Abstract
We propose and implement a new emplacement framework through exploration of the socio-spatial landscape of the Fox River Watershed (FRW) in Northeastern Wisconsin from a particular cultural perspective. Based primarily upon interviews conducted with 16 Hmong people to better understand and learn from the experiences of an important but overlooked FRW stakeholder group, we present our findings through the components of this framework: displacement, misplacement, replacement, and emplacement. Our research reveals that the strength of Hmong culture has persisted through tremendous loss and displacement, to survive and evolve in a new setting. The resettlement of Hmong people in the FRW has afforded relatively widespread access to landscapes that facilitate recreation, social interaction, and food production, enhancing physical and mental health and augmenting household incomes. It has also led to empowerment of women and the emergence of a generation of group members with formal ecological knowledge to add to their existing ethnobiological understanding and cultural foundation of ecological conscience. For such reasons, conservation organizations, policy makers, and departments of natural resources should look to build linking social capital between those in power and marginalized groups such as the Hmong.
Highlights
Introduction and BackgroundThis paper presents a case study stemming from an applied, inductive, and qualitative research project conducted for a regional nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the history and ecology of and enhancing the recreational opportunities in the Fox-Wisconsin river corridor in Wisconsin.The purpose of the project was to broadly explore the relationships between Hmong people and theFox River Watershed (FRW), between a particular culture and a particular landscape, in the Oshkosh, Appleton, and Green Bay areas of northeastern Wisconsin.Social inclusion is a key but often overlooked consideration in the discourses surrounding sustainability, conservation, and ecosystem management
In this paper we focus upon understanding the replacement and emplacement of Hmong people in the FRW in the context of social inclusion, environmental justice, and watershed management
We further found that when considering the stories of Hmong people in the FRW, the understanding of our data was enhanced with the additional consideration of social capital
Summary
Introduction and BackgroundThis paper presents a case study stemming from an applied, inductive, and qualitative research project conducted for a regional nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the history and ecology of and enhancing the recreational opportunities in the Fox-Wisconsin river corridor in Wisconsin.The purpose of the project was to broadly explore the relationships between Hmong people and theFox River Watershed (FRW), between a particular culture and a particular landscape, in the Oshkosh, Appleton, and Green Bay areas of northeastern Wisconsin.Social inclusion is a key but often overlooked consideration in the discourses surrounding sustainability, conservation, and ecosystem management. This paper presents a case study stemming from an applied, inductive, and qualitative research project conducted for a regional nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the history and ecology of and enhancing the recreational opportunities in the Fox-Wisconsin river corridor in Wisconsin. Fox River Watershed (FRW), between a particular culture and a particular landscape, in the Oshkosh, Appleton, and Green Bay areas of northeastern Wisconsin. Social inclusion is a key but often overlooked consideration in the discourses surrounding sustainability, conservation, and ecosystem management. Exclusion of the voices and perspectives of racial and ethnic minorities often results in incomplete understanding of socio-spatial landscapes (land + practices + meanings [1]), and missed opportunities to address threats to water quality and discover new vectors for environmental stewardship [2,3]. Inclusion of diverse groups has been correlated with biodiversity conservation and management [4] but difficult to put into practice.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
