ABSTRACT
One of the central issues in modern anthropology is the need for theoretical approaches which deal with the complex dynamics of industrialized societies, in which there are multiple subcultures and ‘contexts’ of social being. This chapter proposes that, concretized in material culture, embedded in cultural landscapes, and promulgated by internal cultural forms, these values create a particular mode of environmental interaction, and maintain a trajectory of cultural adaptation which is specific to each group. The case study is drawn from ethnographic research in Mitchell River catchment in Far North Queensland. The watershed contains diverse groups, whose levels of mobility and ‘rootedness’ differ considerably. With the primary industries in the region faltering, tourism has become one of Queensland’s most profitable industries. The pastoralists see the Mitchell River Watershed Catchment Management Group partly as a political platform, but also hope that it will help them gain financial assistance, ostensibly for dealing with ecological problems, but in reality to provide more general subsidies.
