Doctoral Dissertation Research: Land Management in Mugu District, Nepal: Power, Cultural Practices, and Ecological Conditions

博士论文研究：尼泊尔穆古区的土地管理：电力、文化实践和生态条件

• 批准号: 9900788
• 负责人: Eric Sheppard
• 金额: $ 0.99万
• 依托单位: University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 1999
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1999-05-01 至 2002-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=9900788&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Doctoral; Dissertation; Research; Land; Management

Although considerable attention has been devoted to environmental degradation in many parts of the world, scholarly examinations have shown that human modification of the natural environment occurs through a diverse array of processes, each of which must be considered within social, cultural, economic, political, and legal contexts of the locales where environmental change occurs. This is particularly true in the highlands of northwestern Nepal, where a range of land-management practices that have significantly altered vegetation patterns have evolved. This doctoral dissertation research project will conduct case studies in two villages east of Lake Rara National Park in the Mugu District, linking analyses of social relations of power, including analyses of class, caste, and gender relations, with analyses of cultural practices and ecological conditions associated with different land-management practices. A range of research approaches will be used, including interviews and focus groups, community map-making and transect walking, oral histories, analysis of government documents, aerial photo interpretation, and vegetation sampling. Information gathered from these sources will be used to examine how social and power relations, cultural practices, and ecological conditions interact to influence land-management practices and resource use. Attention also will be given to conflicts and consensus among different individuals and groups regarding the meanings of land and various land-use practices. The dissertation, publications, and presentations resulting from this research project will contribute to understandings of the complex ways through which various aspects of human activity interact with each other and with natural phenomena to alter environmental conditions. Because of its well-developed theoretical framework, these case studies will contribute to development, political ecology, and feminist literatures as well as to understandings of the human dimensions of global change. As a Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement award, this award also will provide support to enable a promising student to establish a strong independent research career.

尽管世界上许多地方的环境退化受到了相当大的关注，但学术研究表明，人类对自然环境的改变是通过一系列不同的过程发生的，每一个过程都必须在环境变化发生的地方的社会、文化、经济、政治和法律背景下加以考虑。在尼泊尔西北部的高原地区尤其如此，在那里，一系列土地管理实践已经演变，大大改变了植被模式。这个博士论文研究项目将在穆古区拉拉湖国家公园以东的两个村庄进行案例研究，将社会权力关系的分析，包括阶级、种姓和性别关系的分析，与不同土地管理实践相关的文化习俗和生态条件的分析联系起来。将使用一系列研究方法，包括访谈和焦点小组、社区地图制作和样带行走、口述历史、政府文件分析、航空照片解释和植被采样。从这些来源收集的信息将用于研究社会和权力关系、文化习俗和生态条件如何相互作用，影响土地管理做法和资源利用。还将注意不同个人和群体之间关于土地的意义和各种土地使用做法的冲突和共识。本研究项目的论文、出版物和报告将有助于理解人类活动的各个方面相互作用以及与自然现象相互作用以改变环境条件的复杂方式。由于其完善的理论框架，这些案例研究将有助于发展，政治生态学，女权主义文学以及对全球变化的人类维度的理解。作为博士论文研究改进奖，该奖项还将提供支持，使有前途的学生建立一个强大的独立研究生涯。