Customer Reviews

A New Era for Wolves and People: Wolf Recovery, Human Attitudes, and Policy (Energy, Ecology and Environment)

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The contributors to this book are interested in the interactions between people and wolves, as wolf recovery strengthens in both Europe and North America.

One strength of this book is its comparative perspective. The studies suggest at least one large puzzle. In the United States we usually conclude that those who live with wolves are most hostile to them while urban populations romanticize the animal and tend to have the most favorable attitudes. Some European countries, such as France and Poland, may also follow that pattern. In others, urbanites are afraid of wolves (i.e., the British Isles) while rural communities who have always lived with wolves may tolerate them (Spain and perhaps Croatia).

Unfortunately, the book doesn't offer explanations of such patterns. The authors are wolf experts, mostly trained in biology. In their work on wolf recovery, they have discovered that human attitudes about wolves can hinder conservation programs or help them. Understandably, then, these scientists have become interested in the "human dimensions" of wildlife.

The best way to study these human dimensions would presumably be to hire some social scientists. They have not done this, and it shows. Having biologists write about public attitudes and policy design works about as well as having sociologists write about wolf mating behavior. The book does have one chapter on education paper by an educator, and an interesting chapter on public opinion surveys in Europe written by (of all things) a geographer. But that's it.

As a result, basic social science issues - - political psychology, public policy studies, micro and macroeconomics, interest group theory, political institutions - - lie far outside the scope of the book. Standard methodological issues such as survey design, sampling and inference are mostly ignored (though not by the geographer). In short, the contributors don't have the toolbox even to recognize the comparative puzzle mentioned above, much less to explain it.

If you are looking for descriptive studies of public attitudes, factual summaries of wolf conservation policies, and reviews of relevant biological issues, and if you're interested in both Europe and North America, this book will certainly serve your needs. The editors are leading experts, and they have attracted many (but not all) of the other leaders in this field. From an analytical perspective, unfortunately, it demonstrates the limitations of having biologists address social and political topics without including social scientists in the team.

Wolves have been vilified and romanticized, but they are endangered in reality. "A New Era for Wolves and People: Wolf Recovery, Human Attitudes, and Policy" discusses wolves and their current status and relationship with humans in North America and Europe. With much in the way of science to discuss the current status of wolves, "A New Era for Wolves and People" is a worthwhile pick for anyone concerned about the status and future of these wild canines.