Folkecology and commons management in the Maya Lowlands

Three groups living off the same rainforest habitat manifest strikingly dis tinct behaviors, cognitions, and social relationships relative to the fores t. Only the area's last name Maya reveal systematic awareness of ecological complexity involving animals, plants, and people and practices clearly fav oring forest regeneration. Spanish-speaking immigrant; prove closer to nati ve Maya in thought, action, and social networking than do immigrant Maya. T here is no overriding, "local," "Indian,'' or "immigrant" relationship to t he environment, Results indicate that exclusive concern with rational self- interest and institutional constraints do not sufficiently account for comm ons behavior and that cultural patterning of cognition and access to releva nt information are significant predictors. Unlike traditional accounts of r elations between culture, cognition, and behavior? the models offered are n ot synthetic interpretations of people's thoughts and behaviors,butare emer gent cultural patterns derived statistically from measurements of individua l cognitions and behaviors.