Anatomy of a Conflict: Identity, Knowledge and Emotion in Old-Growth Forests

Terre Satterfield

Anatomy of a Conflict explores the cultural aspects of the fierce dispute between activist loggers and environmentalists over the fate of Oregon’s temperate rain forest. Centered on the practice of old growth logging and the survival of the northern spotted owl, the conflict has lead to the burning down of ranger stations, the spiking of trees, logging truck blockades, and countless demonstrations and arrests.

Satterfield shows how the debate about the forest is, at its core, a debate about the cultural make-up of the Pacific Northwest. At every turn, the reader sees how fully to talk about forests is to talk about culture, whether the discussion is about scientific explanations of conifer forests, activists’ grassroots status and their emotional attachment to the land, or the implications of past people’s land use for future forest management. An engaging ethnographic study, this book emphasizes the historical roots and contemporary emergence of identity movements as a means for challenging cultural patterns. It makes a significant contribution to culture- and identity-driven theories of human action in the context of social movements and environmental studies.

Available from publisher University of British Columbia Press.

Reference: Satterfield, T. (2002). Anatomy of a conflict: Identity, knowledge and emotion in old-growth forests. Vancouver, BC: University of British ColumbiaPress.