Doctoral Dissertation Research: A network analysis of immigration and its effects on common-pool resource management

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This project investigates the impact of immigration on common-pool resource (CPR) management. The research will take place in Puerto San Carlos, a rural fishing village in Baja California Sur, Mexico, an ideal location to explore the impacts cof ommunity diversity on fisheries management outcomes because of the increased reliance on fisheries, the substantial migration to the region, and the presence of unsustainable management practices. Using a combination of ethnographic methods, social network analysis and experimental games, this project will compare the attributes, behaviors, and social integration of long-term resident fishers and recently arrived fishers to explore the relationship between immigration, social ties, and potential environmental impact. Results from this project can help clarify the currently inconsistent relationship between community diversity and cooperation, as well as question the widespread perception that immigrants inevitably are linked to environmental degradation.The inconsistent relationship found in the scientific literature between community heterogeneity (i.e., diversity) and cooperation stems from two factors: a vague definition of heterogeneity, and poor specification of the mechanisms whereby heterogeneity affects cooperation. To remedy this situation, this project analyzes specific types of heterogeneity linked to environmental outcomes and their relationship to social ties. Additionally, the ambiguous environmental consequences of immigration may stem from the fact that immigrants are not necessarily dramatically different and marginalized outsiders. Questioning past assumptions about heterogeneity and its effect on resource management simultaneously questions assumptions about the environmental impact of immigrants.Despite the general perception in policy and the media that immigrants threaten the sustainable harvesting of natural resources, immigration is rarely addressed in fisheries and coastal management policy. This study will directly address the intersection of immigration and fisheries management, and contribute to remedying this significant policy oversight. Research findings will be shared with local residents and organizations, as well as the growing interdisciplinary network of U.S. and Mexican scholars investigating social-ecological systems within Baja California. To support local capacity for research and education, research assistant positions for local students will be created in collaboration with local organizations.