Author Type

Graduate Student

Date of Award

2012

Document Type

Thesis

Publication Status

Version of Record

Submission Date

October 2026

Abstract

In examining the intentional relationship between the conservationist and the shark in South Florida, this thesis considers the latter as both a scarce natural resource - caught up in what Clifford Geertz citing Weber referred to as "webs of significance" (Geertz 1973:5) - and as a reflection of dynamic human conceptions of nature : a meta shark. This complex relationship is described by interpretations of conservation discourse recorded through ethnographic interviews that demonstrate how these perceptions have been influenced by factors such as personal experiences, film and text, and broad changes in the relationship between humans and nature since the early days of the environmental movement. By linking these perceptual changes with changes in American shark conservation policy, this work not only explains a relationship between culture, perception, and policy, but also celebrates the emergence of a multispecies marine community.

Extent

ix, 116 p.

Comments

by Patrick Nason.|Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2012.|Includes bibliography.|Mode of access: World Wide Web.|System requirements: Adobe Reader.|by Patrick Nason.

Identifier

FADT3358755

Format

pdf

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