| dc.description.abstract |
"This study forwards a social approach to property regimes; to sets of rules created to access, use, control and manage a resource, in this case reindeer in Norway. As such, it begins with people and their often differing and diverse beliefs, values and interests. Central among the actors involved in reindeer property regimes in Norway are the indigenous Sámi people. Another important actor is the Norwegian state. Examples of the types of claims they make include: a basic necessity - a source of food and warmth; a nuisance; a source of sport; a basis for claiming national sovereignty; a basis for maintaining a living language; a part of nature and a part of the cultural landscape.
"Reindeer property regimes are also affected by actors, such as farmers, pursuing interests to other resources, in this case mainly to land. Overlapping interests in land and in reindeer have historically often come into conflict. Contestation and struggle affects property regimes. One result is that the sets of rules introduced with respect to access, use, control and management of reindeer are complex; they include not only diverse rights, but also diverse obligations. This is not only the obligations of others to respect the rights of an 'owner', but also obligations for the claimant to care for the animals, to compensate those negatively affected and finally to consider the interests of future generations. In addition to rights and obligations we also find constraints to both.
"Different actors pursue their diverse beliefs, values and interests by aligning with others in different decision-making arenas. There have consequently come to be multiple, overlapping and changing institutions where reindeer property regimes are but one of a number of rule regimes (and underlying interests). Rather than one clear hierarchical set of rules, there is a politics of property to determine who gets what and how much, and concerning how resources can and will be used. We will see that while the Sámi have joined and actively collaborate with international arenas championing indigenous rights, the Norwegian Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Environment each create their own sets of rules to regulate and manage Norway's reindeer. Farmers also align with their own interest groups to legitimize and justify their interests. The resultant politics underlies that property regimes are not isolated from other types of rule regimes: the market is but one central arena determining reindeer property regimes.
"In order to capture this full story, I have chosen to present the story of the creation and recreation of reindeer property regimes as I have found them to be: messy and complex - yet also providing order. At any particular point in time, these rule regimes have provided structure to the choices and interactions of the strategic agents involved.
"The paper proceeds with a description of the methodological approach of my study. It is followed by a presentation of examples chosen to illustrate: multiple and diverse actors, including the state; the complexity of property regimes including both rights and obligations; the overlapping of rule regimes and the resultant politics of property. The story is told chronologically to also demonstrate the importance of history in the evolution of property regimes. This is followed by a discussion of the implications of the findings with respect to the general study of creation and change of property regimes." |
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