Social Science Speaker Series
You Can’t Eat Ethics:
INGOs and Social Mechanisms of Instrumental
Hunting Governance
The expanded connections among people, organizations,
and governments worldwide has introduced new governance problems, especially in managing people and
goods across borders and in standardizing management
practices within borders of any given place. This is especially true with regards to environmental conservation.
International non-governmental organizations (INGOs)
have been helpful in addressing these problems, however they often fall short of fulfilling this important role.
One issue is particularly helpful for demonstrating these
global environmental governance challenges: hunting.
Revenue from hunting can provide incentive for people
to monitor and protect threatened animals from poachers, but often this does not work in practice. There are
many reasons for why this varies, most likely because
of different environmental values among stakeholders,
yet these reasons remain largely unexplored and different values remain unreconciled by INGOs (tasks that are
Nels Paulson, PhD
typically expected from them). Through an analysis of
Assistant Professor of Sociology
several environmental INGOs, I found that processes of
Social Science Department
University of Wisconsin-Stout
a certain form of globalization explained by world polity theory (often referred to as ‘global rationalism’) has
been a primary limitation to INGOs’ abilities to address
Nels Paulson is an assistant professor of sociology at University
problems surrounding sustainable hunting management. I
of Wisconsin-Stout. His research generally addresses global
civil society and the environment. More specifically, he studies will discuss the dynamics of global rationalism and why
the ways in which INGOs may work with other stakeholders to mechanisms that produce a world polity also may actuprotect the planet in a more equitable, efficient, and effective
ally allow some opportunities for INGOs to do a better
manner. Of particular interest are contradictions and paradoxes
job at addressing the role of hunting in conservation.
that exist in how civil society actors attempt to improve people’s
livelihoods and our ecosystems, as well as how these may or
may not be resolved.
Monday February 15, 2010
6pm-7pm
Memorial Student Center Maplewood Room
For more information please contact:
Georgios Loizides
loizidesg@uwstout.edu