Graduation Date

Fall 2017

Document Type

Thesis

Program

Master of Arts degree with a major in Social Science, Environment and Community

Committee Chair Name

Matthew Derrick

Committee Chair Affiliation

HSU Faculty or Staff

Second Committee Member Name

Erin Kelly

Second Committee Member Affiliation

HSU Faculty or Staff

Third Committee Member Name

Sarah Ray

Third Committee Member Affiliation

HSU Faculty or Staff

Keywords

Latino, Latina, Spaces, Place, Community gardens, Religion, Latino culture, Environment, Environmentalism, Landscapes, Sense of place

Subject Categories

Geography

Abstract

Culture is often discussed in the content of social behavior but, how culture is spatially linked to landscapes is often overlooked. Points of social and cultural reproduction is not only tied to landscapes, but there are constantly challenged as new cultures are introduced into a space. Latino culture in the United States has, and continues to, reshape America’s landscapes. For purpose of this thesis, the reshaping of landscapes will be observed in a community. This project examines the perception that Latinos avoid participation in a community garden. This perception is not entirely true, as there was one Latina participating. As I engaged with the community for over two years, I recruited an additional six Latino volunteers. The argument is, if we analyze spaces as separate from one another, the actual participation of the Latino community in the garden is overlocked and it overlooks how culture reshapes landscapes. In short, the community garden’s existence is sustained by the activities and (Latinos) culture that occurs in other connected landscapes. Drawing on participant observation, participatory action research, surveys, and interviews, I analyze how intersecting axes of difference in culture influence participation in the garden and how culture shapes place making. To protect the community, I have changed the names of places and of individuals and chose to use the word “Town” to refer to the community of study.

Citation Style

APA

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