To address the pressing issues on natural resources management (NRM), the concept of community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) was introduced. CBNRM is a strategy wherein a certain community is given the responsibility to manage their resources in a sustained way.

Guided by four research paradigms, the research designs were carefully analyzed in terms of the main purpose of study/framework, research strategy, sample of persons/materials studied, and methods for data collection and analysis. The four paradigms used were positivism/neo-positivism, interpretivism, critical theory, and participatory action research.

Positivism is commonly known as the scientific method thus studies have clearly defined objectives and pre-specified methods. It seeks to present partial explanations on CBNRM and describes the overview of a class of situations. Meanwhile, neo-positivism gives more importance to knowledge from the human senses about observable reality rather than other forms of knowledge. Thus, it is useful for studies seeking to assess impacts, describe management, and analyze participation.

Interpretivism is a research constructed through social interactions of the researcher with his or her subject. For example, researchers document the practices of indigenous people in fishing. In these types of research, results are distinct and detailed but limited only to the subjects of the study. This paradigm works best when the objective is to describe an organization or a community.

Critical theory is designed to promote change by looking into the structure, conditions, and inter-relationships of stakeholders in a specific community. Research creates knowledge implying a plan of action that can be used to empower people and change their social conditions. Studies conducted under critical theory mostly aim to analyze and appraise the processes within a community.

Lastly, participatory action research generates action and gleans lessons from problems on NRM. The studies are action oriented involving the active participation of both the community members and researchers in the pursuit of practical solutions to problems. If a study aims to organize community and undertake policy research and enforcement, this model would be very useful.

Each paradigm has its own inherent strengths and weaknesses. The multi-disciplinary nature of CBNRM allows complementation of the four models. CBNRM benefits from the individual contributions of studies guided by different paradigms. In this way, people can see the bigger picture and appreciate the need to develop more frameworks and methods designed to address problems relating to NRM. (Ranell Martin M. Dedicatoria, KMU)

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¹ Paper presented by Dr. Corazon Lamug, College of Arts and Sciences, University of the Philippines Los Baños during the Agriculture and Development Seminar Series(ADSS) titled A Critique of the Social Research Designs of Studies on Community-Based Natural Resource Management, 8 April 2008