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Research article2016Peer reviewedOpen access

What's counted as a reindeer herder? Gender and the adaptive capacity of Sami reindeer herding communities in Sweden

Buchanan, Astri; Reed, Maureen G.; Lidestav, Gun

Abstract

Researchers of adaptive capacity and sustainable livelihoods have frequently used social, cultural, human, economic and institutional capitals to better understand how rural and resource-dependent communities address environmental, social and economic stresses. Yet few studies have considered how men and women contribute differently to these capitals to support community resilience overall. Our research sought to understand the differential contributions of Sami men and women to the adaptive capacity of reindeer husbandry and reindeer herding communities in northern Sweden. Our focus revealed a gendered division of labour in reindeer herding as an economic enterprise as well as gendered contributions to a broader conceptualization of reindeer husbandry as a family and community-based practice, and as a livelihood and cultural tradition. Based on our results, we recommend that community resilience be enhanced by generating more opportunities for men to achieve higher levels of human and economic capital (particularly outside of herding activities) and encouraging women to contribute more directly to institutional capital by participating in the formation and implementation of legislation, policies and plans.

Keywords

Adaptive capacity; Community resilience; Gender; Indigenous peoples; Reindeer husbandry; Sustainable livelihoods; Sami

Published in

AMBIO: A Journal of the Human Environment
2016, Volume: 45, pages: S352-S362
Publisher: SPRINGER

      Sustainable Development Goals

      SDG5 Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
      SDG8 Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
      SDG10 Reduce inequality within and among countries
      SDG13 Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

      UKÄ Subject classification

      Gender Studies
      Environmental Sciences related to Agriculture and Land-use
      Human Geography

      Publication identifier

      DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-016-0834-1

      Permanent link to this page (URI)

      https://res.slu.se/id/publ/80199