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The Social Construction of Nature

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The Social Construction of Nature Faculty of Natural Resources and Agricultural Sciences The Social Construction of Nature – An explorative investigation of the constructed meaning of Nature within four National Park exhibitions in Austria and Germany Sarah Wendl Department of Urban and Rural Development Master’s Thesis • 30 HEC Environmental Communication and Management - Master’s Programme Uppsala 2016 The Social Construction of Nature - An explorative investigation of the constructed meaning of Nature within four National Park exhibitions in Austria and Germany Sarah Wendl Supervisor: Lars Hallgren, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (Uppsala, Sweden) Department of Urban and Rural Development Co- Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Reinhard Steurer, Universität für Bodenkultur Wien (Vienna, Austria) Institute of Forest, Environmental and Natural Resource Policy Examiner: Elin Ångman, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (Uppsala, Sweden) Department of Urban and Rural Development Credits: 30 HEC Level: Second cycle (A2E) Course title: Independent Project in Environmental Science - Master’s thesis Course code: EX0431 Programme/Education: Environmental Communication and Management – Master’s Programme Place of publication: Uppsala Year of publication: 2016 Images: Photographs of the exhibition taken by Sarah Wendl with the permission of Nationalpark Hamburgisches Wattenmeer, Nationalpark Berchtesgarden, Nationalpark Hohe Tauern, Nationalpark Gesäuse Online publication: http://stud.epsilon.slu.se Keywords: Social Construction of Reality, Nature, National Parks, Exhibitions Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Faculty of Natural Resources and Agricultural Sciences Department of Urban and Rural Development Abstract Nature is and has always been a highly discussed concept. Over centuries, its meaning, appreciation and perception has changed. Today, facing global warming and other environmental problems, a deeper reflection about our general understanding of the concept of nature seems more necessary than ever. For this reason, this thesis tackles the question of we actually mean or describe with the term nature. Inspired by the theoretical framework on the social construction of reality by Berger and Luckmann (1991), this thesis investigates the concept of nature constructed in four National Park exhibitions in the Germany and Austria. Based on the sociology of knowledge approach towards discourses introduced by Keller (2011), this thesis illustrates how different discourses structure the meaning of nature displayed in the exhibitions. In the analysis, four different discourses have been identified that shape the content presented in the exhibitions. Since the discourses are based on social practices, they indicate certain common habits and perceptions which are deeply rooted in the institutional setting, but also in society in general. Each of these discourses depicts a different understanding of nature, describing various concepts of nature. Since the discourses have been created through social practices that influence and at the same time are influenced by the social order, the thesis also illuminates the complex dialectic relationship between social norms and social practices. The thesis illustrates how the discovered common beliefs are reinforced or questioned by the exhibition practice. This not only demonstrates the possibility to portray and understand nature in various ways, but also illustrates the necessity to understand nature as a abstract, socially defined and changeable concept. By taking a closer look at the current exhibition practice, this thesis helps to develop an understanding of ideas about nature deeply-rooted in social practice, and the direction in which the current perception tends to develop. Keywords: Social Construction of Reality, Nature, National Parks, Exhibitions Table of contents 1 Introduction .................................................................................. 1 1.1 Why National Parks? .................................................................................. 2 1.2 Why permanent NP Exhibitions? ................................................................ 3 2 Theoretical Framework ............................................................... 5 2.1 Social Constructionism by Berger and Luckmann ...................................... 5 2.1.1 Society as a Human Product ........................................................................... 6 2.1.2 The Commonly Shared Knowledge ................................................................. 6 2.1.3 The applied Approach towards the Construction of Nature .............................. 8 2.2 Concepts of Nature ..................................................................................... 8 2.2.1 Defining Nature ................................................................................................ 9 2.2.2 Current Research............................................................................................. 9 3 Methodology .............................................................................. 12 3.1 The Sociology of Knowledge Approach to Discourses ............................. 12 3.2 Case Selection .......................................................................................... 13 3.3 Research Design and Process ................................................................. 13 4 The Construction of Nature in the four sample exhibitions ... 15 4.1 National Park Hamburg’s Wadden Sea .................................................... 15 4.1.1 The Exhibition ................................................................................................ 15 4.1.2 Meaning of Nature within NPHWS exhibition ................................................. 17 4.1.3 Human-Nature Relationship within NPHWS .................................................. 19 4.2 National Park Berchtesgaden ................................................................... 22 4.2.1 The Exhibition “Vertical Wildness“ ................................................................. 22 4.2.2 Meaning of Nature within NPBG .................................................................... 24 4.2.3 Human-Nature-Relationship within NPBG ..................................................... 26 4.3 National Park Gesäuse ............................................................................. 28 4.3.1 The Exhibition “Passion for Nature” ............................................................... 28 4.3.2 Meaning of Nature within NPGS .................................................................... 30 4.3.3 Humans-Nature Relationship within NPGS .................................................... 31 4.4 National Park Hohe Tauern ...................................................................... 32 4.4.1 The Exhibition “Nationalpark Worlds” ............................................................. 32 4.4.2 Meaning of Nature within NPHT .................................................................... 35 4.4.3 Human-Nature Relationship within NPHT ...................................................... 36 5 Discussion ................................................................................. 39 5.1 Scientific Understanding of Nature ........................................................... 39 5.2 Sustainability Approach towards Nature ................................................... 40 5.3 Historical Development ............................................................................. 41 5.4 Nature as Experience ............................................................................... 43 5.5 The Social Construction of Nature within National Parks ......................... 44 5.5.1 The Institutional Setting as Objectivied Reality .............................................. 44 5.5.2 The Ongoing Social Production of Social Norms ........................................... 45 5.5.3 The Role of Experts ....................................................................................... 46 6 Conclusion ................................................................................. 48 7 Further research ........................................................................ 49 References......................................................................................... I Literature ............................................................................................................... I Websites .............................................................................................................. II National Parks Exhibitions .................................................................................. III Appendix ........................................................................................ IV Table of figures FIGURE 1: OVERVIEW ANALYSIS (OWN FIGURE, 2016)………………………………………..... 14 FIGURE 2: EXHIBITION NPHWS (NPHWS, PIC. 203)…………………………………………… 16 FIGURE 3: THE MASCOT FREDDI (NPHWS, PIC. 001)…………………………………………… 17 FIGURE 4: SECTION ENTITLED "THE SANDY ISLANDS" (NPHWS, PIC. 114)………………… 18 18 FIGURE 5: SECTION ENTITLED "THE DRIFT LINE" (NPHWS, PIC. 213, 214, 215)………... 19 FIGURE 6: PICTURE OF THE TRAIL THROUGH THE WADDEN SEA (NPHWS, PIC. 016)…… 20 FIGURE 7: SECTION ENTITLED "THE BASIS FOR PROTECTION - BIRD-LIFE RESEARCH" (NPHWS, PIC. 069)……………………………………………………………………….. 21 FIGURE 8: RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THE FOYER (NPBG, PIC. 005)………………………………... 22 FIGURE 9: EXHIBITION "VERTICAL WILDERNESS" (NPBG, PIC. 052)………………………... 23 FIGURE
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