Participatory mapping and geographical patterns of the social landscape values of rural communities in Zanzibar, Tanzania
Abstract
People attach commonly approved social values subjectively to landscape. These values vary spatially and can be studied in geographical context. In sustainable management of cultural landscapes, social values should be taken into account as professionally as the analysis of physical landscape features. This case study applies participatory and GIS techniques in the mapping and geographical analysis of social landscape values in a multifunctional cultural landscape in Zanzibar island, Tanzania. Social landscape data were collected with single-informant interviews using participatory GIS (PGIS) techniques. Four different social landscape values (subsistence, traditional, aesthetic and leisure) were mapped on an orthophotoimage individually by 149 informants. Data were spatially and statistically analysed to construct understanding of the community level patterns of the social landscape values. Results show geographical differences between individually and collectively held values in their distribution and clustering across the landscape. These patterns reflect local culture and its interpretation of different social landscape values. Results address the importance of local stakeholder participation when spatial planning and management of multifunctional cultural landscapes are realized. The paper discusses these management implication and methodological challenges of using participatory GIS techniques in studying cultural landscapes.Downloads
Published
2009-01-01
Issue
Section
Research Papers
License
Authors who publish with Fennia agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal. The license of the published metadata is Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0).
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a doctoral dissertation or book compilation), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
How to Cite
Fagerholm, N., & Käyhkö, N. (2009). Participatory mapping and geographical patterns of the social landscape values of rural communities in Zanzibar, Tanzania. Fennia - International Journal of Geography, 187(1), 43-60. https://fennia.journal.fi/article/view/3703
.png)



