Cross-cultural environmental research in New Zealand: Insights for ecological economics research practice

a r t i c l e i n f o Indigenous cultures and knowledge systems have been virtually ignored by Ecological Economics theory and practice, in spite of the increasing willingness of indigenous peoples to engage in the holistic and integrative research that ecological economists aspire to. This paper draws on the involvement of ecological economists in cross-cultural research in New Zealand, to distill insights on how ecological economists can usefully and legitimately engage with indigenous peoples in environmental research. The main bodies of western ecological knowledge are reviewed and compared with indigenous knowledge, illuminating the main similarities, differences and challenges. This leads into a broader analysis of how these different 'knowledge systems' can be mobilised to provide cross-cultural environmental research of practical use to indigenous peoples. Accordingly , principles, characteristics, and structures of applied cross-cultural environmental research are discussed , not as a prescriptive template but as suggestions for future researchers. We conclude that Ecological Economics is well placed to embrace the perspectives and frameworks of indigenous and western knowledge systems. We strongly assert, however, that methodological pluralism needs to be practiced, not just preached. Ecological economists need to resist 'knowledge imperialism' and even 'knowledge integration' (except where appropriate), which has sometimes been the case in the recent Ecological Economics literature. Many Ecological Economics scholars advocate that this field needs to take stronger account of 'social, political, ethical, institutional and cultural factors', as well as biophysical and economic factors (Ropke, 2005; Spash, 2009). Indeed, in the opening session of the recent ISEE Conference, for example, the ISEE President John Gowdy (2010) encouraged the audience to step back from the western economic system, to take a longer term view, not to ignore the social context, and to learn from other human societies. In spite of these pleas, however, rarely in Ecological Economics is much serious attention given to indigenous cultures and knowledge. One could be forgiven for thinking that Ecological Economics is confined to frameworks derived from 'western culture'. Even less is written on how ecological economists can or should engage with indigenous peoples. Norgaard (1989, 2001) and O'Hara (2001), in their critical appraisals of Ecological Economics, are examples of the few in the Ecological Economics literature who have even recognised the need to engage in cross-cultural research and communication. This is despite the fact that the majority of the world's population and many of the emergent sustainability problems …