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Research article2010Peer reviewed

Particular and wider interests in natural resource management: Organizing together but separately

Arora-Jonsson, Seema

Abstract

The focus that scholars have put on mainstream institutions for resource management, i.e. those recognized by the community and development agents as the primary organizations for resource management, has tended to mask alternative, less visible, but equally robust, organizational forms in which resources are managed and development is carried out at the local level. Mainstream institutions are often inadequate as arenas for negotiating contested interests. By directing attention to women's organizing in contexts in the south (India) and the north (Sweden), it is argued in this paper that although inclusive and heterogeneous structures are essential for the sustainable and equitable management of natural resources such as forests, in order to be able to be so, mainstream institutions need to be able to relate to other structures and forms that are exclusive and represent particular interests. This study of institutional contexts in such different places informs thinking on resource management, development and gender equality, and has practical implications for sustainable and equitable resource management. Importantly, it draws attention to the need to redefine how we study institutions for natural resource management.

Keywords

Development; gender; institutions; particular and general interests; resource management; structure

Published in

Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research
2010, Volume: 25, pages: 33-44
Publisher: TAYLOR & FRANCIS AS

    Sustainable Development Goals

    SDG5 Gender equality
    SDG12 Responsible consumption and production

    UKÄ Subject classification

    Economics and Business
    Social Sciences
    Environmental Sciences related to Agriculture and Land-use

    Publication identifier

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02827581.2010.506793

    Permanent link to this page (URI)

    https://res.slu.se/id/publ/47842