This paper explores culture, worldviews, communication styles, and conflict among stakeholders in forest and natural resource management. It addresses the fact that forest managers and stakeholders often speak about forest resources very differently, and it makes suggestions for improving communication among them. It also reviews the history of the development of worldviews regarding the environment. The paper draws from studies of environmental perception, conflict, and communications. A central argument is that culture, values, and communication styles are strongly linked with conflict, and that improved understanding of other cultures-and one's own culture, values, and communication styles-can reduce the negative consequences of conflict and lead to better resource management decisions. We believe that the success of conflict prevention and resolution depends on the ability of all parties-forest managers and stakeholders-to understand and respect all worldviews.
Ecosystem-based natural resource management involves the integration of biophysical and human dimensions. Both the social sciences and biophysical sciences contribute to our understanding of the process of balancing social, economic, and biological factors. While the role of the biophysical sciences is relatively well recognized in the natural resource management sector, the contributions of the social sciences are less well understood and they are less frequently incorporated into management plans and activities. In this paper we summarize several distinct contributions of the social sciences to natural resource management and describe 10 ways that decision makers use social sciences. We predict the role of social sciences in natural resource management will become more important and we suggest that more collaborative research projects between social science researchers and natural resource managers will emerge. We also suggest that more cross-fertilization within the diverse streams of social sciences— as well as between the social sciences and biophysical sciences—will be essential in order to address complex research questions related to natural resource management.
With initiatives such as forest certification, innovative forest practices agreements, model forests, and community forest pilots, gathering data on social and economic factors relating to natural resource management is likely to be a growing area of social science research in British Columbia. This paper examines expert-driven versus community-driven participatory approaches to social science research. A hypothetical continuum of community involvement and power in the research process is presented that helps to distinguish between these research approaches. Arnstein's ladder of citizen participation also provides a useful guide to discussions about the desired level of community involvement in research. The challenges posed by increasing citizen participation in community research are examined, as is the potential of community-driven methods of social science research in British Columbia.
A simple questionnaire was distributed amongst the Medical Officers of the Cape’s Day Hospitals Organisation to ascertain their knowledge of and attitudes towards physiotherapy. The results are analysed and discussed.
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