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Paper short abstract

Various actors rationalise their practices in the forest as forms of care. We explore local forest conflicts through the lens of care practices and argue that both the power dynamics involved and the role of care in constituting the self are at the root of conflicts.

Paper long abstract

This presentation explores local forest conflicts and the broader human-forest relationships they reflect through the lens of care practices. Our research takes a practical approach by facilitating mediated round table discussions to both analyse these conflicts and foster their transformation. Through participant observation and individual go-alongs, we examine how different human actors engage with and actively shape the forest as a social-ecological system.

Drawing on empirical insights from a case study in a low mountain range in Germany, we highlight how different forest-related actors rationalise their practices as forms of care: a forester cares for young oak trees in need of protection, a hiking trail warden cares for self-made benches and shelters, an environmentalist cares for countless lichen species, and a conservation officer cares for the rarities of the forest. We argue that the roots of certain conflicts lie precisely in these care practices.

Adopting a critical care perspective that understands care as non-innocent and deeply ambivalent, we highlight power dynamics by addressing the role of formal hierarchies and institutions, the exclusions these care practices evoke, and the ways in which the actors’ interventions shape the forest. Moreover, we show how these care relationships shape the identities of the human actors. These dynamics, we argue, intensify the conflicts.

At the same time, our empirical material suggests that a care perspective also holds the potential to bridge divides and facilitate dialogue by shedding light on emotions, commitment and commonalities, particularly in conflict settings.