Human–Wildlife Conflict or Human–Human Conflict? Social Constructions of Stakeholder Groups Involved in Wildlife Management in Northern Zimbabwe

Abstract

Conflicts between people and wildlife, often termed human–wildlife conflicts, are a global issue that can require complex solutions. However, another significant, frequently overlooked cause for concern within this context is the conflicts that can arise between stakeholders with varying interests, perspectives or goals regarding wildlife management and conservation. Such human–human conflicts can hamper the success of wildlife conservation initiatives outside protected areas. These conflicts frequently serve as proxies for the underlying socioeconomic and political tensions between stakeholders with divergent wildlife management goals. Using a social constructionist approach and a qualitative case study, this study investigates how diverse stakeholders—namely, agriculturalists, conservationists, foragers and safari operators—in Chapoto Ward, northern Zimbabwe, construct images of each other during conflicts over wildlife management. The findings reveal that stakeholder groups socially constructed one another as powerful outsiders, ignorant and inconsiderate, habitat destroyers and poachers, and uncaring, greedy and selfish. These social constructions were driven by differing agendas, beliefs, priorities and values regarding wildlife management, competing land-use activities, and socioeconomic and political interests. This study recommends that wildlife managers develop an objective understanding of the competing constructions of each stakeholder group and incorporate these insights into wildlife management policy and conflict resolution processes.

Keywords

human–human conflict / human–wildlife conflict / northern Zimbabwe / social constructionism

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2025 The Author(s). Integrative Conservation published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG).