Fäbodbruk - “Det magiska mötet mellan natur och kultur” : En fenomenografisk studie om fäbodbruk ur brukarnas perspektiv

Sammanfattning: Summer pasture contributes both to cultural-historical values and to positive effects on biodiversity. However, the usage of the term ”summer pastures” varies and there is no general definition. This lack of definition gives rise to a conflict: Should the summer pasture be preserved for its cultural-historical value by having it look just like before, or should it be preserved for its value in biodiversity? Today, the authorities’ image of summer pasture is what controls which summer pastures and what values are granted financial support. This means that the summer pastures risk being defined and developed on the basis of the authorities' image, not by the image the farmers themselves have, which is based on historical and conservational knowledge. Thus, the purpose of this study is to highlight the use of summer pasture as a phenomenon and an activity from the user's perspective. In order to discover how the farmers themselves view summer pastures, a phenomenographic method is used to analyze interviews of summer pasture farmers with varying backgrounds and activities. The results of the study show that the summer pasture of today varies with regard to the design of the business. The common denominator is the small-scale animal husbandry where summer pasture take place on the outskirts beyond the home farm, to where the farmer moves with the animals during summer. Summer pasture has traditionally never been an economic gain, nor does it provide much today. The farmers are enthusiasts who believe in a higher purpose of what they do. The lack of definition is something that affects them only in their contact with authorities, from where they are only met with ignorance. The farmers believe that the summer pasture have a cultural-historical value, one that also lies in the future with increasing environmental awareness and climate change.