| Summary: | "Adaptive and inclusive governance, key aspects of steering towards sustainable use of land and water, require cross-cultural and respectful communication. A basic prerequisite is insight into the diversity of ways that people perceive and interact with the rest of nature. This book brings to the fore the significant contributions that anthropological research offers in this respect. The volume not only provides a number of highly interesting and theory-framed cases of the multi-faceted relationships between people and their local environments from various parts of the world, it also stimulates a healthy uncertainty regarding the context and rationale for human actions, which encourages more open-minded approaches in environmental communication and mutual exchange in the search for sustainable solutions." Marie Stenseke, Professor in Human Geography, Deputy Dean of the School of Business, Economics and Law, University of Gothenburg, and Co-chair of IPBES Multidisciplinary Expert Panel "Nature, culture, and people are generally perceived as independent entities in the world around us. The environmental situation presents us with new challenges within the confines of our lives on Earth. Researchers seek an explanation for human societies various strategies, some of which are rooted deeply in the past; they reveal a faith in the value of models linked to heritage in the form of rituals, social relations, and work techniques, as well as adaptations prompted by changes in the landscape and environment. This collection of studies documents the ongoing processes of diversity that are grounded in environmental and cultural differences across the globe, taking the reader from South and North America (Chile, Arizona, Alaska) to Northern and Central Europe (Sweden, Slovakia). The results demonstrate the surprising diversity of historical contexts of place versus environmental constraints, as well as that of life in depopulated regions." Viera Feglova, Emeritus Professor of Cultural Anthropology, Faculty of Social and Economic Sciences, Comenius University, Bratislava "This work is more than a mere collection of case studies. The authors depict worlds where a significant part of life consists in the collective performance of stories about culture and environment. We all, in fact, take part in this performance, together with our fellow players, who participate in processes of knowledge making in varied ways." Josef Kandert, Professor of Social Anthropology, Faculty of Humanities, Charles University, Prague.
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