ABSTRACT
In Chapter 7, ‘Transformation, diversification, partnerships: the case of the Sarnen commoners’ organisations (Canton Obwalden)’, Karina Liechti discusses transformational change in four different commoners’ organisations. She shows that these commoners’ organisations have not only adapted to a changing societal, political and economic environment but have transformed themselves in order to remain important players in the local context. She points out that due to the diverse structures of the four corporations, they are more or less resilient or vulnerable to change. Transformation processes, for example, require, among other things, the reproduction and adaptation of ideology in order to reproduce legitimacy. Legitimisation pressures differ between corporations that have significantly changed their economic base on the one hand, and those whose main economic base comprises “traditional” resources on the other. By acting collectively and by positioning themselves as reliable partners, the Sarnen corporations are providing locally adapted and grounded means of dealing with contemporary ecological and societal challenges.
