Dissertation Research: Social Norms, Markets, and Conservation in Bhutan

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Development has become a key component of many conservation programs because planners assume that local residents require benefits in order to support environmental conservation. This dissertation project by a cultural anthropologist will study the interaction of social norms and integration into markets on conservation behavior in Bhutan. The proposal will test the hypothesis that strong social norms, measured as religiosity, traditional ecological knowledge, and social capital, will result in decreased resource extraction independent of household integration into a market economy and that market integration in the absence of strong social norms will lead to increased resource use. The Kingdom of Bhutan is taking a unique approach to development with an emphasis on protecting environmental and cultural heritage in the course of deliberate and conscientious economic development. The recent influx of markets has, however, begun degrading traditional values. Thirty individuals in each of eight villages will be sampled. Using surveys, behavioral scans, and participant observation, the degree of market integration and markers for social norms for conservation, will be measured. This study will contribute to the education of a doctoral student in addition to undergraduates at the Royal University of Bhutan as well as adding to the very limited anthropological and biological knowledge of one of the most isolated nations. Broader Impacts: The advance in our knowledge will be useful to conservation and development planners who must design policies that spur economic growth while limiting negative impacts on local environments. With many of the world's biodiversity hotspots in developing countries, understanding the dynamics between economic growth, social norms, and conservation is crucial to improving conservation outcomes.