BECOMING CONSERVATIONISTS, CONCEALING VICTIMS: CONFLICT AND POSITIONINGS OF MAASAI, REGARDING WILDLIFE CONSERVATION IN KENYA

DOI HANDLE Open Access
  • Meguro Toshio
    Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies

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Abstract

Wildlife and its habitat has been the subject of dispute and friction in Africa, but many countries implement "community-based" approaches today. With the recent tendency of adopting more neoliberal definitions of this term, the exercise and embedment of power in wildlife conservation became the subject of studies. Using the case study of a Maasai society in southern Kenya, this paper examines the agency of local societies from the viewpoint of "positionings": points of contention regarding wildlife; their attitudes toward conservation initiatives; and their representation of self-image. As community-based conservation (CBC) was implemented, the central point of contention shifted from land to benefits, and local people changed their attitudes from distrustful and exclusive, to receptive and passive, to more active. Also their self-representation changed from those of victims to conservationists. These changes prove they have a certain agency. However, the outcomes of their agency include both productive and unsatisfying aspects, and may lead to the reinforcement of the current animal welfare; rights-oriented policies that conceal the existence and opinion of local victims. The next step is to consider whether that agency can be regarded as a potential for abandoning the status quo and creating a more desirable environment.

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Details 詳細情報について

  • CRID
    1390853649765076864
  • NII Article ID
    120005474446
  • NII Book ID
    AA10636379
  • DOI
    10.14989/189721
  • HANDLE
    2433/189721
  • ISSN
    02869667
  • Text Lang
    en
  • Data Source
    • JaLC
    • IRDB
    • CiNii Articles
    • KAKEN
  • Abstract License Flag
    Allowed

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