A Critical Biocultural Identity Framework

Abstract

AbstractExtractive capitalism threatens biocultural diversity through the erosion of identity in the Anthropocene. The coastal community of Ketchikan, Alaska, while remote, contends with overtourism and economic dependence on the multinational conglomerate mass cruise industry. Travel restrictions during the COVID-19 lockdown temporarily removed ‘the company’ from the company town identity of Ketchikan. This provided unique research insights into social-ecological impacts and bioregional resilience. Residents of Ketchikan’s greater bioregion provided empirical insights into the industrialization of identity and perceived biocultural impacts through qualitative, semi-structured interviews. This research extends place identity by applying critical ecofeminist-posthumanistic epistemologies that analyze the structural power components of biocultural identities. The findings offer a critical biocultural identity framework comprising nine indicators that serve to substantiate emotions, affect, and sensoryscapes as subjugated knowledges while critiquing the capitalistic colonization of materialisms and the psyche. Future interventions incorporating this framework may inform social science strategies for the conservation of biocultural identity.Keywords: Biocultural identitybioregionconservationecofeminismposthumanismtourism AcknowledgementsThe authors would like to thank the community of Ketchikan, Alaska for sharing their perspectives with the research team. Alaska Native and Ketchikan Indian Community participants did not speak on behalf of their respective nations. This research does not represent the vision, thoughts, or opinions of any sovereign nation. No funding was obtained or utilized.Ethical ApprovalInternal Review Board Approval granted from CSU on June 18, 2021.