Culture and Conservation: Beyond Anthropocentrism (Routledge Explorations in Environmental Studies)

Synopsis

Today, There Is Growing Interest In Conservation And Anthropologists Have An Important Role To Play In Helping Conservation Succeed For The Sake Of Humanity And For The Sake Of Other Species. Equally Important, However, Is The Fact That We, As The Species That Causes Extinctions, Have A Moral Responsibility To Those Whose Evolutionary Unfolding And Very Future We Threaten. This Volume Is An Examination Of The Relationship Between Conservation And The Social Sciences, Particularly Anthropology. It Calls For Increased Collaboration Between Anthropologists, Conservationists And Environmental Scientists, And Advocates For A Shift Towards An Environmentally Focused Perspective That Embraces Not Only Cultural Values And Human Rights, But Also The Intrinsic Value And Rights To Life Of Nonhuman Species. This Book Demonstrates That Cultural And Biological Diversity Are Intimately Interlinked, And Equally Threatened By The Industrialism That Endangers The Planet's Life-giving Processes. The Consideration Of Ecological Data, As Well As An Expansion Of Ethics That Embraces More Than One Species, Is Essential To A Well-rounded Understanding Of The Connections Between Human Behavior And Environmental Wellbeing. Introduction -- Exploring Human-nature Dualism And The History Of The Environment In Anthropology -- The Social Construction Of Nature -- Mainstream Conservation And Alternative Environmentalism -- Communities And Conservation -- Debates Over Incentive-based Conservation Programmes -- Environmental Ethics And Rights For Human And Nonhuman Species -- Environmental Justice And Democratic Legitimacy -- Sustaining The Unsustainable : Debates Over Development, Population, And Consumption -- Education For Environment's Sake -- Attempting Reconciliation And Moving Forward. Eleanor Shoreman-ouimet And Helen Kopnina. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.