EXPERIENCES OF PEATLANDS. CULTURAL PERSPECTIVES OF OUR ENVIRONMENT

摘要

How do we relate to our peatlands? The aim of this study was to examine personal, written peatland experiences gathered in writing competition. In these written narratives the authors characteristically tell about their relationship with peatlands. When focusing on subjective experiences, we can see how remarkable role our personal past, especially our childhood, have in a process of giving meanings to our environment. Personal life is tightly connected to prevailing culture, which also determines, for instance, the acceptable methods of exploiting natural resources. Paying attention to values and attitudes concerning peatlands, we can find a consequential difference between the necessary and possible peatlands.