The Socio-Political Conceptualization of Serengeti Landscapes in Europe: The Case of Western-Iberia

Abstract

This paper reflects on the socio-political conceptualization of Western Iberia, one of Rewilding Europe’s first pilot areas. By combining social theories related to Politics of Scale and Actor Network Theory, we illustrate how Western Iberia is continuously being negotiated through practices in different sites within / outside its geographical boundaries. We identify five different versions of Western Iberia for illustrative purposes to claim that there is not one Western Iberia but many. We conclude that these multiple versions are contingent and produced in networks of actors, but also limited to unique social and material conditions. Through understanding these socio-political practices, we hope to complement on-going ecological studies that traditionally reflect upon equally important natural processes of rewilding