Formal and local knowledge systems: Differences in Cultural Landscape Perception in Erska and Stora Mellby Parishes

In projects to sustainably develop the countryside by mapping ecosystem services, integration of ’local knowledge systems’ is often an important part. However, there are indicators pointing towards a tendency that local knowledge often is diminished, and is not valued as high as ’formal knowledge’ derived from science and institutions. This threatens the possibility of obtaining sustainable development as well as the conservation of local knowledge systems transferred over generations. To determine the differences between the formal and local knowledge systems, a comparison was made by mapping historical land-use patterns by using historical maps between 1718 and 1890’s. The produced maps were compared to present-day maps to locate areas with long continuity in land-use as potential locations for biodiversity remnants. The maps were used to formulate questions asked to local farmers during a semi structured interview. By applying a norm-critical view, the formal and local knowledge systems were compared. There was an expectation that the result from the interviews would fit in to the result derived from the mapping due to similarities in perception of value. It did not. The farmers did not perceive nature- and cultural heritage landscape values as separated, something the formal knowledge system just have begun to recognize. Instead, value was perceived in the different actions to keep or increase the production value on their estates. The interest in developing ecosystem services on one’s land differed between the farmers, however all of them agreed that to achieve sustainable development, the financial prerequisites for farmers have to be met by other means than submissions. The study shows the necessity for increments of different perspectives if the goal is a sustainable development of the countryside and that a norm-critical perspective may be an aid in future studies and projects.Uppsats för avläggande av filosofie kandidatexamen i Kulturvård, Trädgårdens och landskapsvårdens hantverk, 15 hp, 201