UVM Theses and Dissertations
Format:
Print
Author:
Derrien, Monika M.
Dept./Program:
Natural Resources
Year:
2012
Degree:
MS
Abstract:
How do ethnic and cultural communities "see" nature around them? In the case of immigrants, to what extent do their visions of landscapes correspond to dominant cultural constructions of place in their new homelands? Furthering research on ethnicity, displacement, outdoor recreation, and sense of place, this research considered those questions in a case study of Bosnian immigrants to Vermont. The thesis was framed by three questions: a) How do Bosnian immigrants in Chittenden County use Vermont's natural areas for leisure and recreation purposes?; b) How do Bosnian immigrants talk about their impressions and uses of nature in Vermont?; and c) To what extent does Vermont's natural environment contribute to the sense of place held by individual immigrants? To answer these questions, qualitative interviews were conducted with members of the local Bosnian community, and transcripts were analyzed using content, thematic, and narrative analyses.
Content analysis showed that participants engaged in mainly close-to-home social outdoor recreation activities, such as playing bocce, gardening, and walking. Most activities extended personal interests developed earlier in their lives in Bosnia. The thematic analysis revealed three themes: Vermont landscapes seen as familiar, unfamiliar, and missing; the re-creation of Bosnian traditions, particularly productive and symbolic gardening and gathering practices; and the interaction with nature as part of daily life. Narrative analysis explored the ways in which stories about the natural world were used in constructing senses of place that shaped identity and lived experience, often by comparing uses of nature and natural features in former and new homes. The journal article based on this research focuses specifically on the narrative analysis, and compares the sense of place narratives to dominant discourses about the meaningful qualities of place in Vermont. This research has utility for understanding how sense of place discourses are manipulated across discourse communities. These findings are relevant to research on immigrant communities, and also support the use of stories in understanding how people and communities construct place.
Content analysis showed that participants engaged in mainly close-to-home social outdoor recreation activities, such as playing bocce, gardening, and walking. Most activities extended personal interests developed earlier in their lives in Bosnia. The thematic analysis revealed three themes: Vermont landscapes seen as familiar, unfamiliar, and missing; the re-creation of Bosnian traditions, particularly productive and symbolic gardening and gathering practices; and the interaction with nature as part of daily life. Narrative analysis explored the ways in which stories about the natural world were used in constructing senses of place that shaped identity and lived experience, often by comparing uses of nature and natural features in former and new homes. The journal article based on this research focuses specifically on the narrative analysis, and compares the sense of place narratives to dominant discourses about the meaningful qualities of place in Vermont. This research has utility for understanding how sense of place discourses are manipulated across discourse communities. These findings are relevant to research on immigrant communities, and also support the use of stories in understanding how people and communities construct place.