Doctoral Dissertation Research: Rural Livelihoods and Contested Spaces: An Examination of the Gender Dimensions of Human-Wildlife Conflicts in Uttaranchal, India

这个博士论文研究改进项目分析了农业社区位于科贝特国家公园附近的人类与野生动物冲突的性别层面，在印度北部的乌塔兰查尔州。 该研究探讨了与野生动物的冲突在以下方面的性别差异影响：（一）牲畜捕食，作物掠夺，财产损失和对人类的攻击，以及（二）这些事件的空间和时间模式。这项研究源于科学家越来越意识到人类与野生动物的冲突威胁到保护目标和人类福祉。最近的研究表明，在印度北部，与野生动物发生冲突的脆弱性可能直接受到性别、年龄和相对贫困等因素的影响。虽然脆弱性显然在很大程度上受社会经济和政治因素的影响，但对家庭中个人-特别是妇女-的影响往往因把"家庭“作为主要分析单位而被忽视。该项目通过研究人类与野生动物冲突的家庭间后果来解决这一认识上的差距。将通过结合深入的定性实地技术和定量调查访谈收集数据。 对1998-2001年政府野生动物冲突数据日志的分析将补充实地研究。 在印度的实地工作将从2002年6月开始，分两个阶段进行，为期24个月。 定性数据将进行聚类和文本分析，定量数据将使用地理信息系统和标准统计计算机软件进行空间和统计分析。 这项研究将揭示在研究地区，与男子相比，妇女在多大程度上更有可能与野生动物发生负面接触，家庭中不同成员如何界定与野生动物的冲突，以及这种冲突在多大程度上影响家庭中不同成员维持生计的能力。该研究还将确定加剧研究区域人类与野生动物冲突频率和强度的因素。该项目将通过描述森林和农业环境中人与野生动物之间的相互作用、妇女在确保家庭生计需要方面的作用以及妇女工作在维持儿童健康和家庭整体福祉方面的重要性，帮助更深入地了解人与自然的关系。 这项研究还将通过调查妇女获得资源的机会和对家庭一级减贫的贡献，对农村生计的研究产生影响。 该研究与濒危物种保护计划，公园设计和管理模式以及印度和其他地方保护区内和周围社区的可持续经济发展规划工作有关。 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的研究生涯。

This Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement project analyzes the gender-based dimensions of human-wildlife conflict in agricultural communities located near Corbett National Park, in the north Indian state of Uttaranchal. The research examines the gender differentiated impacts of conflict with wildlife in terms of: (i) livestock predation, crop raiding, property damage, and attacks on humans, and (ii) the spatial and temporal patterns of these incidents. The research emerges from a growing awareness among scientists that human-wildlife conflicts threaten both conservation objectives and human well-being. Recent studies indicate that vulnerability to conflict with wildlife in North India may be directly influenced by such factors as gender, age, and relative poverty. While it is clear that vulnerability is strongly shaped by socioeconomic and political factors, the implications for individuals within the household - particularly women - are often eclipsed by the focus on `the household as the primary unit of analysis. The project addresses this gap in understanding by examining the inter-household consequences of human-wildlife conflict. Data will be collected through a combination of in-depth qualitative field techniques and quantitative survey interviews. The field research will be supplemented by an analysis of governmental wildlife conflict data logs from 1998-2001. Fieldwork in India will be conducted in 2 stages over a period of 24 months, beginning in June 2002. Qualitative data will be subject to cluster and text analysis, and quantitative data will be spatially and statistically analyzed using Geographic Information System (GIS) and standard statistical computer software. The study will reveal the extent to which women, compared with men, in the study area are at increased risk of negative encounters with wildlife, the ways in which conflict with wildlife is defined by different members of the household, and the degree to which such conflicts impact the ability of various members of the household to maintain their livelihoods. The research will also identify factors that exacerbate the frequency and intensity of human-wildlife conflict in the study area. The project will contribute to a deeper understanding of human-nature relationships by describing the interaction between humans and wildlife in both forest and agricultural contexts, the role of women in securing household subsistence needs, and the importance of women's work in maintaining child health and overall family well-being. The research will also have implications for the study of rural livelihoods through its investigation of women's access to resources and contributions to household-level poverty alleviation. The research has relevance for endangered species protection initiatives, park design and management models, and sustainable economic development planning efforts for communities living in and around protected areas in India and elsewhere. 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.