Collaboration and conflict in an applied human ecology project in coastal Yucatan, Mexico

Abstract

A report is made of the accomplishments and difficulties encountered during an applied human ecology project carried out in a fragile coastal wetland on the coast of Yucatan, Mexico. The agents included a Scientific Research Team (SRT), the Palafitte Group (PG), comprised of facilitators, and the community as a whole. Information was culled from 96 weekly reports for meetings held between May 1999 and February 2001 with the PG, eight interviews carried out in March 2001 with SRT members, and four work meetings held by the authors in February and March 2001. Data were examined using ‘content analysis’ at four interaction levels: (1) within the SRT; (2) between SRT and PG; (3) between SRT and the community as a whole; and (4) within the community, including the PG. Main results were: (1) advances in integration of the multidisciplinary research group during the analyzed periods, especially in acquisition of a common language, and, to a lesser extent, in its coordination; (2) within SRT, less than optimum internal discipline, breadth and depth of common language, participatory research training, and motivation; (3) lack of communication and poor commitment fulfillment between SRT and PG, and between SRT and community as a whole; (4) weak means and form of communication between PG and community, resulting in poor community motivation and collaboration. Results were analyzed with a view to applied human ecology projects similar to the studied project, i.e. those designed to contribute to the halt and reversal of anthropogenic impacts on fragile environments.