Book Review
Participative approaches for landcare: Perspectives, policies, programs
Shankariah Chamala and Ken Keith (eds)
ISBN: 1-875375-13-08 1995 312 pages Australian Academic Press, Brisbane
Stewart Lockie
Professor of Sociology, Research School of Social Sciences, Australian National University, Canberra
Frank Vanclay
Rural Sociology, Tasmanian Institute of Agricultural Research, University of Tasmania, TAS
This is the third book in a series, all of which result from work funded by the National Landcare Program and its precursor funding body, the National Soil Conservation Program. The book gets an endorsement from Bob Collins as Minister for Primary Industries and Energy. Unlike the other two books in the series - Chamala & Mortiss (1990) Working Together for Landcare, and Mortiss & Chamala (1991) Group Management Skills for Landcare - both of which had a very practical focus aimed at community groups, landholders, trainers and group leaders, this book is directed more to ‘professionals in environmental care programs'.
It is an edited book, consisting of 17 essays on various aspects of Landcare written by a wide range of authors. These include; contributors to this edition of Rural Society (Sarah Ewing), academics such as Brian Roberts (see above), NFF representative Philip Eliason, Landcare identifies such as Rob Youl, ex ABC identity Jane Stapleton, and more. Because of the diverse coverage and the range of views presented, the book is interesting reading. Different people will get different things out of the various chapters, which vary from well researched theoretical discussions, to uncritical ex cathedra statements.
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