Making Sense of Cultural Landscapes

This chapter is based on the premise that there is a close interdependence between the environment and the people living in a given area. Firstly, the environment directly influences human societies by providing the resources necessary for survival; at the same time, however, people also influence nature and the landscape, altering and transforming them in their efforts to secure the resources necessary for their livelihood. These actions are reflected in the practices that give rise to specific human activities, which people learn and pass on through the cultural transmission of local community values, that is, through local heritage. This chapter, which also explores the complex relationship between the individual and the community, illustrates how cultural values are linked to a territory and how they also contribute to ensuring social cohesion amongst community members. By focusing on the methodologies used in the study of landscape, the chapter has shown that it is best studied from an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary perspective. This joint approach would help us best understand the factors underlying the creation of the landscape, linking the natural landscape to the culture of local communities, as well as their historical, economic and political contexts.