Collaborative Research: Gender, Environment, and Change: Exploring Shifting Roles in an Inupiat Community

合作研究：性别、环境和变化：探索因纽特社区中的角色转变

• 批准号: 1304613
• 负责人: Courtney Carothers
• 金额: $ 28.62万
• 依托单位: University of Alaska Fairbanks Campus
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2013
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2013-09-01 至 2017-01-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1304613&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Gender; Environment; Change

This environmental anthropology study will provide a detailed ethnographic picture of the ways in which Alaska Native communities are responding to global challenges while at the same time retaining and practicing their core indigenous values in the face of many uncertainties. Previous research has identified indigenous groups and women as some of the most vulnerable populations affected by pronounced political, economic, and environmental shifts. In this study the researchs seek to examine gendered responses to the processes of globalization and significant social-environmental change and the shifting roles of women in the midst of such changes. This research will provide an in-depth study of the gendered, multigenerational responses to specific contemporary changes in Barrow, Alaska, an Iñupiat subsistence-based community and economic and administrative hub of Arctic Slope region. While it is widely recognized that women play important roles as providers in this region, more research is needed on the evolving nature of women?s ?work? given new vocational and educational opportunities in the context of shifting mixed economies, increasing regulation of the environment, cumulative oil and gas exploration and extraction, and pronounced environmental change. Drawing on the theoretical frameworks of traditional ecological knowledge and political ecology, the PIs ask several primary research questions: 1) How do recent shifts in local livelihoods reshape discourses and practices on what it means to be a female provider in Barrow in changing times? 2) What are the linkages between women?s work and community well-being? 3) To what extent have recent shifts in local livelihoods impacted the ability of women to nurture diversity and create opportunities for self-organization and self-determination? and 4) How are women participating in, and providing leadership to, local and regional political networks? The research design is guided by feminist and participatory research approaches; the researchers have built methodological flexibility into their research design to enable the local research team and advisors to help shape the direction of the project. The project uses mixed methods, combining participant observation, semi-structured interviews, critical case studies, and social network analysis. Women?s roles have been an underrepresented aspect of indigenous management strategies worldwide and this project recognizes women as empowered individuals who often foster the well-being of their communities. Thus, this research provides an important opportunity to explore applied concerns in anthropology and resource management by valuing women?s traditional ecological knowledge and provisional roles during a time of intense shifts. The investigators also anticipate that this research will be useful and meaningful for the community of Barrow and will have broader applications to other indigenous groups facing similar challenges. They hope the collaborative and participatory nature of their research, including local people in the research process and providing additional opportunities to provide trainings and foster dialogue about research and ethics, will make a significant contribution to both the research and educational activities in Barrow and international discussions about the appropriate relationships between researchers, research programs, and local communities.

这项环境人类学研究将提供阿拉斯加土著社区如何应对全球挑战，同时在面对许多不确定因素时保留和践行其核心土著价值观的详细民族志图景。以前的研究已经确定，土著群体和妇女是受显著的政治、经济和环境变化影响的一些最脆弱的群体。在这项研究中，研究人员试图考察对全球化进程和重大社会环境变化的性别反应，以及妇女在这些变化中的角色转变。这项研究将深入研究阿拉斯加州巴罗的性别、多代人对具体当代变化的反应，巴罗是一个以伊努皮特人为基础的社区，也是北极坡地区的经济和行政中心。虽然人们普遍认识到，女性在该地区扮演着重要的提供者角色，但还需要对女性的演变性质进行更多研究？S？工作？在混合经济转型、加强环境监管、累积石油和天然气勘探和开采以及环境显著变化的背景下，出现了新的职业和教育机会。利用传统生态知识和政治生态学的理论框架，私人投资机构提出了几个主要的研究问题：1)最近当地生计的变化如何重塑关于在变化的时代成为巴罗女性提供者意味着什么的话语和实践？2)女性之间有什么联系？S，工作和社区福祉？3)当地生计的最近变化在多大程度上影响了女性培育多样性、创造自我组织和自决机会的能力？4)妇女如何参与和领导地方和区域政治网络？研究设计以女权主义和参与式研究方法为指导；研究人员在研究设计中加入了方法灵活性，使当地研究团队和顾问能够帮助确定项目的方向。该项目使用了混合方法，结合了参与者观察、半结构化访谈、关键案例研究和社会网络分析。妇女？S的作用一直是全世界土著管理战略中代表性不足的一个方面，该项目承认妇女是赋权的个人，往往促进其社区的福祉。因此，这项研究为探索人类学和资源管理中的应用问题提供了一个重要机会，通过重视女性S在剧烈变化时期的传统生态知识和临时角色。调查人员还预计，这项研究将对巴罗社区有用和有意义，并将在面临类似挑战的其他土著群体中得到更广泛的应用。他们希望他们的研究具有协作性和参与性，让当地人参与研究过程，并提供更多机会提供关于研究和伦理的培训和对话，这将对巴罗的研究和教育活动以及关于研究人员、研究项目和当地社区之间适当关系的国际讨论做出重大贡献。