Civilizing Nature: National Parks in Global Historical Perspective (Environment in History: International Perspectives, 1)

National parks are one of the most important and successful institutions in global environmentalism. Since their first designation in the United States in the 1860s and 1870s they have become a global phenomenon. The development of these ecological and political systems cannot be understood as a simple reaction to mounting environmental problems, nor can it be explained by the spread of environmental sensibilities. Shifting the focus from the usual emphasis on national parks in the United States, this volume adopts an historical and transnational perspective on the global geography of protected areas and its changes over time. It focuses especially on the actors, networks, mechanisms, arenas, and institutions responsible for the global spread of the national park and the associated utilization and mobilization of asymmetrical relationships of power and knowledge, contributing to scholarly discussions of globalization and the emergence of global environmental institutions and governance. Introduction: Towards a Global History of National Parks / Bernhard Gissibl, Sabine Höhler, Patrick Kupper part I. Parks and Empires Unpacking Yellowstone : The American National Park in Global Perspective / Karen Jones How National Were the First National Parks? Comparative Perspectives from the British Settler Societies / Melissa Harper, Richard White Imperial Preservation and Landscape Reclamation : National Parks and Natural Reserves in French Colonial Africa / Caroline Ford From Colonial Imposition to National Icon : Malaysia's Taman Negara National Park / Jeyamalar Kathirithamby-Wells A Bavarian Serengeti : Space, race and time in the entangled history of nature conservation in East Africa and Germany / Bernhard Gissibl part II. Organizartions and Networks Translating Yellowstone : Early European National Parks, Weltnaturschutz and the Swiss Model / Patrick Kupper Framing the Heritage of Mankind : National Parks on the International Agenda / Anna-Katharina Wöbse Global Values, Local Politics : Inuit Internationalism and the Establishment of Northern Yukon National Park / Brad Martin Demarcating Wilderness and Disciplining Wildlife : Radiotracking Large Carnivores in Yellowstone and Chitwan National Parks / Etienne Benson part III. Nations and Natures A Revolutionary Civilization : National Parks, Transnational Exchanges, and the Construction of Modern Mexico / Emily Wakild Parks without Wilderness, Wilderness without Parks? Assigning National Park status to Dutch Man-made Landscapes and Colonial Game Reserves / Henny van der Windt Globalizing Nature : National Parks, Tiger Reserves, and Biosphere Reserves in Independent India / Michael Lewis Slovenia's Triglav National Park : From Imperial Borderland to National Ethnoscape / Carolin Firouzeh Roeder Epilogue: National Parks, Civilization and Globalization / Jane Carruthers. Contents Figures Abbreviations Acknowledgements INTRODUCTION Towards a Global History of National Parks PART I Parks and Empires CHAPTER 1 Unpacking Yellowstone: The American National Park in Global Perspective CHAPTER 2 How National Were the First National Parks? Comparative Perspectives from the British Settler Societies CHAPTER 3 Imperial Preservation and Landscape Reclamation: National Parks and Natural Reserves in French Colonial Africa CHAPTER 4 From Colonial Imposition to National Icon: Malaysia’s Taman Negara National Park CHAPTER 5 A Bavarian Serengeti: Space, Race and Time in the Entangled History of Nature Conservation in East Africa and Germany PART II Organizations and Networks CHAPTER 6 Translating Yellowstone: Early European National Parks, Weltnaturschutz and the Swiss Model CHAPTER 7 Framing the Heritage of Mankind: National Parks on the International Agenda CHAPTER 8 Global Values, Local Politics: Inuit Internationalism and the Establishment of Northern Yukon National Park CHAPTER 9 Demarcating Wilderness and Disciplining Wildlife: Radio Tracking Large Carnivores in Yellowstone and Chitwan National Parks PART III Nations and Natures CHAPTER 10 A Revolutionary Civilization: National Parks, Transnational Exchanges and the Construction of Modern Mexico CHAPTER 11 Parks without Wilderness, Wilderness without Parks? Assigning National Park Status to Dutch Manmade Landscapes and Colonial Game Reserves CHAPTER 12 Globalizing Nature: National Parks, Tiger Reserves and Biosphere Reserves in Independent India CHAPTER 13 Slovenia’s Triglav National Park: From Imperial Borderland to National Ethnoscape EPILOGUE National Parks, Civilization and Globalization Select Bibliography Notes on Contributors Index "National Parks are one of the most important and successful institutions in global environmentalism. Since their first designation in the United States in the 1860s and 1870s they have become a global phenomenon. The development of this multitude of ecological as well as political systems cannot be understood as a simple reaction to mounting environmental problems, nor can it be explained by the spread of environmental sensibilities. Shifting the focus from the usual emphasis on the National Parks in the United States, this volume adopts an historical and transnational perspective on the global geography of protected areas and its changes over time. It focuses especially on the actors, networks, mechanisms, arenas, and institutions responsible for the global spread of the National Park and the associated utilization and mobilization of asymmetrical relationships of power and knowledge and makes a benchmark contribution to scholarly discussions of globalization and the emergence of both global environmental institutions and governance."--Pub. desc.