Department: Antioch New England: Environmental Studies ![[clear]](close-x.png "Remove this limiter")
16 matches in the database.
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1.
Alexander, Laura A.
Meaning of place: exploring long-term residents attachment to the physical environment in northern New Hampshire.
Degree: Ph.D., Antioch New England: Environmental Studies, 2008, Antioch University
► This study explores the meaning of place and the role of the…
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▼ This study explores the meaning of place and the role of the physical setting, relative to sociocultural elements, for long-term, year-round residents of northern New Hampshire for two dimensions of place: attachment and identity. Resident-employed photography was used to prompt research participants to think about how they are attached to place and how it shapes their identity, and their photos served as a way to enter quickly and deeply into a conversation about place meaning. Data was analyzed according to the tradition of grounded theory and five themes of meaning emerged as follows: The physical setting is stable, restorative, where people experience spirituality, provides sustenance, and fosters development and expression of ecological identity. These themes were revealed as instrumental to maintaining resident's well-being through attending to the needs of the self. Conceiving of the physical setting in this way expands our understanding of the relationship between people and place. This research has potential value related to attending to the well-being of residents and for guiding land management policies, particularly in communities where traditional ways of interacting with the land are undergoing change in land use and economic base.
Advisors/Committee Members: Webler, Thomas.
Subjects: Psychology; Social psychology
Keywords: place attachment, place identity, place meaning, ecological identity, biophysical attachment
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2.
Bradley, Rosemarie Ann.
Evaluating U.S. Federal Marine Protected Areas Programs: A Comparative Analysis and Conceptual Framework.
Degree: Ph.D., Antioch New England: Environmental Studies, 2008, Antioch University
► Abstract Federal area-based marine protection and management in the United States is…
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▼ Abstract Federal area-based marine protection and management in the United States is overseen by the National Marine Sanctuary Program, the National Estuarine Research Reserve System, the National Wildlife Refuge System, the National Park Service, and the National Marine Fisheries Service. Each agency and program represents a different approach to managing the oceans. Currently, no federal agency or program is responsible for evaluating the overall effectiveness of these programs. Evaluation is needed to determine whether programs are achieving their management objectives and conservation goals. Although evaluation protocols are legislatively mandated, implementation is inconsistent across programs. Federal agencies have been criticized for failing to protect marine resources effectively. The objective of this comparative case study is to determine whether the evaluation practices of federal area-based marine protection programs (also known as Marine Protected Area [MPA] programs) are contributing to improved marine resource protection. I investigate: (1) what methodologies federal agencies currently employ to evaluate their marine protected areas programs; (2) to what extent federal MPA program evaluation processes adhere to program evaluation theory and practice; and (3) how components of these evaluations could inform a national-scale MPA evaluation system. I also discuss whether evaluation results have been disseminated and recommendations implemented and the extent of inter-agency and intra-agency exchange of evaluation information. The results of my research indicate that: (1) federal reporting requirements drive MPA evaluation; (2) programs fall short in Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART) program results/accountability section; (3) MPA programs utilize more output measures than outcome measures; (4) past independent evaluations focus on funding/budget rather than programmatic success in marine conservation; (5) MPA staff face numerous evaluation challenges; (6) MPA staff are interested in a national MPA evaluation system; (7) implementation/dissemination of evaluation results is lacking; and (8) MPA cooperative efforts exclude some programs. The U.S. National Marine Protected Areas Center is in the process of developing a national system of marine protected areas, and it has identified the evaluation of management effectiveness as one of the key components of an effective national system. My research contributes to the development of a national-scale evaluation framework for U.S. federal marine protected areas. I present a conceptual model for a national-scale federal MPA program evaluation system. Components of the model include recommendations for: (1) establishing a national MPA evaluation coordination division; (2) developing an inventory of existing MPA evaluation studies and performance measures; (3) creating a centralized MPA evaluation information database; (4) developing MPA program and system-wide performance measures; (5) promoting MPA evaluation capacity-building including developing relationships with evaluation professionals and establishing a system of inter-agency and intra-agency MPA evaluation information exchange; and (6) ensuring that any future MPA legislation includes evaluation language.
Advisors/Committee Members: Jordan, James.
Subjects: Environmental science
Keywords: Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), program evaluation, performance measurement, environmental evaluation, comparative case study, marine policy, federal government
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3.
Chase, Steve.
Activist Training in the Academy: Developing a Master's Program in Environmental Advocacy and Organizing at Antioch New England Graduate School.
Degree: Ph.D., Antioch New England: Environmental Studies, 2006, Antioch University
► This curriculum action research study begins by raising the question of whether…
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▼ This curriculum action research study begins by raising the question of whether environmental studies programs within higher education should launch activist training programs for public interest advocates and grassroots organizers working for nonprofit organizations focused on environmental protection, corporate accountability, and social justice. Answering that question in the affirmative, the study then focuses on the theoretical issues underlying the creation of activist training programs within the academy, specifically within environmental studies programs, and reports on a case study of the successful development of a master’s program in Environmental Advocacy and Organizing. The first section on theoretical issues focuses first on the author’s own evolution from a teacher focused primarily on critical pedagogy and citizenship education to one focused on expanding the activist training opportunities at his own graduate school and beyond. It goes on to make both the theoretical and historical case for activist training programs within higher education, including offering past examples from extension, service learning, and professional graduate programs. In the last part of this section, the study identifies 5 core curriculum content areas that are key to teaching environmental advocacy and organizing and then discusses the tradition of popular education as the most appropriate educational methodology for activist training programs. The second section reports on the case study of an insider action research project to develop and launch a new master’s program in Environmental Advocacy and Organizing. This section presents the author’s original proposal to the Faculty of the Department of Environmental Studies at Antioch New England Graduate School, explores their initial reactions, offers answers to key questions raised by the them, and, finally, describes the basic curricular design of the new program that welcomed its first cohort of students in Fall 2002 and has been directed by the author ever since. The aim of this study is to provide a useful guide for other educators in academia who might be interested in starting similar programs at their own schools, whether in the field of environmental studies or other disciplines.
Advisors/Committee Members: Watts, Heidi.
Keywords: environmental advocacy; activist training; social movements; curriculum action research; master's curriculum; environmental studies; popular education; critical pedagogy; education for citizenship
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4.
Dell, Twyla J.
Flame, Furnace, Fuel: Creating Kansas City in the Nineteenth Century.
Degree: Ph.D., Antioch New England: Environmental Studies, 2009, Antioch University
► Though this work is a fuel and energy history of Kansas…
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▼ Though this work is a fuel and energy history of Kansas City, Missouri, from 1820 to 1920, it also provides a tool to describe and analyze fuel and energy transitions. The four parts follow the rise and fall of wood, coal and oil as their use grows to a peak and, in the case of wood, declines. The founding and growth of Kansas City as an “instant city” that grew from zero population to over three hundred twenty thousand in a hundred years embodies the increased use of fuel and energy in an urban setting and serves as a case study. This work differentiates between these two elements throughout the one-hundred-year history to offer a clarification in terminology and theory. The narrative begins in the Wood Age, continues to the peak of the Coal Age and introduces the Oil Age as it was to 1920.
Advisors/Committee Members: Maltz, Alesia.
Keywords: energy history; fuel history; urban history; instant cities; environmental history; Wood Age; Coal Age; Oil Age; model for description and analysis of fuel history
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5.
Fraser, John Robert.
An Examination of Environmental Collective Identity Development Across Three Life-stages: The Contribution of Social Public Experiences at Zoos.
Degree: Ph.D., Antioch New England: Environmental Studies, 2009, Antioch University
► This research breaks ground toward a revised theory of how collective environmental…
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▼ This research breaks ground toward a revised theory of how collective environmental identity is associated with pro-environmental behaviors. My research comprises three activities that examined the experiences of three groups of people who claim zoo visiting as an important part of their life-story. The three studied groups were; conservation biologists who describe zoo experiences as having significant formative role in their childhood development of environmental values; parents who prioritize zoo visits as an important cultural experiences for their children; and a active zoo volunteers. This research also investigated whether the group experiences these participants had at zoos contributed to the value these people place on their current collective and environmental identities. Field conservationists’ interest in learning from animals was validated by parents who also valued education and helped these children develop identities that included other animals in their scope of justice. Parents used zoos instrumentally to promote caring for others as a skill that will serve their children’s socio-political future as part of human society. In both cases, these experiences appeared to be shaped around developing attitudes that would include animals in these children’s scope of justice in later life. Zoo volunteers included animals in their scope of justice, believing that other species were also important sources of for their knowledge development. Shared positive attitudes toward animals were central to volunteers feeling part of a community and contributing to their collective self-esteem. The group may serve a restorative function in their lives, allowing them to take on a more activist role in society, seeking to promote social norms that are more inclusive of animal rights, and helping them to change their behaviors toward more environmentally responsible ends. This research contributes to the understanding of the theory of planned behavior and the values/beliefs/norms theory by demonstrating that pro-environmental behavior may originate with parenting activities in out-of-home cultural institutions like zoos, and is associated with involvement in social groups at later points in the life-course. It demonstrates that sharing a collective identity like that of a zoo volunteer is associated with engaging in pro-environmental behaviors even before those beliefs and values are fully understood. Although the contribution of parenting and group activity to pro-environmental behaviors demonstrated in this research was small, these results do suggest that focusing on out-of-home support for parents teaching social skills through animal based experiences, and support of activities that promote group attachment for environmentally concerned citizens, may be a possible strategies to advance more environmentally responsible behavior in society for both the short and long term.
Advisors/Committee Members: Webler, Thomas N.
Subjects: Developmental psychology; Families and family life; Museums; Personal relationships; Psychology; Recreation; Social psychology
Keywords: collective identity; environmental identity; zoo experiences; values/beliefs/norms; theory of planned behavior
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6.
Gross-Camp, Nicole D.
Dispersion of large-seeded tree species by two forest primates: primate seed handling, microhabitat variability, and post-dispersal seed fate.
Degree: Ph.D., Antioch New England: Environmental Studies, 2009, Antioch University
► I describe the relative effectiveness of two primates in dispersing large-seeded tree…
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▼ I describe the relative effectiveness of two primates in dispersing large-seeded tree seeds (> 0.5 cm) in the Nyungwe National Park (NNP), Rwanda. My objectives are three-fold: (1) to describe the relative effectiveness of primates in dispersing the seeds of five large-seeded tree species, (2) to evaluate the influence of primate seed-handling method on seed fate, and (3) to determine the influence of deposition site on seed fate. I employed focal tree observations, day-follows of habituated primate groups, in situ monitoring of primate-dispersed seeds, and experimental plots to achieve these objectives. Data were collected over the course of one year (April 2006 – April 2007). Frugivore assemblages dispersed the seeds of four of the five focal tree species. Chimpanzees and cercopithecines spent the most time in trees and had the largest group size. Large-bodied birds (LB) and chimpanzees dispersed the highest number of seeds per minute. LB and cercopithecines potentially disperse the greatest number of seeds for Ekebergia capensis, and chimpanzees for Syzygium guineense. My study highlights the complexities of determining a disperser’s effectiveness and suggests that large-bodied birds and primates are relatively important dispersers of large-seeded trees. Primates deposit seeds most often in open forest where seeds experience the highest establishment. In addition primates deposit seeds in five habitats that are likely dispersal-limited suggesting that primates contribute to the regeneration processes of otherwise dispersal-limited areas. My results suggest that the former emphasis of seed dispersal studies on defecations is not representative and should be expanded to include orally-discarded seeds. Furthermore my study highlights that primates do not deposit seeds randomly and that the characteristics of the deposition site are a reflection of primate seed handling. I found no relationship between the top five fruiting tree species found in chimpanzee feces and fruit availability suggesting that chimpanzees do not choose fruits solely based on their availability. In contrast the wadged fruits of Syzygium guineense are positively correlated to fruit availability. A closer examination of the relationship between chimpanzees and S. guineense may provide insight into potential repercussions on the regeneration of S. guineense if the chimpanzee were to be extirpated. I compare the relationship of seed presence in the NNP chimpanzees’ feces and wadges and forest-wide fruit availability with two other chimpanzee communities in the Albertine Rift. Finally I organized a workshop for educators living in communities on the NNP’s periphery in an effort to disseminate my results to a broader community. Pre- and post-workshop questionnaires completed by workshop participants suggest that this kind of interaction between researchers, management authorities and local peoples helps to build trust as well as identify areas where sensitization of the population may be needed.
Advisors/Committee Members: Kaplin, Beth.
Subjects: Animals; Biology; Ecology; Education; Teacher education
Keywords: primate; seed dispersal; Albertine Rift; Rwanda; frugivory; chimpanzee; lhoest's; Africa; seed fate; community outreach; education outreach; Syzygium; Parinari; wadge; focal tree; seed handling; dispersal limitation; frugivore assemblage; Cercopithecus
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7.
Jas, Victoria Anne.
How Hospital Environmental Managers Learn Compliance: A Learning Process Model.
Degree: Ph.D., Antioch New England: Environmental Studies, 2009, Antioch University
► Recent national media coverage of hospital mismanagement of hazardous materials and waste…
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▼ Recent national media coverage of hospital mismanagement of hazardous materials and waste has brought the practices of all hospitals into public scrutiny. Many people are amazed to learn that there is no national training or accreditation program for environmental management in hospitals. Hospitals are held to the same standards for hazardous materials management as are corporations in the industrial sector. Rural hospitals are particularly challenged because they have few resources. Overall, small hospitals need much improvement, but there are also examples of where individuals have done exemplary innovative work in improving environmental management. In this study I investigated the challenge rural hospitals face to improving environmental management practices by inquiring into how environmental managers in small rural hospitals in New Hampshire learned to do their job and maintain their skills. I used the constant comparison coding method from grounded theory to generate key categories and concepts that could explain the personal and systematic challenges these individuals face. Using these concepts, I developed a learning process model that demonstrates how the managers initially learned how to do their work and how they went to on to maintain their skills. In cases where individuals excelled and developed innovative practices in their organizations, I inquired into the factors that contributed to their success. The purpose of the project was to document systematic challenges and obstacles that the managers need to overcome in their work. These can be used to promote recommendations that would enhance the environmental management practices of rural hospitals nationwide. One key obstacle is that hospital management emphasizes income generation over expense shedding and environmental managers have no billing capacity. Consequently, even though improved practices can save costs, the capital needed for these changes is difficult for the managers to secure. Another key obstacle is the regulatory climate of fear under which managers work. The EPA regularly issues threats and warnings without providing managers with the assistance and advice they need to do their jobs well. These and other findings point out the need for training and assistance programs that will help managers do their jobs better.
Advisors/Committee Members: Webler, Thomas.
Subjects: Adult education
Keywords: hospitals, environmental management, learning, compliance
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8.
Knapp, Marian L.
Aging in Place in Suburbia: A Qualitative Study of Older Women.
Degree: Ph.D., Antioch New England: Environmental Studies, 2008, Antioch University
► This research explored "aging in place" among women age 65 and older…
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▼ This research explored "aging in place" among women age 65 and older living in Newton, Massachusetts. Study goals were to understand: the "places" that comprise the environment of "aging in place"; the factors that enable "aging in place"; "aging in place" in a suburb; and to refine definitions of "aging in place" Interviews with women used open-ended questions about women‘s early years in Newton and the changes they experienced in personal status, and places over time. Themes emerged using modified grounded theory with inductive and deductive approaches, and which acknowledged "sensitizing concepts". Six places comprised the "aging in place" environment: home, nature, neighborhood, Newton community, city, and the world. Each place had three dimensions: physical, social, and emotional. Factors enabling "aging in place" involved two categories: 1) characteristics of places, which included physical suitability, safety, and service availability, and 2) characteristics of women, which included resilience, economic stability, social connections, access to supports, independence, respectful relationships with children, pride in accomplishments, meaning in one‘s life, and sense of belonging. Women and their families moved to Newton to pursue upward mobility and other aspects of the American Dream. These goals were embedded in women‘s world-view and they were reluctant to relinquish suburban living in spite of barriers such as stairs in the home, loss of neighborhood friendships, and lack of driving. They adapted themselves and their surroundings in order to stay. "Aging in place" definitions suggest passivity and stasis, and imply reluctance to move resistance to change, and that the alternative is a nursing facility. My findings suggest a different view. Women age in multiple places, reside in old or new residences, live for extended periods before decline inhibits activities, receive support in different places, are socially connected, are willing to change, and find alternatives to nursing homes. Findings can be used to encourage individuals, families, and providers to consider the complexity of "aging in place" and the total environment of elders as they plan for the future. Conversations about "aging in place" must challenge the implication that "aging in place" is negative and static, and emphasize its positive, dynamic qualities.
Advisors/Committee Members: Watts, K. Heidi.
Subjects: Cultural anthropology; Gerontology; Sociology
Keywords: aging; place; aging-in-place; suburbia; women; environment; elders
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9.
Langmaid, Kimberly Ford.
Seeing Shifts: Ecologists' Lived Experiences of Climate Change in Mountains of the American West.
Degree: Ph.D., Antioch New England: Environmental Studies, 2009, Antioch University
► This study explores the lived experiences of field ecologists who research the…
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▼ This study explores the lived experiences of field ecologists who research the effects of global climate change on mountain species and ecosystems in the American West. The purpose is to generate narrative descriptions of ecologists’ experiences in order to communicate about both the scientific ecology and human ecology of climate change. Twenty prominent field ecologists participated in this study. Interviews with ecologists were transcribed and analyzed using a hermeneutic phenomenological methodology. Eight experiential themes emerged through the process of data analysis, and these themes provide the structure for presenting narratives of ecologists’ experiences. The eight themes are: thinking ecologically, the place-based ecologist, seeing shifts, coping with complexity, a paleo-perspective, crossing thresholds, triage, and silver linings. Each theme is presented through the stories of the particular ecologists who exemplify that theme. The series of narrative descriptions reveals a process of scientific inquiry embedded within human experience and the social construction of global climate change. The life histories, personal motivations, and values of ecologists are found to be an integral aspect of their scientific work. By bringing to life the way these scientists see, understand, realize, and care about their work, the narrative descriptions may connect readers to the seemingly esoteric science of climate change. In addition, the experiences of field ecologists reveal this group of scientists as exemplars of human resilience in the face of complexity and adversity. This research contributes to the human dimensions of climate change by offering place-based and personal stories of scientists’ experiences. Deeper questions for society emerge about: a) the future role of ecologists in education and b) making choices about the kind of world we want to live in.
Advisors/Committee Members: Thomashow, Mitchell.
Subjects: Earth; Ecology; Environmental science; Social research
Keywords: climate change; human dimensions; ecologists; mountains; phenomenology; lived experience
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10.
Malan, Leon-Charl.
Beyond the debate: Exploring the underlying values and assumptions of biodiversity conservation in protected areas.
Degree: Ph.D., Antioch New England: Environmental Studies, 2008, Antioch University
► This dissertation examines the current disagreement among scientists and scholars about best…
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▼ This dissertation examines the current disagreement among scientists and scholars about best practices for biodiversity conservation in protected areas. There is no clear consensus among the scientific community about the most effective approach to conserve biodiversity and several conflicting positions form part of an ongoing debate in the field. Most disagreements and conflicts are based on differences in the underlying values and assumptions of the parties involved in the conflict. The more we know and understand those underlying values, the more constructive the dialog, and the more likely acceptable policy decisions will be developed. This study, presented in three parts, uncovered some of the major discourses and perspectives that exist in the exchanges in literature. I used discourse analysis and Q-methodology, and then applied a policy sciences framework to suggest practical application. The first part of the study is a discourse analysis of eight works representing the breadth of strongly held opinions about biodiversity conservation and the roles of human inhabitants. The results of the discourse analysis identified some dimensions of the conflict that were used in the interpretation of discourses in the subsequent Q-study. The second part of the dissertation explored the underlying values and assumptions in biodiversity conservation using Q-methodology. A total of 275 definitive statements were extracted from a survey of the literature and then categorized according to the dimensions identified in the preceding discourse analysis. Twenty two participants, all actively involved in conservation in protected areas, and some authors of the statements used in the procedure, sorted 48 statements on a scale of -5 (Most unlike my point of view) to +5 (Most like my point of view). Following a Q-methodology analysis of the data, three distinct discourses emerged: a Social Justice perspective that emphasizes the need for a fair and just process, a Concern for Biodiversity perspective based on the need to protect biodiversity from human impacts, and a Biodiversity Across the Landscape perspective based on a need to conserve biodiversity beyond protected areas with a concurrent concern that existing free market mechanisms are not adequate to protecting biodiversity. Though there were clear differences in the underlying assumptions of the three perspectives, there were also some areas of agreement, which raises the potential for dialog and collaboration. The final part of the dissertation was an application of a policy sciences framework to illustrate how the different discourses would lead to different perceptions of problem identification, social processes and decision processes. Some directions for future research based on my findings are both practical (e.g., apply Q-methodology to help understand and resolve biodiversity conservation conflict; develop capacity in negotiation and conflict management) and conceptual (e.g., more research on poverty alleviation; more research to demonstrate the economic value of biodiversity conservation). The results of the Q-study suggest that a dialog among stakeholders involved in conservation efforts, based on common understanding of underlying assumptions uncovered in the Q-study, could lead to advances in developing more effective, innovative and creative conservation approaches.
Advisors/Committee Members: Kaplin, Beth A.
Subjects: Ecology; Environmental science
Keywords: Q-Methodology; Protected Areas; Biodiversity Conservation; Policy Sciences
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11.
Pokladnik, Randi Jeannine.
Roots and Remedies of Ginseng Poaching in Central Appalachia.
Degree: Ph.D., Antioch New England: Environmental Studies, 2008, Antioch University
► Abstract Roots and Remedies of Ginseng Poaching in Central Appalachia Randi Pokladnik…
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▼ Abstract Roots and Remedies of Ginseng Poaching in Central Appalachia Randi Pokladnik Antioch University New England Ginseng, panax quinquefolius, is a perennial plant found in the understory growth of mesophytic forests of Appalachia. Illegal harvesting of the plant from both wild and cultivated populations has become very problematic for public land managers and private landowners engaged in cultivation of the species. Techniques aimed at curtailing the incidents of poaching have only been moderately successful. Given the economic value of the plant, its cultural significance, and the dramatic decrease of wild plant populations, it has become increasingly important to address this problem. Several studies have linked illegal wildlife harvesting to economic problems, inadequate policies or laws, and social issues. In addition, some research has been conducted that investigates the prevalence of animal poaching by using various theories, such as the neutralization theory, differential association theory and folk crimes. However, no single study has specifically examined plant poaching using these theories as a framework or involved the insights of all stakeholders experiencing this problem. Using previous studies of wildlife poaching typologies as a template, this project will examine the problem of ginseng poaching in central Appalachia to produce an understanding that is inclusive of the many stakeholder perspectives. The main goal of this research is to use historical methods, interviews, and Q methodology to study how individuals (stakeholders affected by the poaching) understand the causes or motivations behind poaching and how they perceive the effectiveness of current poaching interventions. The two main questions under investigation are: What are stakeholders'beliefs about the causes of ginseng poaching? How do stakeholders perceive the effectiveness of current methods of intervention used to decrease poaching incidents? It is hoped that the results of this study will help inform policy makers, law officials, and public land managers, as well as the ginseng gatherers and growers of Appalachia involved in sustaining the ecological, economic, and cultural integrity of this species.
Advisors/Committee Members: Maltz, Alesia.
Subjects: Environmental science
Keywords: ginseng; poaching; folk crimes; commons; interventions
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12.
Quesada-Embid, Mercedes Chamberlain.
Dwelling, Walking, Serving: Organic Preservation Along the Camino de Santiago Pilgrimage Landscape.
Degree: Ph.D., Antioch New England: Environmental Studies, 2008, Antioch University
► This study is an exploration of the people and the landscape of…
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▼ This study is an exploration of the people and the landscape of the well-known Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route. Although there are many routes that make up the entirety of the pilgrimage, this research is specifically focused on the landscape of the Camino Francés, or French Route, in northern Spain. The path has been written about in many ways and for a myriad of reasons since it became affiliated with the Christian tradition in the early ninth century. This research, however, is different. By way of an environmental history and hermeneutic approach, an investigation of the interrelated and overlapping human actions of dwelling, movement, and service that stem from the pilgrimage tradition on the Camino de Santiago is conducted. Unlike other studies of this pilgrimage path, both pilgrim and resident receive equal attention, and the landscape emerges as central to the research. This study provides: an integrated evaluation of the ancient pre-Christian and medieval Christian histories and perceptions of the path; a description of the physical landscape; an in-depth assessment of conventional landscape and cultural heritage strategies for preservation; and a linguistic, social, and philosophical discussion of the correlations among dwelling, walking, serving, and preserving that are apparent on the landscape. Embedded within this examination of the Camino de Santiago landscape is a return to the essence and origin of the ideal of preservation itself. This analysis of landscape preservation is specifically centered on traditionally peopled landscapes and cultural landscapes, i.e., those with a deep history and presence of people. This study proposes that the Camino de Santiago landscape serves as a model for the preservation of tradition, history, culture, and nature. Moreover, it contends that the landscape is an exemplar of what I have termed organic preservation precisely because the people evolved in a reciprocal relationship with each other and the land. As a result of this study, the Camino de Santiago can become a part of the ongoing protected landscape dialogue, helping the current discourse to move toward a much needed different direction, perhaps even becoming the inspiration for a new and egalitarian preservation paradigm for traditionally peopled landscapes.
Advisors/Committee Members: Maltz, Alesia.
Subjects: American history; American studies; Ancient civilizations; Cultural anthropology; Earth; Ecology; Environmental science; European history; Folklore; Geography; History; Linguistics; Management; Middle Ages; Philosophy; Religious history
Keywords: Camino de Santiago; Way of St. James; French Route; Camino Frances; Cultural Landscape; Spain; Organic Preservation; Conventional Landscape Preservation; Conservation; Pilgrimage
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13.
Raleigh, Mary-Jeanne.
Childhood Nature Contact And Its Effect On Adult Coping Skills.
Degree: Ph.D., Antioch New England: Environmental Studies, 2009, Antioch University
► Reported anxiety levels continue to rise, in conjunction with a decrease in…
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▼ Reported anxiety levels continue to rise, in conjunction with a decrease in the depth and breath of coping strategies reported in college populations throughout the United States (Arthur, 1998; Twenge, 2000). Emotional management skills begin development in middle childhood (8-12yrs) and transition into adult coping skills in early adulthood (18-24yrs) (Seifert, 2000). The uses of natural restorative environments for coping may be reinforced during developmental phases in which coping skills are being learned. The development of coping strategies incorporating the use of natural restorative environments maybe contingent on early exposure to the qualities of natural restorative space found in routine nature (nature found in backyards, empty lots, school yards, athletic fields etc). This is a mixed method study, blending qualitative information and quantitative data, exploring the relationship between exposure to nature in childhood and the use of natural restorative environments for coping in adulthood. The key research questions include: Do individuals who report spending time in nature during childhood report spending more time in restorative nature as adults? Do individuals who report utilizing natural restorative environments demonstrate a reliance on active coping skills? Do individuals reporting high contact with nature in childhood and in adulthood report low to moderate trait anxiety? The independent variable in this study is time spent outside during middle childhood. Dependent variables include coping skills, use of restorative environments in adulthood and anxiety levels. A convenient sample of 121 college students from the New England region of the United States completed a series of written assessments focused on nature contact, coping and anxiety, followed by interviews with 9 participants reporting specific trait anxiety levels. Results confirm that young adults who utilize natural restorative environments for soothing were more likely to report spending time in nature during childhood. Participants who report using natural restorative environments for soothing were more likley to report a reliance on active coping skills. Trait anxiety levels were not correlated with nature exposure in childhood. These findings may help create an understanding of the importance of nature contact in the development of positive mental health and effective coping skills.
Advisors/Committee Members: Kaplin, Dr. Beth.
Subjects: Psychotherapy
Keywords: restorative environments; anxiety; coping; childhood nature contact
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14.
Russell, Rowland S.
The Ecology of Paradox: Disturbance and Restoration in Land and Soul.
Degree: Ph.D., Antioch New England: Environmental Studies, 2008, Antioch University
► This heuristic study explores environmental disturbance and ecological restoration in several North…
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▼ This heuristic study explores environmental disturbance and ecological restoration in several North American settings in order to uncover epistemological, philosophical, aesthetic and ethical considerations revolving around those place-based processes. With fire as one of the central metaphors of this work, the initial place-based chapter examines Northern New Mexico's Pajarito Plateau to explore the region's fire ecology. The study then moves to the Pacific Northwest to draw restoration practice that attempt to restore wild salmon to urban Seattle habitat. The third place-based chapter focuses on the Midwest grass and farmlands in order to investigate the seeming contradictions between commodity and diversity in prairie landscapes. In the final chapter, the metaphorical implications of disturbance and restoration are explored in terms of individuals, communities and as a society. In explicating the philosophical and phenomenological foundations of disturbance and restoration, personal experiences are used in the study as examples to develop applied practice of paradox. It also examines and illuminates correspondences between ecological and eco-psychological cycles of disturbance and restoration within the context of paradox, which for the purpose of this work is defined as any place or context where seemingly contradictory elements coexist without canceling each other out. Drawing from place and literary sources, the study seeks to extrapolate a metaphorical correspondence in exterior and interior realms of paradox. The conclusion is that attention to processes of disturbance and restoration in nature can yield wisdom that informs our relationships with our ecological surroundings, our communities, and our individual selves. Furthermore, specific practices can emerge to help humans deal more healthfully and strategically with the complex, divisive issues of our places and times.
Advisors/Committee Members: Thomashow, Mitchell.
Subjects: Environmental science; Geography; Philosophy
Keywords: Ecopsychology; Nature Writing; Environmental Philosophy; Natural History; Enviornmental Literature; Place-based Studies
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15.
Setterlin, Cathy.
Connecting With Nature Through Land Use Decision Making.
Degree: Ph.D., Antioch New England: Environmental Studies, 2008, Antioch University
► This narrative inquiry, which draws on my experience as a land use…
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▼ This narrative inquiry, which draws on my experience as a land use decision maker, environmental educator, and scholar, examines the complexities of our human-nature relationship as we use and protect the life of the land in local communities. I began this research by interviewing seventeen land use decision makers representing a range of land use perspectives in New Milford, Connecticut, focusing on their views of land as a living community, their connections to land, and their sense of duty and responsibility. Their responses led me to further inquiry and drew me into a process that transformed my views of both land use policy and environmental education. This dissertation focuses on four processes: using a narrative approach to address land use conflict in order to better understand differing aspects of our relationship to land; finding new ways to talk about land and land use, drawing on our connections with nature and our awareness of ourselves as part of a larger community; shifting land use conversations from individual interests to our role as citizens in a community in order to gain new perspectives and begin to define land as more than a personal asset; and extending our consideration to resident natural communities as contributing members of our community, while moving towards a relationship with nature that is a conscious and integral part of our land use decision making. I conclude that learning and talking about our relationship with nature is integral to land use decision making as a democratic process. This knowledge and expression enables us to consider what we value about our resident land communities and what interests we will uphold. Otherwise, by default we will continue to make human-oriented land use decisions where the life of the land is ignored. The electronic version of this dissertation is accessible through the OhioLINK ETD center (http://www.ohiolink.edu/etd/).
Advisors/Committee Members: Thomashow, Mitchell.
Subjects: Adult education; American studies; Ecology; Environmental science; Philosophy
Keywords: land use-moral aspects; land ethics; environmental philosophy; human-nature relationship; land use conflict; environmental ethics
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16.
Traviss, Nora M.
INTEGRATION OF ANALYSIS AND DELIBERATION TO EVALUATE BIODIESEL OCCUPATIONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURES.
Degree: Ph.D., Antioch New England: Environmental Studies, 2008, Antioch University
► Many U.S. organizations interested in a renewable and domestic source of energy…
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▼ Many U.S. organizations interested in a renewable and domestic source of energy are considering switching from petroleum diesel to biodiesel blends for transportation and heavy-duty equipment use. Biodiesel is a fuel made from vegetable oils or waste grease. While there is a considerable body of evidence on the negative health effects of petroleum diesel exhaust exposures in occupational and urban settings, there has been little research examining the impact of biodiesel fuel on occupational and environmental exposures. This dissertation combined a collaborative exposure assessment of B20 (20% soy-based biodiesel/80% diesel) at a rural recycling center with a policy intervention to deliberate the results of this analysis and potential policy outcomes. I applied the National Research Council's (1996) analytic-deliberative model to connect the collaborative exposure assessment with a Biodiesel Working Group, which catalyzed policy decisions about the manufacture and use of biodiesel in Keene, NH. Researchers and undergraduate students from Keene State College and employees from the City of Keene Department of Public Works quantitatively estimated diesel and biodiesel exposure profiles for particulate matter (
Advisors/Committee Members: Webler, Thomas.
Subjects: Environmental science; Occupational safety
Keywords: biodiesel, diesel exhaust, exposure assessment, particulate matter, elemental carbon, risk analysis, collaborative research, community based participatory research, deliberation, health effects
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