The anthropology of conservation is a subfield within anthropology that focuses on understanding and critically analyzing the social, cultural, and political dynamics of conservation practices. It looks at how conservation efforts impact human communities, their cultures, and their relationships with the natural environment. This field intersects with environmental anthropology, political ecology, and the study of sustainability, aiming to explore the human dimensions of environmental conservation.
Key areas of study in the anthropology of conservation include:
- Cultural Perspectives on Nature: Examining how different societies view and interact with the environment. This includes studying indigenous and local knowledge systems about nature and how these perspectives may clash with Western conservation models.
- Impact on Local Communities: Investigating how conservation practices, such as creating protected areas, wildlife management, or ecosystem restoration projects, affect the livelihoods, traditions, and rights of local communities. In some cases, conservation can displace people or limit access to resources they have traditionally relied upon.
- Power and Politics: Analyzing the power relations involved in conservation decisions, including who gets to decide what is conserved, how resources are allocated, and the political and economic forces that shape conservation policies.
- Ethics of Conservation: Addressing ethical questions, such as whether the protection of certain species or ecosystems should take precedence over human needs, and how to balance environmental goals with social justice.
- Global Conservation and Local Realities: Investigating the global trends in conservation, such as biodiversity hotspots, climate change mitigation, and the role of international NGOs, and how these global goals intersect with local environmental realities.