Department of Anthropology

My main research focus is on collaborative and participatory approaches to the management of natural resources. In this context I particularly look at the impact policies and initiatives of cultural, environmental preservation and sustainable development have in shaping peoples’ relationship with local places and the natural environment. These research activities involve interdisciplinary collaborations, the application of qualitative and quantitative methodologies, and the understanding of the research problems across time and at different scales of analysis, requiring the application of geographic information system and participatory techniques. Other ongoing research focuses on identity of ethnic minorities in protected natural areas in Southern Italy. This research looks at the conditions under which local minorities retain their identity despite demographic and economic decline. I have conducted fieldwork in Italy, the Brazilian Amazon and Scotland; engaged in applied work in Scotland and Indiana. In order to share my work with a wider audience I have published in peer reviewed journals, wrote reports for public agencies and articles for newsletters and magazines.