Prologue: a bird's eye view -- A pragmatist theory of morality -- Collector's items and viable means -- Technology comes to the countryside -- Field ornithology and practical bird conservation -- Endangered birds and indicator species -- Bird watching as organizational strategy -- Data power and geographical reference frames -- Conclusion: studying morality
Summary
At the centre of Stefan Bargheer's account of bird watching, field ornithology, and nature conservation in Britain and Germany stands the question of how values change over time and how individuals develop moral commitments. Using life history data derived from written narratives and oral histories, 'Moral Entanglements' follows the development of conservation from the point in time at which the greatest declines in bird life took place to the current efforts in large-scale biodiversity conservation and environmental policy within the European Union. While often depicted as the outcome of an environmental revolution that has taken place since the 1960s, Bargheer demonstrates to the contrary that the relevant practices and institutions that shape contemporary conservation have evolved gradually since the early 19th century
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 275-309) and index
