Patrick C. West

Reinventing a Square Wheel: Critique of a Resurgent "Protection Paradigm" in International Biodiversity Conservation

This article presents a critical review of recent writings that argue that people-oriented approaches to conservation have largely failed to achieve their main goal--the protection of biological diversity. Based on an analysis of this problem, authors of these works conclude that biodiversity conservation initiatives should place renewed emphasis on authoritarian protection of national parks and other protected areas to safeguard critically threatened habitats worldwide. We examine five core themes in these writings. We conclude that, while many of their findings regarding shortcomings of current people-oriented approaches are well grounded, the overall arguments are incomplete because they largely ignore key aspects of social and political processes that shape how conservation interventions happen in specific contexts. As a result, recommendations linked to the renewed protectionist argument most likely will not provide long-term protection of biodiversity.

Beyond the Square Wheel: Toward a More Comprehensive Understanding of Biodiversity Conservation as Social and Political Process

In this article we build on an accompanying critique of recent writings in international biodiversity conservation (this issue). Many scholars and observers are calling for stricter enforcement of protected area boundaries given the perceived failure of integrated conservation and development projects (ICDPs) and other people-oriented approaches to safeguard biodiversity. Pointing to many ongoing, field-based efforts, we argue that this resurgent focus on authoritarian protection practices largely overlooks key aspects of social and political process including clarification of moral standpoint, legitimacy, governance, accountability, learning, and nonlocal forces. Following a discussion of these six points, we offer a series of recommendations aimed at highlighting existing work and encouraging dialogue and constructive debate on the ways in which biodiversity protection interventions are carried out in developing countries.

Urban region parks and black minorities: subculture, marginality, and interracial relations in park use in the Detroit metropolitan area.

Abstract This paper compares participation in Detroit city parks and surrounding regional parks by black and white Detroit residents. Black Detroit residents participate more than whites in Detroit city parks, but less than whites in surrounding region parks. The paper explores a variety of explanations for these findings including “marginality”; (economic barriers), subcultural preferences, and interracial relations. Marginality plays some role in explaining underrepresentation by black Detroit residents in regional parks, primarily through restricted access to automobile transport, rather than income effects directly. Subcultural preferences, as measured in this study, do not seem to explain differences in black and white participation. However, measures of sub‐culture were less robust than measures of other factors. Interracial relations factors do seem to play a role in explaining underrepresentation by minorities in regional parks. Implications for research and urban outdoor recreation policy are exp...

Outdoor recreation and family cohesiveness: a research approach.

Outdoor recreation produces many kinds of highly valued social effects. One of these effects appears to be stronger family cohesiveness. Previous research supports the hypothesis that leisure activ...

Natural resources and the persistence of rural poverty in America: A Weberian perspective on the role of power, domination, and natural resource bureaucracy

This article explores the role of power theories of natural resources and the persistence of rural poverty. In particular, it examines the role of large‐scale interest groups that can dominate public natural resource bureaucracies and become one cause of rural poverty. Both the degree of domination and the forms of domination of natural resource agencies are examined. Through a comparative analysis of numerous agencies, interest groups, and resource bases, it is concluded that domination of agency policy is common in twentieth‐century America with some exceptions and that this domination is one cause of the creation and persistence of rural poverty in twentieth‐century America. Power theories of natural resources and the persistence of rural poverty must, however, be seen in interaction with other causes such as sociological theories of labor immobility.

Perceived crowding and attitudes toward limiting use in backcountry recreation areas

Abstract The relationship between perceived crowding and the desire to further limit established carrying capacities is examined from a study of users of the Sylvania Recreation Area. The relationship is found to be weak, especially among those users with low education. Possible explanations in terms of expressed crowding as a status group convention are discussed. It is concluded that user limitation decisions cannot be directly derived from studies of perceived crowding.

A nationwide test of the status group dynamics approach to outdoor recreation demand.

Abstract Nationwide survey data from 1972 and 1977 were reanalyzed to investigate the outdoor recreation participation trends of respondents from various status groups. Results indicate that subgroup participation rates often change radically over time, and this change is not random. Trends were found that concur with past regional findings and are consistent with the “status group dynamics approach” to the analysis of outdoor recreation demand. This approach involves the application of sociological theories of status group processes and their effect on the dynamics of leisure life‐styles.

Fish consumption and the elderly: Implications for fish consumption advisories

This article discusses literature and an empirical study in Michigan related to the possibility that the elderly may be a group within the general population of sport anglers that needs special attention in fish consumption advisories. Levels offish consumption by the elderly (reviewed from literature) were not found to be conclusively determined. There is strong research support for the hypothesis that prescription drug chemicals are retained and biomagnified in the elderly; this finding may be indirect evidence that this is the case for environmental toxins as well. However, further research is needed on both these dimensions. The empirical study reported here found that the elderly are more aware of specific advisory information than younger sport anglers but that behaviorally they do not respond as well as younger groups to advisories that recommend trimming fat. Combined with the possibility for increased toxic chemical retention in the elderly, this finding suggests that intensifying targeted commun...

A test of the projection accuracy of the status group dynamics approach to recreation demand

Abstract This paper tests the accuracy of outdoor recreation demand projections made from 1970–1975 data to 1980, using the status group dynamics approach to recreation demand analysis. In most cases, the projections accurately predicted the direction of participation rate trends. For the most part, projections based on the status group dynamics approach were more accurate than projections based on other standard prediction methods (straight line projection of participation rate trends and the assumption of stable participation rates). Analysis of the systematic projection errors suggested a variety of ways in which the assumptions and hypotheses in the prediction model might be refined to improve predictions for use in recreation resource planning, management, and policy analysis.