Introducing a flat ontology into landscape research: a case study of water governance experiments in South Africa.

ABSTRACT:

Context

Contemporary resource management paradigms within the developed world build on an understanding of human agency as ontologically distinct from the mode of existence of plants and animals. Because of this perspective, which gives priority to human agency, policies typically take their point of departure with human societies and associated ecosystems deemed of particular value.

Objectives

As an alternative to this worldview, social theorists have introduced what is known as "flat ontology", where all beings are bestowed equal rights to negotiate their existence. To explore the implications of introducing such an understanding into landscape management, a participatory planning process for water allocation was developed and tested in a case study in the Eerste River Cat

SUBMITTER: Raffn J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8611254 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature