Social Value, the Cultural Component in Natural Resource Management

• Published in: Australasian journal of environmental management Vol. 11; no. 4; pp. 289 - 299
• Main Author: McIntyre-Tamwoy, Susan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2004
• Subjects: Aboriginal archaeology; Community involvement; Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area; National estate; National Strategy for the Conservation of Australian Biological Diversity; New South Wales. Catchment Management Act 1989; Resource management; Values
• ISSN: 1448-6563; 2159-5356
• DOI: 10.1080/14486563.2004.10648625

This article explores an issue of increasing relevance to protected area management, the identification of social value and the incorporation of such values into protected area management strategies. Relationships between people and places are examined in an attempt to define and understand the concepts of 'community' and 'community value' and 'social value', and how these may be linked to nature conservation. The distinction between cultural and natural values is explored, with particular reference to the perception of 'wilderness' in protected area management. How representative areas for future protection may be selected and the implications this has on management agencies and their officials is discussed in the context of the cultural attachment of people to landscapes or places. The article concludes with a statement of the basic shifts in practice required to give greater focus to cultural (social) value in protected area management.