsiders' include
scientists, conservationists,
bureaucrats,
and tourists, who take various
ideological
positions regarding the park's
purpose.
Both
sides take a serious
interest in the park and
how it is
managed and
regard
it
as a place where they are
'at home'. Groups
within these spaces considers
their values and rights superior to others and conflict often arises.
Non-violent
means
of gaining power as theorized by Foucault
and
Bourdieu,
employing
knowledge
and
discourse,
are
highly
suggestive
in the study of national parks.
Discourse
of nature
is
strategically significant as
it influences
purpose and policy that drive
government's
decisions
on
how the park will
be
managed - in
this way
discourse
shapes the culture
of
how
we use nature.
Knowledge,
as symbolic capital and as the basis for truth,
sparks
divisiveness - in
particular scientific
knowledge
versus experiential
knowledge.
Changes to the exclusive
North American
model, such as those instituted in the
Caimgorms,
mark the increased
social utility and
inclusive
nature of national parks.
The
challenge remains
for
park managers to reconcile values connected with
nationalism and environmental ethics with values connected with
local livelihoods.
Type
Thesis, PhD Doctor of Philosophy
Rights
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http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/
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