Skip To Content

TitleThe intricacy of policy making: Assessing environmental management in the Lower Athabasca, Alberta, Canada
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2014
Authorsde Regt, W. H. P.
Date Published05/2014
Publication Languageeng
KeywordsAthabasca Chipewyan First Nation, Chipewyan Prairie First Nation, fishing, Fort McKay First Nation, Fort McMurray #486 First Nation, hunting, Lower Athabasca Regional Plan, Mikisew Cree First Nation, trapping, Treaty 8
Abstract

This thesis explores societal–environment interactions in the context of environmental policy making processes in the Lower Athabasca, Alberta, Canada. Applying insights from the Actor-Network Theory, the thesis systematically analyses the policy making network by identifying and explaining embedded network processes. Particularly the thesis shows how different discursive and practical techniques are used by actors to characterise other entities, and configure the relationship between human development and the natural environment. The thesis demonstrates how the culture–nature dichotomy constructed in environmental management is problematic for environmental policy making processes. Environmental management entails the negotiation and settlement of deep differences regarding cross-cultural understandings of human society’s position within the environment. The dichotomy has a profound impact on power dynamics in the network and even triggers a reversion of the network forming process to the framing of environmental issues. As such the thesis concludes that network formation is not a linear process but that networks have an emergent quality. Elaborating on new ecological thought in ecological anthropology, the thesis further explains that societal–environment interactions do not only occur in the physical environment, but also in policy making processes.

URLhttp://dspace.library.uu.nl/bitstream/handle/1874/295057/Regt%20de%20Wouter.pdf
Locational Keywords

Edmonton, Fort McMurray, Athabasca River

Active Link

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/884203497

Group

CEMA

Citation Keyde2014intricacy

Enter keywords or search terms and press Search

Search this site


Subscribe to the site

Syndicate content

Bookmark and Share