Linking Long-Term Changes in Social-Ecological Systems with Development of Property Rights

• Main Authors: Larsson, Jesper, Päiviö Sjaunja, Eva-Lotta
• Format: Book Part
• Language: unknown
• Published: Springer International Publishing 2021
• Subjects: sami
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-87498-8_2; https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/978-3-030-87498-8_2

Abstract The chapter examines the links between long-term changes in social-ecological systems and the development of property rights by studying self-governance, common-pool resources (CPRs), and property rights in a Sami context. The main conclusion is that Sami by and large created their own rules for how natural resources should be harvested and consumed, as well as for how resources should be monitored and rules should be enforced. Well-defined property rights were a prerequisite for people to engage in, and gain profits from, land-use regimes. We conclude that user’s access to natural resources, and rights to use them, determined the households’ economic performance and development. Features of two frameworks are introduced. They give a background to our theoretical thinking and provide a means of organizing the inquiry.