"There is always a reverse of a medal" A narrative approach to area designations, farming and tourism in Geiranger, western Norway

Abstract

This report is a slightly revised version of my master's thesis in Development studies. I approach the interplay between farming and tourism in the Norwegian countryside using narrative and discourse analysis. Geiranger has survived on a combination of farming and tourism for more than a century. However, more recently, the area has been protected as a Landscape Protected Area and obtained World Heritage Status. These designations constitute interesting additional factors affecting the interplay between the sectors. More specifically, I assess the narratives of different actor groups related to the field I am studying. Furthermore, I compare the identified narratives to each other and link them to broader environmental discourses. The study is done within a framework of political ecology.