Master thesis | Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology (MSc)
open access
Conservation discourse continues to shift, which is apparent in a Tanzanian context. In the past, conservation discourse relied solely on biology, focusing primarily on the idea that nature and...Show moreConservation discourse continues to shift, which is apparent in a Tanzanian context. In the past, conservation discourse relied solely on biology, focusing primarily on the idea that nature and culture must be kept separate. This is known as a “fortress” approach to conservation. Although the biology behind such initiatives was right, conservation continued to fail. Therefore, a new paradigm developed: community-based conservation (CBC). This new model of conservation concentrated on community-centered initiatives, where biological and social benefits were the main objective. In Tanzania, a conservation policy change in 1998 introduced Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) to the nation - a form of CBC. A WMA intends to empower communities and allow them to have control over their own conservation initiatives. This ethnography explored how the implementation of a WMA in a Maa-speaking pastoralist community related to national WMA discourse. Through qualitative methods with a research assistant translating Swahili and Maa to English, evidence was provided that the national WMA discourse is perceived differently in a Maa-speaking pastoralist setting. Furthermore, the persistence of a “fortress approach” to conservation continues to be apparent in the WMA discourse through a separation of livestock and wildlife. Lastly, a new paradigm shift should be considered, where an emphasis on the intrinsic value of natural resources should be at the core of the conservation practice. Only by understanding such a shift can conservation initiatives in a Maa-speaking pastoralist setting be successful.Show less
