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<br /> <br />F <br /> <br />N <br /> <br />o <br /> <br />G <br /> <br />s <br /> <br />INSIDE <br /> <br />11re &ciD/lmpocJ Assessment MmuJate . . . . . 2 <br />Taiing the Opportrmity to Self-Assess. . . . . . . 3 <br />Researc1rers as Facilitators <DId Menton. . . . 4 <br />UlrCOW!rlrtg the Value of Place . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 <br />Mokitrg Conversation. . . . . . . . .. . . . . . .. .. 5 <br />11re Vahle of Civi<: Science .. . . .. . . .. . .. . . 5 <br /> <br />Issue twenty-six J august 2000 <br /> <br />ccs~ ~thet WCo/ We-'thlNtJc.,~. JJ <br />Lewis Thomu <br /> <br />COMMUNITY, KNOW THYSELF: CARING ABOUT PLACE <br /> <br /> <br />A Community self-assessment and other applications of civic science help inregra,e scientific <br /><DId community-held knowledge. <br /> <br />.C~ ~Jhand,~ <br />pr'lUt'LCe4> CUId- ~~tM.t <br />~t:he-~wor~ doe4- <br />t1Ct"p~ i4df n.eutm.l.o/ or <br />witJvorw-\1oic&.. ~ w n.c-priNv- <br />l.eged-~ n.c-~ <br />pe.r~ n.c-fi.nal,~. <br />Rablnow and Sullivan. 'The Interpretive Reader' <br /> <br />Rarely would we. in describing our favorite <br />places. call on census data or county statis- <br />ties or other numbers-based demographies. <br />For our places are our contexts. We are <br />our stories. Life itself is anecdotal. <br /> <br />. And yet. here we are at the end of the <br />20th century. with all that we know about <br />people and how they relate to each other <br />and to place, still following the same lock- <br />step formalized process to conduct social <br />assessments: laments Linda Kruger. "The <br />abstract generalized data collected lead to <br />places becoming simply real estate. natural <br />resources becoming recognized only for <br />their commodity values, and people <br />becoming simply a Job or a salary." <br /> <br />To avoid these outcomes and assist <br />resource managers in working with <br />communities. some social researchers are <br /> <br />As sentient beings, we all have special <br />and particular places that hold a <br />great deal of meaning for us. <br />Whether we still live there, have come to <br />love where we live, or dream aiways of the <br />hearths we left behind, we can name those <br />places that elicit our deepest attachments. <br />And, if asked. we gladly tell stories about <br />them. <br /> <br />IN SUM'if A flY <br />TradltiiJMJscfeJitl)ic.asSe8$1IIents <br />hM! Iitrlita~trs inprovid;ng.jfJfJ <br />u1ll./entandfj,$ofth~potet4iol <br />, ','/'\-,: '.. ....,..-.-. .., <br />i1llfiaC:tsfi"pt1!'anagenreitt boson <br />comimmitiiil.lJiIch oftheiinowledge <br />CQlrimunitie$ht,tve of themselves is <br />inacce&nble.to tjuantit(,lffvetrlethods <br />but can be prrJvided through partici- <br />patory.proceases; or what is termed <br />"civic science. '; Selj-asse&smeitt by <br />canummities. social scit!ntists at <br />PNWResearoh Station theorized. <br />would contribute ",ore richly to the <br />unders141lmng of comtrlUf/ities. <br />factors tllatinfluence the capacity <br />ofa community to atlapt to external <br />change. and the relationship commu- <br />nities have with forests. In the White <br />Pass area ofsouthwest Washington. <br />they PUt their theories to the te&t. <br />A participatory process resulted that <br />benefited the community. the individ- <br />uals involved. and the agency that <br />used the results of the asse&strlent. <br /> <br />~ ,~'\j (c,~ <br />C~~ ~~t3 <br />~~~~~ ~\~ <br />~c~:~~ tvcik~ ~ KlJ ~ <br />C}GJrlil~ilA~~ ~ 2""i~ ~ <br />-=rY\~VY\~ Wv-~. -&coSLS tt~(t~ <br />(o/V\. Y\{\ 0 V\ d.. a-:; ~ ~ 2 bJ 26 () S <br />~ ~ o;.,~.\D ~ ~~Q(S <br />. ~"~\J<1A ~~9MaJ.'.(~ <br />