| Natural resource management
is often based on the best available information from
the natural sciences. However, most important natural
resource management challenges have a significant social
and economic dimension. Despite growing recognition
of the importance of ‘human factors,’ it
has been difficult to connect natural resource managers
to experts in social and interdisciplinary science.
Over the last decade, the International
Symposium on Society and Resource Management (ISSRM)
has become a major forum for the exchange of research,
experiences, and innovative solutions in this field.
The ISSRM 2007 will be held in Park
City, Utah, from June 17-21, 2007.
If you have never attended an interdisciplinary academic
conference, consider having this be your first experience.
Like many academic conferences, researchers and students
present their research. Unlike many others, private
consultants, state and federal agency staff, nonprofit
actors, and many others also come together to discuss
ideas and learn from the latest science and one another’s
experiences.
Because of the location, a particular effort
will be made to highlight local Western issues, such
as the social, economic, and environmental effects of
recent energy development, landscape changes associated
with amenity-oriented development, and challenges faced
by resort towns and gateway communities. The international
character of the meeting ensures a stimulating discussion
of the similarities and differences associated with
working across diverse countries and regions of the
world.
More broadly, ISSRM is the premier scientific
meeting for academic and government researchers, students,
federal and state land managers, and NGO representatives
who are interested in the human dimensions of natural
resources and the environment.
Participating disciplines include sociology,
psychology, anthropology, political science, economics,
landscape architecture, environmental planning, outdoor
recreation management, history, and the natural sciences.
Most attendees are committed to interdisciplinary scientific
collaboration. This year’s conference in Park
City has been organized by several social science departments
at Utah State University.
To get a feel for the types of work presented
at this meeting, you can also search last year's (2006)
ISSRM website database for examples of sessions, papers
& abstracts on specific themes. To do this, go here.
In addition to the core meeting, a variety of special
events have been scheduled before, during, and after
the symposium. These include:
• A Student Forum,
held the weekend before the main symposium on the Utah
State University campus in Logan, Utah. This forum will
provide graduate and undergraduate students with a chance
to discuss career opportunities in resource management
and social sciences, learn presentation skills, work
on their resumes, and network with peers. For students
attending the main conference, the student forum will
only cost $20.
• A Social Impact Assessment Training
Course, held for two days after the end of
the Symposium. The SIA workshop provides training and
formal certification in this critical and increasingly
important skill. (Additional fees apply).
• A Participatory Teaching Workshop,
focused on developing and sharing university-level teaching
resources on topics related to the social aspects of
natural resource management. Registration is required,
but this workshop is free and will take place on Sunday
afternoon before the conference.
• An evening Career Fair during
the symposium. Potential employers of interdisciplinary
students are encouraged to come share their opportunities.
If you are interested in reserving a space, please contact
us for more information.
Plenary speakers for ISSRM
2007 include Brent Haglund of the Sand
County Foundation, and Pati Ruiz Corzo,
a community conservationist from Mexico. Both will share
impressive and energized stories of successful work
at the interface of conservation, landscapes, and community
development.
Dr. Douglas Jackson-Smith is an Associate Professor
of Sociology at Utah State University in Logan, Utah.
His teaching and research interests include the role
of social sciences in natural resource management, land
use transitions at the rural/urban fringe, and the social
and economic dynamics of change in farming and ranching
communities. |
