{"id":{"repo_id":"vt","oai_identifier":"oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/38766"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/vt/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/38766","repository":{"repo_id":"vt","name":"Virginia Tech","base_url":"https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Constructing the problem of \"slash-and-burn\" agriculture","abstract":"\"Slash-and-burn\" agriculture, or shifting cultivation, is perceived by many to be the leading cause of land degradation in tropical forests. Performed mainly by resource-poor farmers, shifting cultivation is the most widespread form of agriculture in the tropics. Concern over its environmental impacts has led to calls throughout the twentieth century for alternatives by policy-makers and development planners. This study employs a constructivist framework, post-colonial perspectives, and rhetorical methods to understand the images which support such assertions regarding shifting cultivation, primarily in policy-oriented depictions. Elements of Kenneth Burke's \"dramatistic\" method are used, including the analysis of hierarchies which structure discourse, and pentadic analysis.","abstract_html":""Slash-and-burn" agriculture, or shifting cultivation, is perceived by many to be the leading cause of land degradation in tropical forests. Performed mainly by resource-poor farmers, shifting cultivation is the most widespread form of agriculture in the tropics. Concern over its environmental impacts has led to calls throughout the twentieth century for alternatives by policy-makers and development planners. This study employs a constructivist framework, post-colonial perspectives, and rhetorical methods to understand the images which support such assertions regarding shifting cultivation, primarily in policy-oriented depictions. Elements of Kenneth Burke's "dramatistic" method are used, including the analysis of hierarchies which structure discourse, and pentadic analysis.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["O'Brien, William Eugene"],"institution":"Virginia Tech","degree_name":"Ph. D.","degree_level":"doctoral","degree_discipline":"Environmental Design and Planning","degree_department":"Environmental Design and Planning","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":["Browder, John O."],"committee_members":["Grossman, Lawrence S.","Holloway, Rachel L.","Randolph, John","Wisdom, Harold W."],"year":1996,"date_issued":"1996-05-17","date_published":"1996-05-17","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:19:42Z","subjects":["Post-colonialism","Kenneth Burke","Shifting Cultivation","Deforestation","\"Slash-and-burn\" agriculture"],"languages":["en"],"rights":["In Copyright"],"rights_urls":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["etd-07112007-092856"],"render_values":[{"text":"etd-07112007-092856","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/10919/38766","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.committeechair","label":"Committee Chair","values":["Browder, John O."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.committeemember","label":"Committee Member","values":["Grossman, Lawrence S.","Holloway, Rachel L.","Randolph, John","Wisdom, Harold W."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Environmental Design and Planning"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["O'Brien, William Eugene"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2014-03-14T21:15:49Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2014-03-14T21:15:49Z","2007-07-11"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["1996-05-17"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Virginia Tech"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Dissertation"]},{"key":"dc:type.dcmitype","label":"Dc Type Dcmitype","values":["Text"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Environmental Design and Planning"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["doctoral"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Ph. D."]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Post-colonialism","Kenneth Burke","Shifting Cultivation","Deforestation","\"Slash-and-burn\" agriculture"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["en"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["In Copyright"]},{"key":"dc:rights.uri","label":"Rights URI","values":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["etd-07112007-092856"]},{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/38766"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["\"Slash-and-burn\" agriculture, or shifting cultivation, is perceived by many to be the leading cause of land degradation in tropical forests. Performed mainly by resource-poor farmers, shifting cultivation is the most widespread form of agriculture in the tropics. Concern over its environmental impacts has led to calls throughout the twentieth century for alternatives by policy-makers and development planners. This study employs a constructivist framework, post-colonial perspectives, and rhetorical methods to understand the images which support such assertions regarding shifting cultivation, primarily in policy-oriented depictions. Elements of Kenneth Burke's \"dramatistic\" method are used, including the analysis of hierarchies which structure discourse, and pentadic analysis."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["Ph. D."]},{"key":"dc:format.medium","label":"Dc Format Medium","values":["BTD"]},{"key":"dc:format.mimetype","label":"Dc Format Mimetype","values":["application/pdf"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Constructing the problem of \"slash-and-burn\" agriculture"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.committeechair":["Browder, John O."],"dc:contributor.committeemember":["Grossman, Lawrence S.","Holloway, Rachel L.","Randolph, John","Wisdom, Harold W."],"dc:contributor.department":["Environmental Design and Planning"],"dc:creator":["O'Brien, William Eugene"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2014-03-14T21:15:49Z"],"dc:date.available":["2014-03-14T21:15:49Z","2007-07-11"],"dc:date.issued":["1996-05-17"],"dc:description.abstract":["\"Slash-and-burn\" agriculture, or shifting cultivation, is perceived by many to be the leading cause of land degradation in tropical forests. Performed mainly by resource-poor farmers, shifting cultivation is the most widespread form of agriculture in the tropics. Concern over its environmental impacts has led to calls throughout the twentieth century for alternatives by policy-makers and development planners. This study employs a constructivist framework, post-colonial perspectives, and rhetorical methods to understand the images which support such assertions regarding shifting cultivation, primarily in policy-oriented depictions. Elements of Kenneth Burke's \"dramatistic\" method are used, including the analysis of hierarchies which structure discourse, and pentadic analysis."],"dc:description.degree":["Ph. D."],"dc:format.medium":["BTD"],"dc:format.mimetype":["application/pdf"],"dc:identifier.other":["etd-07112007-092856"],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/38766"],"dc:language.iso":["en"],"dc:publisher":["Virginia Tech"],"dc:rights":["In Copyright"],"dc:rights.uri":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"dc:subject":["Post-colonialism","Kenneth Burke","Shifting Cultivation","Deforestation","\"Slash-and-burn\" agriculture"],"dc:title":["Constructing the problem of \"slash-and-burn\" agriculture"],"dc:type":["Dissertation"],"dc:type.dcmitype":["Text"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Environmental Design and Planning"],"thesis:degree_level":["doctoral"],"thesis:degree_name":["Ph. D."],"thesis:institution_name":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:19:42Z"}