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This electronic thesis or dissertation has been downloaded from Explore Bristol Research, http://research-information.bristol.ac.uk Author: Sprague, Terra Title: Conversing with Island Mangroves Towards a New Story of Humanity’s Relationship with the Earth General rights Access to the thesis is subject to the Creative Commons Attribution - NonCommercial-No Derivatives 4.0 International Public License. A copy of this may be found at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/legalcode This license sets out your rights and the restrictions that apply to your access to the thesis so it is important you read this before proceeding. Take down policy Some pages of this thesis may have been removed for copyright restrictions prior to having it been deposited in Explore Bristol Research. However, if you have discovered material within the thesis that you consider to be unlawful e.g. breaches of copyright (either yours or that of a third party) or any other law, including but not limited to those relating to patent, trademark, confidentiality, data protection, obscenity, defamation, libel, then please contact [email protected] and include the following information in your message: •Your contact details •Bibliographic details for the item, including a URL •An outline nature of the complaint Your claim will be investigated and, where appropriate, the item in question will be removed from public view as soon as possible. Conversing with Island Mangroves: Towards a New Story of Humanity’s Relationship with the Earth Terra L. Sprague A dissertation submitted to the University of Bristol in accordance with the requirements for award of the degree of PhD in Environment, Energy and Resilience in the Faculty of Social Sciences and Law. May 2019 (69,610 words) ii Abstract The old story of humanity’s relationship with planet Earth, one characterised by domination, disposability and inattention to equilibrium, no longer serves us. Humanity needs a New Story about its relationship with the Earth for the age of the Anthropocene in order to cultivate responses to environmental change which are not rooted in fear. This thesis contributes to the project of writing that New Story through a narrative inquiry into the concerns and responses of islanders from Fiji, Mauritius and St Lucia to their changing environmental conditions. Grounded in Deleuze’s concepts of multiplicity, the rhizome and mapping, the thesis draws further inspiration from Pacific Island concepts of Sokota (voyaging) and Talanoa (dialogic inquiry) methodology. The narrative analysis brings together the contributions of a range of participants, gathered over the course of six site visits to Fiji, Mauritius and St Lucia, by creating a set of conversations within a metaphorical mangrove forest. This mangrove forest represents the multiplicity of local perspectives in these islands and becomes the site of conversation and story- telling. As such, it becomes a literary tool through which the inquiry’s participants, who are otherwise mostly unknown to each other, are connected on the page through sharing folktales and discussion of current experiences and offering insights and messages to others. The conversations answer three primary questions: what are the pressing environmental concerns in these island nations; what have been some of the responses to those concerns; and, what are the messages that islanders wish to convey to themselves and others regarding what actions need taking. Through these conversations, a number of themes arise, including trust in nature, resisting fear, identifying barriers to resilience, citizen led responses to environmental issues and an approach to blending different knowledges for strengthened responses. As well as contributing elements of a New Story of humanity’s relationship with the Earth, the thesis offers a methodological contribution to the global pursuit of that New Story. It first listens to a multiplicity of perspectives, then engages in conversations before going deeper to acknowledge that matters of human equity underpin today’s environmental issues. It builds and presents its analysis using metaphor and through constructing dialogue in order to blend different knowledges. It argues that the development of a New Story about humanity’s relationship with the Earth is one that must be collectively written and shared in order to meet the environmental challenges of this day, and that narrative inquiry can help us to do this. iii iv Dedication For Oliver Because what this world needs more than anything is abundance of love and compassion. This flows from you freely. May it never stop - it will be a key to the New Story. For Anoush Because when things arrive upside down and not how you expected, this offers an opportunity to reflect and question. These are blessed qualities that you naturally possess. Always keep questioning, because more often than not, it leads to remarkable discoveries. For all the New Story creators and those with the courage to be silently drawn to what they truly love. Trust Rumi. He's right, you will not be led astray. v vi Acknowledgements This thesis has been a journey around the world and back home again, borne out of belief, love and support from family, colleagues and a loving community that has been all-embracing and understanding. My heartfelt thanks go to my supervisors Karen Tucker and Rich Pancost who knew how to be attentive to this project through all its changes, who knew when to support, when to stand back, how to encourage and guide in the most appropriate of ways. To Michael Crossley with whom the Sharp End concept developed and for opening doors to fieldwork and all that emerged therefrom. To the Bristol Alumni Foundation for the financial support that made this journey and inquiry possible. Vim promovet insitam. Thank you for the opportunity! To my grandmother Helen Bensink for the gift of writing that you birthed into our family, which I am proud to carry on. To Jason for support through many forms of love, and our children Anoush Lee and Oliver Alton for an incessant sense of curiosity which is a reminder of the importance and power of inquiry. To all the family and community who provided nurturing with the deepest care and love while this project matured, especially my parents Terri and Brian, my mother in law Connie and dearest sisters Kimberly, Lizzi and Astrid. To Maroussia, my very dear friend and accountability partner for holding me up in the throes of uncertainty and transmutation. To John for beautiful silences that said so much and for teaching me about metanoia. To Akka for showing me the power of detachment along the path that is God’s and for sharing the magic and splendour of the Kingfisher. To Tulia, my sister wolf and writing comrade and your Writers’ Block for all that it has borne! To Dave for appropriately challenging questions about the mangrove and brotherly guidance. To the many beautiful souls at 1 Priory Road for the reflections, laughs, shared exploration and writing retreats, especially Jack, Kate, Lydia and Adri. My deepest gratitude goes to the participants of this inquiry for sharing stories, time, insights and energy. For a human being, a mangrove can be a largely impenetrable living force - thick with tendrils, intertwined and often challenging to visit with depth. Too often, human interaction in the mangrove is of the destructive nature. It gets slashed and removed in the name of development of a landscape for economic gain. And so, it is no wonder that the metaphorical mangrove – those that hold the local perspective – are respectfully protective of its wisdom and lived experiences. Too often, the result of sharing has led to harm. It is for this reason that I am immensely grateful to the many participants in this inquiry who are the mangrove voice of this thesis. Being welcomed to navigate amongst your varied perspectives has been a tremendous honour, and I submit this work with great humility and gratitude for the trust you have bestowed upon me and the research. May it result in a more respectful understanding of how you not only cope with but thrive in the face of environmental change. vii viii Author’s Declaration I declare that the work in this dissertation was carried out in accordance with the requirements of the University's Regulations and Code of Practice for Research Degree Programmes and that it has not been submitted for any other academic award. Except where indicated by specific reference in the text, the work is the candidate's own work. Work done in collaboration with, or with the assistance of, others, is indicated as such. Any views expressed in the dissertation are those of the author. SIGNED: Terra L Sprague DATE: 6 May 2019 ix x Contents Abstract .................................................................................................................................................. iii Dedication ............................................................................................................................................... v Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................................... vii Author’s Declaration .............................................................................................................................. ix List of Abbreviations ............................................................................................................................ xiii 1. Towards a New Story of humanity’s