''I Don't Know What You're Looking for'': Professional Vision in Swedish Agricultural Extension on Nature Conservation Management

Abstract

The article addresses how farmers learn to appropriate the gaze of the 'new farmer', by describing how farmers and advisers in the field discursively construct farmland under scrutiny for inclusion in government support schemes. Based on the findings, recommendations for successful agricultural extension are presented. The methodological perspective is an interaction analysis based on video recordings of advisory encounters. The analysis is focused on the professional vision of the participants. The results show how the participants manifest different professional visions when they walk through the same piece of land. Despite an interest in contributing to the encounter, insufficient access to relevant resources is an obstacle for the farmer. Due to asymmetries between the participants, the professional vision of the adviser becomes the dominating and acknowledged one, but the prerequisites are insufficient to afford learning by the farmer. To overcome this dilemma, we encourage reflection on the role of the adviser by challenging the frames for participation in extension encounters.

Keywords

Interaction; Learning; Professional Vision; Conversation Analysis; Nature Conservation; Advisory Encounter

Published in

Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension
2008, volume: 14, number: 4, pages: 329-345

SLU Authors

• Bergeå, Hanna

  • Department of Urban and Rural Development, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

UKÄ Subject classification

Agricultural Science
Environmental Sciences and Nature Conservation

Publication identifier

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13892240802416244

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/17648