This small grant for exploratory research studies the cultural models of the disease Pfiesteria Piscicida, which caused lesioned and dead fish in a number of rivers of the eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay. The anthropologist researchers, from the University of Maryland, will interview various sets of stakeholders including farmers, watermen, and environmentalists, to assess their understanding of the disease and of solutions to the problem. The degree to which the models are shared will be determined, and the possibility of facilitating dialogue between the diverse groups will be assessed. Methods will include interviews with 30-50 persons per stakeholder group, using a variety of cognitive anthropology techniques to identify cultural domains. A consensus analysis will be performed on the data to assess the communal nature of the models. Focus groups will be used to enlist the assistance of the respondents in interpreting the results of the data analysis. The study will support the development of cultural analysis in ecological problems, which is important because these problems involve local, regional and global stakeholder groups. At a more specific level the research will contribute to theory and methods that seek to understand the construction of cultural models of environmental problems, and account for the level of consensus among diverse groups for the same environmental problem. This knowledge will help public officials as well as involved groups communicate with each other to resolve their differences.
