Teel, Manfredo: An Enduring Colonial Legacy has a Global Effect on Human Values Toward Wildlife

Описание: Tara L. Teel, Michael J. Manfredo
An Enduring Colonial Legacy has a Global Effect on Human Values Toward Wildlife / Trajna kolonialna zapuščina globalno vpliva na človeške vrednote do divjih živali

One of the most significant historical forces affecting current values toward animals around the world was the intense wave of colonization emanating from Western Europe, and beginning in the late 1400s. The imperialistic drive arising from competition among European powers completely reshaped the world in just four hundred years. We examine how these colonial origins have shaped, and had a lasting effect on, human thought about wildlife in the Americas, and the institutions of wildlife management more globally. Using data from a 2021-2023 survey of over 20,000 residents in 36 countries, we explored this question through an investigation of cross-cultural differences in present-day values toward wildlife. We focused on countries of Euro-American origin, not only because of the direct implications for the lands, peoples, and biodiversity of those countries, but also because the prevailing institutions of science and practice emerging from Euro-American (Western) countries have provided the normative foundation for conservation worldwide. Findings reveal that the colonization of Latin America by the countries of the Iberian Peninsula fostered mutualism values toward wildlife, while the colonization of North America by Great Britain and northern Europe fostered domination values. Whereas domination values view animals as resources to be used for human benefit, and to be eliminated if they are problematic, mutualism values see animals as having rights like humans and belonging to part of one's social community. Our findings further suggest that these cross-country value differences are linked to differences inherent in Protestant versus Catholic religious cultures and societies. Importantly, the prevalence of mutualism versus domination values in a country is strongly associated with preferred ways that wildlife should be managed. For example, in mutualism-oriented countries, we found less support for the lethal removal of wildlife species involved in various human-wildlife conflict situations (e.g. crop damage, vehicle collisions, zoonotic disease, attacks on pets/livestock, attacks on humans). The wildlife management profession is currently in a period of transition motivated by recognition of the diversity of wildlife values across the world, as well as by long-term research showing a rise in mutualism values in North America. In addition to showcasing the overall results of this global effort, we will highlight findings that depict the sociocultural context of wildlife conservation in Slovenia.