The Trouble with Wonderlands: Social constructions of nature and the National Parks Service
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Authors
Reckard, Margaux A.
Issue Date
2012
Type
Thesis
Language
en_US
Keywords
Alternative Title
Abstract
Contemporary public discourse often view nature and wilderness as separate from
humans and culture. This dichotomy ignores human relations with natural environment
throughout history, and also ignores the recent anthropogenic effects of climate change.
The purpose of this paper aims to broaden the traditional dichotomy between humans and
nature by reconciling social, historical, and ecological realities. I deconstruct the
terminology for understanding and relating to natural spaces, particularly through
examining how nature and wilderness are socially constructed. One of the t:JlOSt revealing
avenues for understanding wilderness and nature's construction in crossing the nature
versus culture dichotomy is through the history of the National Parks Service and the
history of the United States' westward expansion. Conceptions of wilderness and nature
that developed during the establishment of the Parks underpin current conceptions, so the
Service's history remains relevant.
Much of the recent sociological literature surrounding wilderness attempts to complicate
the dichotomy of nature versus culture; in this paper I aim to continue that effort by using
the history of the National Parks to expose the social constructions of nature and
wilderness. I borrow Henri Lefebvre's idea from The Production of Space that space is
socially produced, creating a lens for viewing nature and wilderness that shapes my
examination of the existing literature surrounding ideas of wilderness, the history of the
National Parks, and relations between the two. In particular, my findings reveal that
Romanticism, the mythic American West, and the quest for nationalism through Manifest
Destiny shape nature and wilderness so that they constitute socially produced space
within Lefebvre's framework. Furthermore, the struggle between conservation versus
preservation paradigms has privileged certain spaces for National Park designation, as
well as prescribed dualistic, separatist ways for Park visitors to relate to nature. In an era
confronting anthropogenic climate change, the dichotomy between humans and nature
constitutes an anachronistic, socially constructed relationship that does not reflect social
or ecological reality. My findings suggest that Park users continue to ascribe to Romantic
notions of nature grounded in nationalism and preservationism. In order to combat
current environmental problems, the Park Service must also confront overly simplistic
ways of relating to nature.
Description
ix, 174 p.
Citation
Publisher
Kalamazoo, Mich. : Kalamazoo College.
License
U.S. copyright laws protect this material. Commercial use or distribution of this material is not permitted without prior written permission of the copyright holder. All rights reserved.