Understanding coastal resource management using a social representations approach

Abstract

This study utilizes Social Representations Theory to uncover how some residents of a coastal community in Iloilo, Philippines collectively comprehend coastal resource management. Interviews were conducted among community members, local officials, and personnel implementing the community's Coastal Resource Management (CRM) Program. Meanings constructed concerning management of coastal resources revolve around four main themes: environmental, economic, social, and political storylines. Environmental narratives center on protection of coastal resources while economic accounts focus on financial implications of coastal resource (mis)management. Social storyline alludes to the community's collective (un)involvement in safeguarding their natural resource while political discourse zeroes in on the local government and its CRM program implementation along with the issues and discords surrounding the operation. Results lend support to the value of Social Representations Theory in understanding how groups co-create their shared reality; as well as point toward the theory's practical relevance in addressing current environmental issues.