3:30 PM - 5:00 PM
[MZZ43-P02] Expertise of Geopark Guides in the Case of the Toya-Usu Volcano Meisters
Keywords:geopark, geopark guide, expertise, science communication, geostory, narrative
The changing purpose and organization of geoparks in Japan
The Geopark Promotion Council (GPC) established in each geopark is responsible for each geopark’s activities. Within the GPC, researchers occupy an important position because geological dissemination was the main objective of geopark activities. Researchers who were not geopark residents were then regarded as the main authority by stakeholders due to their expertise in geology. This made it difficult for the local community, who were responsible for actual operations, to express their opinions (Otani et al., 2019).
In 2015, when the UNESCO Global Geoparks was launched, the objectives of geopark activities in Japan also changed, including geopark organizations, personnel, and stakeholders. The certification criteria were updated such that it will be inclusive of all regional assets, with geological heritage at the core. An important criterion was also the continued collaboration of the local community to solve local problems that is consistent with sustainable efforts in each geopark.
Increased expectations on the role of geopark guides in collaboration
Geopark guides are professionals and experts who not only guide tourists based on academic knowledge, but also play a role that is deeply involved in educational activities and local conservation.
Not many studies have clarified the "expertise" that geopark guides possess. Geopark guides are certified primarily through the Geopark Guide Assessment organized by the GPC. However, GPC assessors mainly rely on their tacit perceptions on what geopark guides should be – having academic expertise and guiding skills, and also having lived and worked as part of the local community. On the other hand, the geopark guide examinees and trainees also have difficulties in understanding the qualifications required by the geopark guide system.
Analyzing geopark guides' expertise from geostories and narratives
A geostory is a sequence of events used to enjoy geosites more deeply. It includes the formation of the land, the local culture, and the lives of the inhabitants. Geostories therefore contain elements of personal and local narratives. Geopark guides, who have been or are expected to be local residents, inevitably tell their own geostories when guiding at geosites.
This study attempts to clarify the "expertise" required of geopark guides. We will focus on the Toya-Usu Volcano Meister System in the Toya-Usu UNESCO Global Geopark. Analysis will be based on literature review, interviews, and participant observation, with a focus on how geostories develop into geopark guides’ narratives.
We are conducting field surveys in geoparks in Hokkaido since 2022, and are observing collaboration among parties involved. Specifically, we are focusing on the role of geopark guides as links between local residents with local knowledge, and experts with academic expertise and specialized skills.
In science communication, narratives in scientific explanation are important themes (Iwahori et al., 2022). The balance between scientific knowledge and local narratives sought by trainees, and geostories that emerge from reconstructed narratives in guide descriptions may reveal the normative and practical expertise required of geopark guides. We hope that this research will contribute to the improvement of cooperation among geopark stakeholders and to the restructuring of the geopark guide certification system.
References
Otani, R., & Kikuchi, N. (2019). Development of GEOPARK Activities in Japan from the Viewpoint of the Secretariat for the Japanese Geopark Committee from 2005 to 2014. Geoparks and Regional Resources, 4(1), 1-13.
Iwahori, T. (2022). At the Intersection of Multicultural Policy Environment of Latin America and Japanese Experience of Disaster Prevention Workshops. KEIO SFC JOURNAL, 21(2), 144-169.
The Geopark Promotion Council (GPC) established in each geopark is responsible for each geopark’s activities. Within the GPC, researchers occupy an important position because geological dissemination was the main objective of geopark activities. Researchers who were not geopark residents were then regarded as the main authority by stakeholders due to their expertise in geology. This made it difficult for the local community, who were responsible for actual operations, to express their opinions (Otani et al., 2019).
In 2015, when the UNESCO Global Geoparks was launched, the objectives of geopark activities in Japan also changed, including geopark organizations, personnel, and stakeholders. The certification criteria were updated such that it will be inclusive of all regional assets, with geological heritage at the core. An important criterion was also the continued collaboration of the local community to solve local problems that is consistent with sustainable efforts in each geopark.
Increased expectations on the role of geopark guides in collaboration
Geopark guides are professionals and experts who not only guide tourists based on academic knowledge, but also play a role that is deeply involved in educational activities and local conservation.
Not many studies have clarified the "expertise" that geopark guides possess. Geopark guides are certified primarily through the Geopark Guide Assessment organized by the GPC. However, GPC assessors mainly rely on their tacit perceptions on what geopark guides should be – having academic expertise and guiding skills, and also having lived and worked as part of the local community. On the other hand, the geopark guide examinees and trainees also have difficulties in understanding the qualifications required by the geopark guide system.
Analyzing geopark guides' expertise from geostories and narratives
A geostory is a sequence of events used to enjoy geosites more deeply. It includes the formation of the land, the local culture, and the lives of the inhabitants. Geostories therefore contain elements of personal and local narratives. Geopark guides, who have been or are expected to be local residents, inevitably tell their own geostories when guiding at geosites.
This study attempts to clarify the "expertise" required of geopark guides. We will focus on the Toya-Usu Volcano Meister System in the Toya-Usu UNESCO Global Geopark. Analysis will be based on literature review, interviews, and participant observation, with a focus on how geostories develop into geopark guides’ narratives.
We are conducting field surveys in geoparks in Hokkaido since 2022, and are observing collaboration among parties involved. Specifically, we are focusing on the role of geopark guides as links between local residents with local knowledge, and experts with academic expertise and specialized skills.
In science communication, narratives in scientific explanation are important themes (Iwahori et al., 2022). The balance between scientific knowledge and local narratives sought by trainees, and geostories that emerge from reconstructed narratives in guide descriptions may reveal the normative and practical expertise required of geopark guides. We hope that this research will contribute to the improvement of cooperation among geopark stakeholders and to the restructuring of the geopark guide certification system.
References
Otani, R., & Kikuchi, N. (2019). Development of GEOPARK Activities in Japan from the Viewpoint of the Secretariat for the Japanese Geopark Committee from 2005 to 2014. Geoparks and Regional Resources, 4(1), 1-13.
Iwahori, T. (2022). At the Intersection of Multicultural Policy Environment of Latin America and Japanese Experience of Disaster Prevention Workshops. KEIO SFC JOURNAL, 21(2), 144-169.