Changing identities,changing landscapes: human-land relations in transition in the Aspre,Roussillon

Agriculture is no longer the sole or principal activity in many hitherto rural areas, resulting in a redefinition of rural spaces which involves multiple actors and multiple variables, ranging from agriculture to tourism, forestry, nature conservation, landscape and heritage. Nowhere is this land-use conflict more apparent than along the shores and hills of the Mediterranean. This paper explores the changing relationship between society and environment in the Mediterranean arrière-pays of the Aspre, Roussillon. It focuses on the different perceptions of land degradation held by the various actors impacting on this space. In order to glimpse the meanings behind these perception filters, the landscape is positioned within its historical, geographical and socio-cultural context. The study suggests that in the Aspre, we are witnessing a turmoil of changing social identities within changing landscapes, which is misclassified as environmental degradation.