1. Communities in Nature: The Construction and Understanding of Forest Natures.
- Author
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Marsden, Terry, Milbourne, Paul, Kitchen, Lawrence, and Bishop, Kevin
- Subjects
FORESTRY & community ,FORESTS & forestry ,COMMUNITIES ,CASE studies ,REALISM - Abstract
Abstract The paper outlines three different but interrelated theoretical strands associated with contemporary society-nature debates; namely social constructionism, realism and ecological modernisation. By using empirical evidence from a case study of community and forestry interactions in a South Wales ex-mining village, the paper argues for the need to incorporate into these theoretical debates a deeper analysis of community understandings and practices. It argues that variable aspects of nature are a critical element in understanding social community change, just as the latter is important in shaping the value and worth attributed to natural relations. The analysis begins to identify some of the conceptual and empirical gaps which exist in the theoretical interstices between the three approaches; suggesting a need to focus more effectively on aspects of community construction and practice, evolving governance and local embeddedness. These factors become important conceptual bridges in the larger social science quest to relate human materialities much more effectively to natural materialities (and vice versa). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2003
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