Poster #6 - Adapting General Strain Theory for Wildlife Crime Prevention: A Case Study from PuMat National Park, Vietnam

• In Event: ASC Poster Session II

Abstract

General Strain Theory (GST) is known for explaining why individuals engage in deviant behavior as a coping mechanism. This study explores how GST links with green crime and harm in protected areas. Using the case of wildlife poaching in Vietnam’s Pu Mat National Park (PMNP), where conservation intersects with rural livelihoods to create embedded harms, we assessed: 1) the applicability of GST; 2) the spatial distribution of strains; and 3) the relationship between strains.
To achieve the objectives, we conducted three fieldwork pulses in 17 rural communities (2023-2024), using mixed methods. A deductive-inductive coding approach and spatial analysis in QGIS were used to analyze data. Select results include the presence of GST core components (strains, negative emotions, illegal behaviour) along with four novel environmental strains: land accessibility, environmental conditions, human-wildlife conflict, and remoteness. Strains were spatially clustered, showing strong interdependencies with other strains, driving vulnerability to conservation crime. This study contributes to theoretical paradigm development by extending and transforming GST through the identification of four novel ecological strains and its application to the context of conservation crime in rural, protected areas in Vietnam.

Authors

• Judith Josephin Rakowski, University of Maryland, College Park

• Elle Jingjing Xu, University of Maryland, College Park

• Dung Tiên Cao, Vinh University, Vietnam

• Trung Cao Tiến, Vinh University, Vietnam

• Dat Trong, Vinh University, Vietnam

• Meredith Gore, University of Maryland, College Park