The
research reported in this paper investigated the role of identity construction
in the emergence and escalation of conflict in the participatory management of
protected areas in Benin. The study shows that social identity salience was
dynamic and played an important role in the emergence and escalation of
conflict in the studied cases. Conflicts emerged when identities became salient
as a result of the stake-holders’
framing of contextual factors as a threat to their identity. The conflicts
escalated when decisions and actions undertaken in the management process were
framed as top-down and as posing a threat to the identities of the
stakeholders. We conclude that, although the government in the management of
the protected areas introduced participation, unilateral decisions taken about
the way the conflicts should be managed caused disappointment and distrust, and
thus led to a greater distance between the parties involved and to conflict
escalation.
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