abstract: Over the past two decades there has been much discussion surrounding the potential of zoos as conservation institutions. Although zoos have clearly intensified their rhetorical and programmatic commitment to conservation (both ex situ and in situ), many critics remain skeptical of these efforts. This study was comprised of two parts: 1) an investigation of the general relationship between U.S. zoological institutions and the conservation agenda, and 2) a more specific single case study of conservation engagement and institutional identity at the Phoenix Zoo. Methods included extensive literature review, expert interviews with scholars and zoo professionals, site visits to the Phoenix Zoo and archival research. I found that the Phoenix Zoo is in the process of consciously creating a conservation-centered institutional identity by implementing and publicizing various conservation initiatives. Despite criticism of the embrace of conservation by zoos today, these institutions will be increasingly important agents of biodiversity protection and conservation education in this century. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Biology 2014
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:asu.edu/item:27377 |
| Date | January 2014 |
| Contributors | Love, Karen Elizabeth (Author), Minteer, Ben (Advisor), Kinzig, Ann (Committee member), Collins, James (Committee member), Arizona State University (Publisher) |
| Source Sets | Arizona State University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Masters Thesis |
| Format | 84 pages |
| Rights | http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/, All Rights Reserved |
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