'Imagining ourselves' as participating publics: An example from biodiversity conservation

Area of Science:

• Social Sciences
• Environmental Science
• Conservation Biology

Background:

• Natura 2000 sites are crucial for biodiversity conservation.
• Understanding public perception is key to effective conservation strategies.
• Expert-driven conservation often faces challenges in public engagement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how local residents in Southern Portugal perceive their role in biodiversity conservation within Natura 2000 sites.
• To analyze whether residents' self-perceptions align with or challenge dominant expert representations of conservation.
• To explore the epistemic (knowledge-based) and normative (value-based) dimensions of these public-expert interactions.

Main Methods:

• Nine focus groups were conducted with residents (n=49) in Southern Portugal's Natura 2000 sites.
• Discussions were analyzed to identify patterns of reproduction and resistance to expert conservation narratives.
• The study focused on two dimensions: epistemic (local vs. expert knowledge) and normative (values and beliefs).

Main Results:

• Residents' self-imaginations showed clearer reproduction of expert views in the normative dimension.
• Resistance to expert views was more evident in the epistemic dimension, emphasizing local knowledge.
• Hybrid forms of reproduction and resistance were observed, with fragmented/negative normative views and unified/positive epistemic views.

Conclusions:

• Public engagement in conservation is shaped by complex interactions between local knowledge and expert narratives.
• Hegemonic conservation representations can be maintained or resisted through nuanced public-expert dialogues.
• Understanding residents' self-imaginations is vital for developing inclusive and effective biodiversity conservation policies.