The  Center  for  the  Analysis  of  Social  Ecological  Landscapes  (CASEL),  The  Department  of  Anthropology,  and  the  

Department  of  Geography  PRESENT:  

   

NOON, March 30, 2018, Room STUDENT BUILDING 005

 

The Anthropology of Rainforest Destruction Prof. Jeffrey Hoelle

University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB)

The Amazon rainforest is a land of incredible biological and cultural diversity that many consider worthy of protection, yet the forest continues to fall. While we know that a combination of economic factors and governmental policies contribute to these destructive activities, on-the-ground research with groups making land-use decisions helps to better understand the socio-cultural context and logic of deforestation. Drawing on a decade of his anthropological research with large-scale cattle ranchers, settlers, and gold miners in the Brazilian Amazon, Hoelle discusses the beliefs, values, and interests that contribute to destructive behaviors. He explores the strategies that these groups use to elude government surveillance and deforestation regulations, and sheds light on some of the ongoing challenges to more sustainable and just land uses in Amazonia.