literacy, and ecoliteracy is necessary for sustainable resource management and support of conservation efforts (e.g., Pilgrim et al. 2007Pilgrim et al. , 2008. I report on the first stage of study of the botanical knowledge of college students in South Carolina, U.S.A. In particular, I address issues of comparability or commensurable domains of analysis for cross-cultural studies of botanical knowledge, and I submit a plea to researchers to examine and report both the correct and incorrect answers they receive.
MethodsThirty-one students between ages 18-22 were asked to freelist garden flowers, locally-growing grasses, local domesticated crops, and native/local trees, vines, and wildflowers/weeds. Informants were not chosen by any statistical sampling strategy: their recruitment was at the discretion of the interviewers, who were themselves, undergraduate students at the University of South Carolina. Answers were scored as correct, wrong, or inappropriate. Responses were run through ANTHROPAC 4.0 (Borgatti 1996) to examine cultural consensus.
Botanical Knowledge of a Group of College Students in South Carolina, U.S.A.
Gail E. Wagner
Education AbstractThirty-one 18-22-year-old college students in South Carolina, U.S.A., were asked to freelist garden flowers, local grasses, local crops, and native/local trees, vines, and wildflowers/weeds. Answers were scored as correct, wrong, or inappropriate. Whereas the students could list an average of 9.0 crops, 8.4 trees, and 5.4 garden flowers correctly, they could list only 1.9 vines, 1.7 wildflowers/weeds, and 1.4 grasses correctly. Incorrect answers (answers that were wrong or inappropriate) were listed by 22.5% to 58.0% of the students depending on the domain. The types of incorrect answers given indicate a fuzzy understanding or knowledge of local ecology, plant morphology or habit, and domesticated versus wild or weedy status. Results indicate the solicited life forms or domains of plants hold unequal cultural saliency for this selection of students. Knowledge appears highest for crops, trees (particularly planted trees), and showy garden flowers, reflecting highest familiarity with the surrounding managed landscape and least familiarity with wild and less noticeable vegetation. Some answers reflect vicarious knowledge of plants rather than knowledge gained through direct experience. This study points out the need to carefully consider which domains of plant knowledge should be compared cross-culturally, and the need to quantify and examine incorrect as well as correct answers.
