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Importance and Influence of the Human Dimensions in Grizzly Bear (Ursus Arctos) Conservation

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Importance and Influence of the Human Dimensions in Grizzly Bear (Ursus Arctos) Conservation The Importance and Influence of the Human Dimensions in Grizzly Bear (Ursus arctos) Conservation by Courtney Hughes A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Conservation Biology Department of Renewable Resources University of Alberta © Courtney Hughes, 2018 Abstract Conservation practitioners increasingly recognize the importance and influence of the social context in conservation outcomes. From local stories to newsprint articles, the language we use, the stories we tell, and the interactions we have with wildlife species can influence human relationships with them. This is particularly true for carnivore species, including bears, which hold a special place in human imagination and lived experience. Throughout history and across their geographic range, different bear species have been portrayed and valued for their beauty, power, spiritual connection, ecological significance and kinship values. Bears have also been disliked and feared for their ferocity, and reviled for the negative economic impacts or safety risks they can inflict. These views and values undoubtedly influence peoples’ proclivity to support or deny conservation action. This dissertation attempts to understand why human relationships with bears, specifically grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) have been constructed and what this means for their conservation. Chapter1 is an introductory chapter presenting a broad overview of this thesis. I first discuss the rationale and framing for my research, specifically from a human dimensions of wildlife perspective. I also explain my motivations and positionality in this research. I then introduce my theoretical perspective, informed by social constructionism, wildlife value orientations, wildlife attitude typology, and qualitative methodology. I also provide an overview of the context of this study, broadly discussing grizzly (brown) bear status and conservation across their global range, and narrowing to Alberta, Canada and the province’s recovery policy. Chapter 2 presents a literature review of stories about bears, from myth and legend, folklore and traditional practices using available English-language literature, to help illustrate ii how the stories we tell about bears play a role in shaping human proclivity to conservation action. Chapter 3 examines newsprint media communications on grizzly bears across their western range in North America using content analysis to examine how messages are framed for grizzly bears and their conservation, and the relative attention given to these stories, to infer how this might influence a readerships’ views on grizzly bears and their conservation. Chapter 4 and Chapter 5 present results from mapping the social process and policy problems in Alberta’s grizzly bear recovery, elicited from qualitative, semi-structured interviews conducted across bear management areas. This work helps to demonstrate that the human dimensions of bear or wildlife conservation go beyond assessments of peoples’ attitudes by examining issues inherent in what makes conservation policy problematic. Chapter 6 presents the conclusions of this research, including the applicability of this work in Alberta and at a broader scale, and considerations for future research. Results have both practical and theoretic application, locally and broadly, including the utility of qualitative inquiry in human dimensions of wildlife studies and in eliciting data for use in policy sciences analysis. Keywords: qualitative research, grizzly bear, human dimensions of wildlife, policy sciences, media content analysis, Alberta. iii Preface This thesis is original work by Courtney Hughes. The research project, entitled “Trends in Grizzly Bear Conservation” of which this thesis is a part, received research ethics approval from the University of Alberta Research Ethics Board No. Pro00028845 August 7, 2012. Sections from Chapter 1 have been published as a co-authored book chapter with Dr. N. Rust entitled “Social Science Methods” in “Cheetahs: Biology and Conservation”, edited by Dr. L. Marker, L. Boast, and A. Schmidt-Kuntzel, and as a journal article entitled “Quantity does not always mean quality: the importance of qualitative social science in conservation research” (2017) in Society and Natural Resources with N.A., Rust, A. Abrams, D. W. S. Challender, G. Chapron, A. Ghoddousi, J. A. Glikman, C. H. Gowan, A. Rastogi, A. Said, A. Sutton, N. Taylor, A. Thomas, H. Unnikrishnan, A. D. Webber, G. Wordingham, and C. M. Hill. Chapter 2 was co-authored with J.A. Glikman, B. Frank, N.A. Melnycky, P. and has been submitted to Society and Animals Journal. Chapter 3 was co-authored by S.E. Nielsen and has been accepted to Society and Natural Resources Journal on. Chapter 5 was co-authored by A.L. Foote, C. Hwang, J. Thorlakson, N. Yarmey, and S.E. Nielsen and is in preparation for submission to Human Dimensions of Wildlife Journal. C. Hughes designed the studies, collected data, completed document reviews, and data analysis, and was the lead author on all chapters/manuscripts. Co-author contributions include advice and review on study designs, data collection, literature review, data analysis, and editorial assistance. iv Acknowledgments This dissertation would not have been possible without the love and support offrom my husband, family members, and dear friends. They have provided me with countless hours of attentive listening, advice, and encouragement. I also extend my sincerest appreciation to Dr. Scott Nielsen and Dr. Lee Foote, my advisor and committee member, for their patience, wisdom, and constructive feedback throughout this journey. I also thank Nate Webb and Gord Stenhouse for their ideas and advice through the formative stages of this work. I would like to thank the University of Alberta, Government of Alberta, and Prairie Conservation and Endangered Species Committee for financial support and connecting my research to real-world conservation needs. Lastly, I extend my sincerest gratitude to all study participants – without you, this work would not be possible. v Table of Contents Abstract ........................................................................................................................................... ii Preface............................................................................................................................................ iv Acknowledgments........................................................................................................................... v Table of Contents ........................................................................................................................... vi List of Tables ................................................................................................................................. ix List of Figures ................................................................................................................................. x 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 1 1.1 Theoretical framework and methodology ........................................................................ 3 1.2 Study context: Grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) and their conservation ............................. 10 1.3 Researcher positionality ................................................................................................. 15 2 From worship to subjugation: Understanding stories about bears for their conservation 18 2.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 18 2.2 Methods .......................................................................................................................... 21 2.3 Results ............................................................................................................................ 22 2.3.1 Ceremonialism ........................................................................................................ 23 2.3.2 Kinship .................................................................................................................... 24 2.3.3 Threat ...................................................................................................................... 25 2.3.4 Entertainment .......................................................................................................... 26 2.3.5 Consumption ........................................................................................................... 27 2.3.6 Politicization ........................................................................................................... 28 2.4 Considerations for bear conservation ............................................................................. 30 2.5 Conclusions .................................................................................................................... 33 vi 3 From human intruders to bear attacks: A content analysis of grizzly bear newsprint ......... 35 3.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 35 3.2 Study context .................................................................................................................. 36 3.3 Theoretical framing ........................................................................................................ 37 3.4 Methods .........................................................................................................................
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