The concept map below depicts the Canadian Harp Seal Hunt from pre-colonial times to the present day:
Map Description: The map is based on a timeline of events in the Harp Seal Hunt that contribute to sustainable and unsustainable value regimes from pre-colonial times to the present. Disconnects in the seal fur market, like market dependence, contributed to the rise of activism through globalization. This led to a sustainable policy process. However, globalization also created policy and power disconnects within the fur market and fostered the increasingly unsustainable practices we see today.
Use the hyperlink to learn more about adaptive cycles.
Case Importance: This case study is important because it shows the impact of the various areas of social science on resilience in environment-society interactions. Economically, it shows how optimization creates negative externalities and can cause the ecosystem to collapse. Politically, it describes the institutional power dynamic in the policy process, which can be both beneficial and detrimental to the system. This same dynamic is evident with the rise of globalization. Psychologically, it shows how significant “framing” is on how we make choices. These social science interactions all contribute to ways in which we can learn from past unsustainable systems when looking towards the future.
References:
Clapp & Dauvergne (2011); Dauvergne (2009); Howarth (2011); Mainelli & Harris (2014); Rosenbaum (2017); Walker & Salt (2006)