Email: conwayk@juno.com
University Of Florida 1997
Index | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 |
Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Appendix | Literature Cited
A Thesis Presented to the Graduate School of the University of Floridain Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts
This work is dedicated to some of the earthly elements of which I am a product. First, my mother and father, who from the beginning encouraged me to explore and challenge when I felt so compelled, even when my course baffled them. To my grandparents whose strength was a model worthy of pursuit. To the people of Honduras in the communities of El Triunfo de la Cruz, Kilómetro 17, Hicaque, Colorado Barro, Sal Si Puedes and Tela, whom I had the honor of meeting and who touched my heart with their generosity. To Demasia, José, Belkys, Eduardo, Katarine and Damaris, who opened up their home and their lives unconditionally to a stranger. Serémein niïña huün. You are an essential part of this product.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This work has evolved greatly thanks to the input of many people. I wish to thank the members of my committee--Dr. Hugh Popenoe, Dr. Marilyn Swisher and Dr. Clyde Kiker--whose encouragement to explore and appropriate support in times of doubt were critical to the final product. Special thanks go to Dr. Swisher for the countless hours of consultation and inspiration. I also wish to thank Dr. Steve Sanderson, whose encouragement early on in this project's process provided invigorating discussions and Dr. Marianne Schmink, whose thoughtful review is deeply appreciated.
This work was made possible through the generous financial assistance of the Wildlife Conservation Society and the Tinker Foundation. Jim Barborak and Bonnie Larson, of the Wildlife Conservation Society provided critical comments and logistical support both stateside and in the field. Many Hondurans and Honduran institutions were generous with logistical support, their time and resources. Most notably, my newfound friends at the Fundación para la Protección de Lancetilla, Punta Sal and Texiguat played an important role, in particular Rafael Sambulá Juan Carlos Carrasco and Miriam Molina.
Above all, I am eminently grateful to the people in Honduras who were willingly interrupted from their daily activities to introduce me to their culture, answer my many questions, offer advice or just a listening ear. They truly motivated this labor. It is my sincere desire that in a small way this project which we created together will contribute to the evolution of a participatory conservation and management process in Punta Izopo.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER TWO - Theoretical Framework
ABSTRACT:
Participation of local residents in natural resource management is essential for successful conservation efforts. This research conducted in the zone of influence of the proposed National Park Punta Izopo on Honduras' north coast is a case study on the possibility of involving local residents in the processes of conservation. An assessment of three behavioral components--attitudes, expectations and knowledge, was conducted as a first step in the development of a participatory conservation process.
Gender, determined by different socialization processes that establish different social roles, and culture, determined by self-identification, were considered independent variables that have significant impacts on people's behavior. The first hypothesis stated that there will be significant differences between gender groups in attitudes towards natural resources and conservation. The second hypothesis stated that there will be significant differences between culture groups in attitudes towards natural resources and conservation. The only significant difference between gender groups was in the knowledge category, while differences between culture groups were significant for all three components.
The quantitative data indicates positive attitudes towards and expectations for Punta Izopo and conservation in general. This was tested with semantic differentials and a Likert-like scale. Qualitative and anecdotal data did not provide such consistently positive findings. Knowledge scores revealed relatively low incidences of area natural history information. This was tested with open-response, multiple choice and true/false questions.
Gender played a role in knowledge levels about natural history, where women had lower scores than men. Gender did not play as large a role in attitudes and expectations, where there were no significant differences between groups. Culture explained differences in attitude, expectation and knowledge scores with statistical significance. A map drawing exercise illustrated differences in perception.
Conducted in the proposal phase of a protected area, this assessment
is only a preliminary step towards local resident participation. In a truly
participatory process, all stakeholders, including local residents, have
some representation for decision-making power. Recommendations to strengthen
the participatory process for local resident stakeholders in Punta Izopo's
zone of influence were made based on quantitative, qualitative and anecdotal
data.
Read
Chapter One.
The author can be contacted via email: conwayk@juno.com.
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