Abstract
Because of the normative and subjective nature of the terms sustainability and sustainable development, solutions tend to be applicable for specific regions but not the whole of society. Thus, it is imperative understand better how community stakeholders and decision makers define the concept of sustainability. Not only will greater understanding of such definitions add to our understanding of nature-society relations, but also in certain contexts, this understanding may help to promote realistic and effective decision-making at local levels. The objective of this study was to determine how amenity-driven gateway communities surrounding Yellowstone and Grand Teton National parks define, conceptualize, and perceive sustainability, and if those perceptions varied between time in residence, community of origin, or role within the community. Thirty-five key informant interviews were conducted with decision makers within the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem to meet the study objectives. Throughout study communities, definitions of sustainability focused on the environment, the economy, and multi-generational thinking, and it is believed that these similarities can be the starting point for communication and collaboration among gateway communities, the long-term sustainability of their individual communities, and the collective resource upon which they all depend, the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
Highlights
1.1 The Trouble with Defining SustainabilityOne of the fundamental issues regarding the applications of the concept of sustainability is the lack of a universal definition for the concept, largely because of the numerous objectives, contexts, goals, and scales of perspective that surround it (Kates, 2010; Parris & Kates, 2003; Vos, 2007)
Those who prioritized the integration of nature-based tourism and the economy had often lived in the region over 20 years, lived further than 10 km from the park, and were employed in the tourism industry. Those who focused on the rights of local residents and who had less acceptance of nature-based tourism had lived in the region the longest, lived closer to the park, and were dependent on more traditional livelihoods. These findings suggested that those who lived the longest in the region, and who were closest in proximity to the park were the most critical of tourism, while recently arrived residents and those employed by the tourism industry were more likely to respond favorably to the industry
Key informants were asked if they had a working definition of what constituted sustainability or sustainable development, and if they saw a difference between the two concepts
Summary
1.1 The Trouble with Defining SustainabilityOne of the fundamental issues regarding the applications of the concept of sustainability is the lack of a universal definition for the concept, largely because of the numerous objectives, contexts, goals, and scales of perspective that surround it (Kates, 2010; Parris & Kates, 2003; Vos, 2007). In order to tailor efforts to improve sustainability to particular contexts, including accommodation of the complexities of connections among places, it is imperative to understand how community stakeholders and decision makers conceptualize, perceive, and define the concept of sustainability (Robinson, 2004; Rudzitis, 1999; Volker, 1997). Greater understanding of such conceptualizations will add to our understanding of nature-society relations and may help to promote realistic and effective decision-making at multiple scales (Bergstrom & Harrington, 2012; Parris & Kates, 2003). This is of critical importance because the concept of sustainability is predicated upon the idea that environmental, economic, and societal goals should be integrated into the decision-making process (Dernback & Mintz, 2011) in order to bequeath an “undiminished world to future generations” (Raskin et al, 2010)
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