Findings in commons literature, represented by Ostrom (1990), have been applied practically to development policy determination in the name of community-based natural resource management (CBNRM). To put a great emphasis on the effectiveness of property rights regime, CBNRM requires definitions of clear boundaries of natural resources themselves and of who are the appropriators for them. However, applying of CBNRM to Mongolia raises social and psychological problems, which were discussed in this paper. First, with reference to the history of laws and principles of land management in Mongolia, we suggested that a serious conflict occurs in the pastoralist’s societies between the norms of reciprocity that underlie in their societies and the notion of clear boundaries required by CBNRM. Second, based on the social identity theory, we claimed that commons studies with the notion of boundaries underestimate the social influence processes which may affect social cognition and behavior of the group members, even if a given boundary seems trivial. Delineated boundaries may have threatened the social system which is based on the extensive cooperative behavior through generalized exchange, as seen in the pastoral societies in Mongolia. Finally, we proposed more effective guidelines for designing rules and institutions.

View full abstract