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Discursive Horizons of Human Identity and Wilderness in Postmodern Environmental Ethics: A Case Study of the Guadalupe Mountains of Texas

Using a genealogy of the narratives of the Guadalupes, I explore three moral identities. The Mescalero Apache exist as caretakers of sacred space. Spanish and Anglo settlers exist as conquerors of a hostile land. The park service exists as captives, imprisoned in the belief that economic justifications can protect the intrinsic value of wilderness. The narrative shift from oral to abstract text-based culture entails a shift from intrinsic to instrumental valuation. I conclude that interpretation of narratives, such as those of the Guadalupes, is not by itself a sufficient condition for change. Interpretation is, however, a necessary condition for expanding the cultural conversation beyond merely instrumental justifications to include caring for wilderness's intrinsic values.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:unt.edu/info:ark/67531/metadc500395
Date05 1900
CreatorsHood, Robert L. (Robert Leroy)
ContributorsOelschlaeger, Max, Hargrove, Eugene C., 1944-, James, George Alfred, 1946-
PublisherUniversity of North Texas
Source SetsUniversity of North Texas
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis or Dissertation
Formatvii, 197 leaves: ill., maps, Text
CoverageUnited States - Texas, United States - New Mexico
RightsPublic, Hood, Robert L. (Robert Leroy), Copyright, Copyright is held by the author, unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved.

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