Nature as praxis: Kitchen gardens and naturalization in Alájar (Sierra de Aracena, Spain)

Abstract

To enhance our understanding of processes of environment naturalization, we must go beyond the discursive, political and perceptive dimensions. Nature is also praxis: a specific form of bond and relationship established between humans and the environments they inhabit, closely related to processes of naturalization. To analyse these practices that substantiate nature, this article examines kitchen gardens in Alájar, a locality set within a natural park in the south west of Spain. This specific ethnography is used in order to shed light on the meaning and significance of nature for those living in a 'naturalized space', how it translates from the perspective of praxis and, more precisely, how the natural character attributed to the environment from a human-environment relational perspective is substantiated. More generally, the aim is to ascertain the utility of this methodological strategy in understanding processes of naturalization and the meaning of nature in the Western world.

Constructing Organic Food through Urban Agriculture, Community Gardens in Seville

“…In such habits, we have noticed the use of the "healthy" label attributed by the gardeners to some foods, within a diet developed within a sociocultural context. The importance of this context is still considered by few studies [28,32]. We have seen how gardeners perceive an increase in their consumption of fruits and vegetables, which is consistent with other studies [50].…”

“…With regard to the first, we have seen how the productive experience becomes particularly enjoyable insofar as it is embodied within a strongly "naturalised" space. That is, with specific meanings of nature attributed to different means, places, and contexts [32,52]. This implies as we have seen, employing sometimes forced, sometimes imaginative and creative solutions to the recreation of nature.…”

“…However, few studies have dealt with this food dimension through the perceptions of those involved in relation to their practices [32][33][34]. This precisely is our contribution, analysing the practices of the participants in these experiences.…”