Abstract:
In scientific endeavour related to biodiversity conservation, the
perspectives of the natural sciences have long been dominant. During the last
several decades, however, social science research has steadily gained momentum.
The major achievement of the social sciences has been to investigate
and emphasise the ‘human side’ of biodiversity conservation, ranging from
local issues around social exclusion from protected areas and dependency of
‘local people’ on natural resources to more abstract issues of environmental
governance and political ecology. But social science research is itself also a
social process and its practices, assumptions and outcomes therefore deserve
continuous critical reflection. The paper contends that when it comes to the engagement
of the social sciences and biodiversity conservation the concept of
‘politics’ has tended to have negative connotations. However, we argue, like
anything social, politics should not automatically be seen as negative. This acceptance
could considerably improve relations between different actors and we
therefore urge all those involved in the debate, especially social scientists, to
take two crucial steps: first, the creation and acceptance of practical spaces for
critical political engagement and second, the concomitant need for actors to
scrutinise and reflect more consciously on their politics of engagement.
