Research publication - Forests, Trees and Agroforestry

This part introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters. The part describes a theoretical lens to their own long-term engagement in Nepal's community forestry to highlight mechanisms underlying the positive shifts in power in that adaptive collaborative management (ACM) case. It looks at three concepts that help to unpack and explain power imbalances: culturally rooted social and gender identities; dominant beliefs that are internalized and thus taken-for-granted and unnoticed; and political representation. The book discusses the interplay between structure and agency, an interface that can offer clues to how and when ACM can contribute to changing power relations. It argues that employing the processes in theoretically grounded ways can greatly enhance ACM's effectiveness in empowerment.