Environmental Studies

Recently, a heated debate has emerged between advocates of the traditional wilderness concept and those who believe that this concept is merely a cultural construction. The traditional wilderness conception viewed wilderness as an objective place separate from humans that is defined by being primarily shaped by natural forces, possessing natural origins and being free of human inhabitants and structures. This view culminated in the definition of wilderness featured in the 1964 Wilderness Act. A postmodern critique of the traditional wilderness conception began in the 1980s. In this view, the traditional wilderness conception is thought to be a product of Euro-American culture rather than an objective place. This thesis mainly focuses on William Cronon’s argument for the cultural construction of wilderness. The traditional wilderness conception is criticized for two main reasons. First, this conception ignores the historic presence of native people in areas considered wilderness. Second, it does not account for the extent to which native people have managed the land through practices such as prescribed burning. This thesis is an attempt to mediate between Cronon’s cultural constructionist view an