Changing Mountain Communities : Between Certainties and Uncertainties

Abstract

This book examines the complex transformations currently affecting mountain communities. Moving beyond simple narratives of modernization or decline, it highlights the diversity and contradictions displayed by the ways in which these communities experience change – moulded by ongoing negotiations over resources, sustainability, tourism, and heritage. The chapters show that certainties and uncertainties are deeply intertwined in mountain life, often shaping each other in unexpected ways. While climate change has become a certainty, social, economic, and political responses remain uncertain, requiring ongoing experimentation. This tension influences how communities construct identities and traditions, offering both comfort and new challenges as they navigate an unpredictable future. Through comparative, ethnographic, and anthropological case studies from Europe and South America, the book explores how people and their environments continuously fashion and transform one another amid ecological, economic, and cultural changes. It offers theoretical perspectives for understanding evolving identities, emotions, and the future of mountain societies.