I Ben-Gurion University of the Negev The Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research The Albert Katz International School for Desert Studies Cross-Cultural Perceptions of the Environment: A Study of local residents in the Southern Arava Valley on both sides of the Israeli-Jordanian border Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of “Master of Arts” By Hila Sagie Under the Supervision of Dr. Yodan Rofè and Dr. Avigail Morris Department of Man in Drylands Author's Signature …… …… Date 6.6.2012 Approved by the Supervisor…………….…………….. Date 6.6.2012 Approved by the Supervisor…………….…………….. Date 6.6.2012 Approved by the Director of the School …………… Date ………….… II Ben-Gurion University of the Negev The Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research The Albert Katz International School for Desert Studies Cross-Cultural Perceptions of the Environment: A Study of local residents in the Southern Arava Valley on both sides of the Israeli-Jordanian border Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of "Master of Arts" By: Hila Sagie 12.3.2012 III Abstract Cross-Cultural Perceptions of the Environment: A Study of local residents in the Southern Arava Valley on both sides of the Israeli-Jordanian border By Hila Sagie The thesis is in partial fulfillment for the degree of Master of Arts, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Jacob Blaustein Institute for Desert Research, Albert Katz International School for Desert Studies, 2012. Increasing international attention is being directed to the conservation and management of ecosystems (Zube & Pitt 1981) and the need to better understand the dynamics of the relationship between humans and the ecosystems on which they rely (Carpenter et al. 2008). Little is known, however, about the variability among cultures in the perceptions of the environment. This research studies cross-cultural perceptions of the environment in the hyper-arid Southern Arava Valley on both sides of the Israeli-Jordanian border. The Israeli side of the border is mainly settled by Kibbutzim (collective Zionist settlements) and the Jordanian side by pastoral Bedouin villages. In order to fulfill this goal the research employs the concept of ecosystem services (benefits humans derive from nature) which is one of the major links between the environment and society (Millennium Ecosystem Assessment 2005). It concentrates on cultural services of the ecosystem, and focuses on the concepts of place attachment and sense of place, as a key to the relationship between humans and their locale. The research uses an anthropological approach which involved living among the populations under study while carrying out both passive and participant observations as well as in-depth interviews with the residents. The research studied the Southern Arava’s IV populations, their perceptions of the environment, the way it is used, how they relate to their environment, and their views on agriculture and development of the region. Important differences were found among groups in the perceptions of the environment. These differences may be explained both by the economic gap and the difference in prevalent ideologies and traditions; specifically, the Zionist-Kibbutz ideology and environmental ideology on the Israeli side and the Bedouin tradition on the Jordanian side. The research contributes to the field of ecosystem services by assessing 1) awareness of ecosystem services and their importance to the general public and 2) the intangible values of cultural ecosystem services (aesthetic, recreation, spiritual etc.). It also shows that local residents from different cultures that live in a similar ecosystem, use and value ecosystem services differently. Moreover, the inquiry indicates that respondents from both sides of the border express a strong attachment and a rooted sense of place for the Southern Arava environment. However, the expression of these emotional bonds and the sources of attachment (community/environment) varied between the two cultural groups. Implications of the research findings are indicated for policy makers and ecosystem managers of the region. V Acknowledgments First of all I would like to express my greatest gratitude for my supervisors Dr. Avigail Morris and Dr. Yodan Rofè for their guidance, dedication and support during my study and the time and effort spent on my thesis. Avigail, thank you for setting an inspirational example of a 'true anthropologist', leading me through the anthropological approach and methods and encouraging me to reach perfection. Yodan, thank you for helping me in organizing my thoughts and giving structure to my ideas. To Prof. Alon Tal, thank you for being my supervisor when my supervisors were on sabbatical. This work was partially supported through a scholarship made available through the framework of the LTSER (Long Term Socio-Ecological Research) site situated in the Southern Arava Valley. I owe my greatest thanks to the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies and the Albert Katz International School for Desert Studies (AKIS) for enabling me to take part in such an amazing program. Thank you Ms. Dorit Levin, Assistant to the Director in AKIS, for your kindheartedness and all the bureaucratic help. My gratitude also goes to Dr. Elli Groner, academic director of the Arava Institute. Thank you for proposing this research topic and introducing me to the field of ecosystem services. To Dr. Daniel Orenstein, I enjoyed our collaboration during the study and the writing of the paper. Thank you both for believing in me and pushing me forward in the academic world and specifically for inviting me to participate in conferences and propelling me to publish a paper. I am in gratitude to my Arab translators and fellow students from the Arava Institute without which this research could not have been carried out. Mais Bader, Bilal Obaidat and Diab Obaidat, thank you for agreeing to join me in the field, despite the risk or discomfort which may arise from being affiliated with an Israeli student in an Arab country. Thank you also for your patience and extended long hours spent in the field. To Waad Nasrallah, Sabreen Shaheen and Aya Yassin I appreciate your help in translating documents from Arabic to English and to Bara Wahbeh for your help in introducing me to the Jordanian culture and society. My gratitude also goes to Cameron Davidson who conducted research in the Jordanian villages of the Southern Arava and shared her knowledge with me. I would also like to thank Dr. Amani Al-Assaf from Jordan for sending me reports and information about the Jordanian villages. To all the Southern Arava residents whom I have interviewed, thank you for your time and kindness. I'm also grateful to the residents, who were my informants and introduced me to the ways of life in the Kibbutzim and villages of the Southern Arava and helped me to gather information. In particular, my deepest gratitude to Carol and Yoram Hoffman who were my 'adopting family' while I was living on Kibbutz Ketura and always made me feel at home. Finally and most importantly, thank you to my family and friends for your endless support and love during the entire research. VI Table of Contents Abstract ...............................................................................................................................................III Acknowledgments ............................................................................................................................... V Table of Contents ............................................................................................................................... VI List of Figures ................................................................................................................................... VIII List of Tables .................................................................................................................................... VIII Chapter 1 - Introduction ......................................................................................................................1 1.1 - Framework of research ............................................................................................................2 1.2 - Importance of research ...........................................................................................................3 1.3 - Aim of research ........................................................................................................................4 1.4 - Review of the thesis .................................................................................................................5 Chapter 2 - Theoretical Background and Survey of the Literature ......................................................7 2.1 - “Perception” and "perceptual relativism" ...............................................................................7 2.2 - Interactions between culture and the environment ...............................................................7 2.3 - Ecosystem services ..................................................................................................................9 2.4 - “Place attachment” and “sense of place” ............................................................................. 14 2.5 - Studies in the Southern Arava Valley .................................................................................... 15 Chapter 3 - Fieldwork and Methodology .........................................................................................