Sense of place in social–ecological systems: from theory to empirics

Masterson, Vanessa A; Enqvist, Johan; Stedman, Richard C.; Tengö, Maria

doi:10.1007/s11625-019-00695-8

Cited by 89 publications

(63 citation statements)

References 55 publications

(109 reference statements)

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“…Although our findings lead us to suggest that it may be helpful to facilitate urbanites' connections with the biophysical aspects of places, we also suggest that this should, by no means, be an isolated focus. We suggest that the biophysical be treated as part of a holistic system (Masterson et al 2019), as one of multiple dimensions of place. This increased effort toward connecting urbanites to the biophysical aspects of their places (both within and surrounding the city) may help move toward a situation different from those suggested in our findings.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Scale and sense of place among urban dwellers

et al. 2019

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Place connections are core to being human: Every person lives in, and thus has direct experience of, at least one place and likely of numerous places throughout a lifetime. Sense of place—or the meanings, knowledge, and bonds that arise from the biophysical, social, and political–economic aspects of places—in turn influences people's interactions with those places. Of particular interest to researchers, practitioners, and policymakers, such interactions can impact place‐protective, stewardship, or conservation behaviors. However, how sense of place develops and what it represents is shifting in today's rapidly urbanizing, globalizing world. Especially when considering the integrated social–ecological context, questions related to how sense of place forms and is enacted in urban settings and at a range of geographic scales are challenging to study. Our study addresses this dynamic space: We examined how people's place connections intersect with their notions of geographic scale and levels of urbanity. Specifically, we conducted a 1201‐person randomized telephone survey in the San Francisco Bay Area ecoregion of California, USA, to explore how sense of place varies by (1) the scale of what people consider to be their place, and (2) the urbanity of where people live. In comparison with respondents who perceived their place as the larger‐scale ecoregion, we found that respondents who perceived their place as primarily focused on the urban area rated their connection to the biophysical aspects of place (the plants, animals, and landscape‐related elements) lower. Similarly, overall, respondents who lived in urban areas rated their connections to the biophysical aspects of place lower than did respondents who lived in non‐urban areas. Our findings suggest the importance of encouraging conceptualizations of place at broader geographic scales and, particularly, of supporting notions of urban spaces that stretch beyond urban boundaries. We also call for supporting increased engagement with urban nature, especially among residents of urban areas.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…, Masterson et al. ). The relationship of sense of place, which has affective (emotional) and cognitive (knowledge‐based) aspects, with pro‐environmental or place‐protective behaviors is complex, yet often complementary (Lewicka , Kudryavtsev et al.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Scale and sense of place among urban dwellers

et al. 2019

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“…Many of these historical legacies are articulated in group identity narratives regarding political struggles over resource use and management, assimilated into institutional norms, and contribute to disputed place meanings. Past and present power relations among different segments of society affect how any experience of place is perceived and interpreted, just as such power relations foster conditions conducive for some actions (place protective or not) over others (Stedman 2016, Masterson et al 2019. Just as the emotions, identity, practices, and cultural rituals of individuals and communities can become coupled, over time, with surrounding landscapes, those landscapes and populations are also embedded in continually evolving and often long-standing political and social dynamics.…”

Section: Meaning Loss Transformation and Actionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This social-political infrastructure (Eakin et al 2017) contributes to residents' sense of place and loss: their complex identities are formed not only in terms of the positive relational values associated with geographic attributes (caring, stewardship, happiness, peace, self-efficacy, etc.) but also by longstanding social relations of power, extraction, control, and choice (Masterson et al 2019).…”

Section: Meaning Loss Transformation and Actionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We focused not only on how actors have experienced trajectories of change, but also on how they explain it and ascribe responsibility. In doing so, we join others in the social-ecological and climate change research communities in calling attention to notions of immaterial loss associated with environmental change, the ways in which such loss is experienced, and the implications of such experience for individual and collective agency (Barnett et al 2016, Tschakert et al 2017, Masterson et al 2019.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Loss and social-ecological transformation: pathways of change in Xochimilco, Mexico

Eakin¹,

Shelton²,

Siqueiros-García³

et al. 2019

E&S

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We explore how loss of livelihood, loss of ecological function, and loss of group identity are linked in the process of social-ecological change through the narratives of stakeholders associated with the wetland of Xochimilco in Mexico City. Drawing from interviews, focus groups, and participatory workshops with a variety of residents and city administrators, we analyze narratives about what is valued, what is problematized, and what social and ecological relationships appear as critical from the perspective of contemporary residents and officials. Loss is prominent in these narratives, capturing the interdependence of ecology, identity, meaning, and livelihood for the inhabitants. We trace these narratives to the historical roots of center-periphery politics of land and water use, situating the current dynamic context within the social-ecological system's long pathway of change. Diffuse blame for social-ecological change expressed in the narratives appears to inhibit collective action, as does a conflicted history of local response to the city's control of resources. We posit that finding a sustainable pathway forward may depend in part on how residents are able to cognitively or emotionally accommodate landscape change while still enabling the values they have come to associate with the landscape. Such accommodation may entail accepting some degree of loss in system function and structure, but this loss may also provide opportunities for new social-ecological relations that enable the persistence of local identity.

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Building bridges for inspired action: On landscape restoration and social alliances

Gutierrez¹,

Ploeg²,

Bajraktari³

et al. 2023

Ecol Sol and Evidence

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In response to global ecosystem degradation, biodiversity loss and climate change, landscape restoration (LR) appears high on the international agenda (UNEP and FAO, 2020). Along with other major initiatives, the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030 seeks to accelerate restoration action around the globe (UNEP, 2021). Because the challenges we face are interconnected, it is essential that these problems are tackled together, and that restoration efforts address the complexity of ecological, social, economic and political landscapes in an integrated manner (Carmenta et al., 2020). It is widely recognized that socio-ecological systems and locally led action are crucial for achieving multiple restoration benefits (César et al., 2021;Fischer et al., 2021). Yet, despite numerous guidelines and tools to encourage participatory approaches, the implementation of multi-stakeholder-driven restoration is not commonplace (Höhl et al., 2020;Jellinek et al., 2019). Restoration initiatives that insufficiently consider Indigenous communities or local stakeholders' perspectives, knowledge and needs may generate unforeseen or unwanted effects (Robinson et al., 2021;Scheidel & Gingrich, 2020).

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Sense of place in social–ecological systems: from theory to empirics

Cited by 89 publications

References 55 publications

Scale and sense of place among urban dwellers

Scale and sense of place among urban dwellers

Loss and social-ecological transformation: pathways of change in Xochimilco, Mexico

Building bridges for inspired action: On landscape restoration and social alliances

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