Elite discourses of conservation in Tanzania

Abstract

ABSTRACTThis paper examines how the discursive politics of conservation, shaped within an elite global tourism political economy, directly influences the tactics of community groups, government officials and foreign tourism companies, and reproduces the meaning of conservation and rights in places like Tanzania. I examine how a recent online campaign to “save the Serengeti” builds on persistent elitist discourses of westerners saving African wildlife while also saving Africans from themselves. This discourse continues to shape struggles over land for tourism and local livelihoods.