“Although it may seem counterintuitive that the foremost influences on the success of environmental policy could be social, conservation interventions are the product of human decision-making processes and require changes in human behavior to succeed” (Mascia et al 2003, p. 649)
Today more than ever the work of conservationists must rely on the expertise of social scientists like anthropologists. Too many failed conservation projects owe their demise to plans that, while well-intended, did not understand local cultural dynamics and institutions. Conservation often relies on human behavior change, and it is social scientists that are best equipped to guide these changes.
“Ultimately, if the social sciences were truly mainstreamed in conservation, the presence of an anthropologist or a political scientist on a project team would be as commonplace and unremarkable as that of a botanist or an ornithologist” (Mascia et al 2003, p. 650)
(If anybody knows of any conservation organizations looking to hire an anthropologist, I’m currently seeking employment, hint, hint…!)
References:
Mascia, Michael B., Brosius, Peter J., Dobson, Tracy A., Forbes, Bruce C., Horowitz, Leah, McKean, Margaret A., and Turner, Nancy J. 2003. “Conservation and the Social Sciences.” Conservation Biology, 17(3), pp. 649-650.
The Edited Jottings of an Amateur Anthropologist 