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PDF
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Type:
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Journal Article |
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Author:
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Mathevet, Raphael; Etienne, Michel; Lynam, Timothy; Calvet, Coralie |
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Journal:
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Ecology and Society |
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Volume:
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16 |
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Page(s):
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Date:
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2011 |
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URI:
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https://hdl.handle.net/10535/7585
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Sector:
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Water Resource & Irrigation |
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Region:
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Subject(s):
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consensus
water management
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Abstract:
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"Mental models are the cognitive representations of the world that frame how people interact
with the world. Learning implies changing these mental models. The successful management of complex
social-ecological systems requires the coordination of actions to achieve shared goals. The coordination
of actions requires a level of shared understanding of the system or situation; a shared or common mental
model. We first describe the elicitation and analysis of mental models of different stakeholder groups
associated with water management in the Camargue Biosphere Reserve in the Rhône River delta on the
French Mediterranean coast. We use cultural consensus analysis to explore the degree to which different
groups shared mental models of the whole system, of stakeholders, of resources, of processes, and of
interactions among these last three. The analysis of the elicited data from this group structure enabled us
to tentatively explore the evidence for learning in the nonstatute Water Board; comprising important
stakeholders related to the management of the central Rhône delta. The results indicate that learning does
occur and results in richer mental models that are more likely to be shared among group members. However,
the results also show lower than expected levels of agreement with these consensual mental models. Based
on this result, we argue that a careful process and facilitation design can greatly enhance the functioning
of the participatory process in the Water Board. We conclude that this methodology holds promise for
eliciting and comparing mental models. It enriches group-model building and participatory approaches
with a broader view of social learning and knowledge-sharing issues."
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