Doctoral Dissertation Research: The Politics of Translation in Conservation and Development

University Of Georgia Research Foundation Inc, Athens GA

Investigators

Abstract

Introduction This award supports doctoral dissertation research that explores the challenges created by differing perceptions of the meaning and use of conservation terminology for planning and implementing effective and equitable conservation and development projects. The two central questions are the following. How does the movement and transformation of key terms enable or impede coordinated conservation efforts? How does this process influence whose voices are heard, whose goals are articulated and who wins and who loses when decisions are made? Intellectual Merit The research adopts a mixed-methods approach including participant observation at key meetings, interviews, social network analysis, content analysis, and discourse analysis. These methods will be used to trace the movement and transformation of the key terms sustainable development, ecosystem services, and carbon sequestration as they travel through networks of actors engaging with Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in the United States and Peru. The approach will serve to integrate the work of post-colonial scholars regarding language with political ecology, while simultaneously addressing the need to consider the national and international scales of conservation and development decision-making. Potential Broader Impact The results of this project could have broad practical implications including the promotion of constructive engagement with transnational NGOs, the training of a Peruvian research assistant, and publications in Peruvian journals. The increasingly global nature of conservation and development priority setting necessitates a strong understanding of how the politics of translation influences the ability of different sets of actors to effectively engage with and participate in conservation and development initiatives. This research will aid transnational NGOs in developing more effective conservation initiatives that better integrate global conservation priorities with local needs.