| Popis: |
The dominance of Western knowledge in general, and modern science in particular, has come under increasing scrutiny and pressure during the last two decades. There is growing recognition that Western ways of knowing are socially constructed and influenced (Latour, 1999) and thus claims of greater objectivity and empiricism fail to support Western knowledge’s continuing eclipse of alternative epistemologies. At the same time, there has been significant dissatisfaction regarding Western ways of understanding and managing the environment, accentuated by environmental crises and resource declines (see Rogers, 1995; Neis et al., 1999). The cultural and political rights of indigenous peoples have also been increasingly recognized both legally and in the public consciousness. These shifts have been influencing academic thought, the politics of knowledge and resource governance, and the practicalities of resource management. While scholars have long been interested in indigenous relationships with the environment, during the last two decades these practices and understandings have been studied more formally as traditional ecological knowledge (TEK), and explored as a source of alternative management and conservation approaches. This chapter will discuss the political and practical links between TEK and indigenous communities’ participation in tourism. |
