Making knowledge and making wilderness: The politics of introducing the social sciences into conservation in the Manu National Park, Perú

Conservation efforts in the UNESCO-listed Manu National Park, Peru, have historically relied on Western ontologies that separate humans from nature, sidelining social sciences. This study reveals how conservation practitioners and organizations often instrumentalize social science tools to reinforce wilderness narratives and portray Indigenous communities as environmental threats. Conversely, critical social science research challenging these colonial notions faces hostility and exclusion from decision-making processes. Despite the potential for reflexive conservation practices that could reshape conservation approaches, their influence remains limited within dominant paradigms.

Salazar Moreira, E. (2026). Making knowledge and making wilderness: The politics of introducing the social sciences into conservation in the Manu National Park, Perú. Journal of Political Ecology, 33(1). https://doi.org/10.2458/jpe.8411