week 8 wt - environment Flashcards
(20 cards)
What is the central concern of environmental anthropology, and why is it newly relevant?
Environmental anthropology examines the complex relationships between humans and their environments, focusing on how societies perceive, use, and transform nature.
Its relevance has surged due to global crises like climate change, which have highlighted the need for anthropological insights into sustainable living, local knowledge, and the social construction of nature.
(Lecture summary; Orlove, “Ecological Anthropology,” 2002)
How do Fairhead and Leach critique developmental narratives about the “original” environment?
Fairhead and Leach argue that development agencies and conservationists often construct a myth of a pristine, “original” environment, blaming local populations for environmental degradation.
Their research in Guinea shows that what was thought to be “forest loss” was actually “forest gain” due to local practices.
This challenges the idea of an untouched nature and exposes the political and social interests behind such narratives.
(Fairhead & Leach, “Misreading the African Landscape,” 1996)
What ethnographic evidence do Fairhead and Leach provide to support their argument?
In Kissidougou, Guinea, Fairhead and Leach found that local farmers had actively created and maintained forest islands, contrary to the narrative that they were destroying forests.
Their detailed fieldwork included oral histories, ecological surveys, and archival research, demonstrating that local knowledge and practices were crucial for landscape management.
(Fairhead & Leach, 1996)
Why do Fairhead and Leach say developmental narratives construct a “fantastical” notion of the environment?
Because these narratives ignore historical and local realities, projecting a static, Edenic past that never existed.
This “fantasy” justifies interventions and policies that often harm local communities and misinterpret their environmental knowledge.
(Fairhead & Leach, 1996; Lecture handout Q1)
In what ways does “functionalism” survive in environmentally concerned social sciences?
Functionalism persists in the idea that societies and their practices are adaptive responses to environmental conditions.
For example, Julian Steward’s “cultural ecology” and later ecological anthropology often treat cultural practices as functional adaptations to ecological constraints, sometimes overlooking power, history, and agency.
(Orlove, “Ecological Anthropology,” 2002; Wolf, “Ownership and Political Ecology,” 1972; Lecture handout Q2)
What is the difference between Cultural Relativism and Perspectivism?
Cultural relativism (Boas, Week 4) holds that cultures must be understood on their own terms, without ethnocentric judgment.
Perspectivism (Viveiros de Castro) argues that different beings (humans, animals, spirits) perceive the world from their own subjective viewpoints, with the body mediating these perspectives.
Perspectivism is not just about cultural difference, but about ontological difference—different worlds, not just different views of the same world.
(Viveiros de Castro, “Cosmological Deixis and Amerindian Perspectivism,” 1998; Lecture handout Q3)
Why is the “body” important in Viveiros de Castro’s analysis of the Nature/Culture dichotomy?
For Viveiros de Castro, the body is the site where perspectives are constituted.
In Amazonian perspectivism, all beings share a common “culture” (interiority) but have different “natures” (bodies).
The body determines how beings perceive and interact with the world, challenging Western dichotomies of nature and culture.
(Viveiros de Castro, “The Transformation of Objects into Subjects in Amerindian Ontologies,” 1998; Lecture handout Q4)
What is the social construction of nature, and how do anthropologists approach it?
The social construction of nature refers to the idea that what counts as “nature” is shaped by cultural, political, and historical processes.
Anthropologists show that “nature” is not a universal category but is produced through specific practices, discourses, and power relations.
(Lecture summary; Fairhead & Leach, 1996; Wolf, 1972)
How does Wolf’s “Political Ecology” critique earlier ecological anthropology?
Wolf criticizes earlier ecological anthropology for treating societies as closed, self-regulating systems.
He introduces political ecology, which emphasizes the role of power, history, and external forces (such as colonialism and capitalism) in shaping human-environment relations.
(Wolf, “Ownership and Political Ecology,” 1972)
What is the Anthropocene, and how does Steffen et al. describe its “Great Acceleration”?
The Anthropocene is a proposed geological epoch marked by significant human impact on Earth’s systems.
Steffen et al. describe the “Great Acceleration” as the post-1950 surge in population, industrialization, and resource use, leading to unprecedented environmental change.
(Steffen et al., “The Trajectory of the Anthropocene: The Great Acceleration,” 2015)
How do indigenous worldviews challenge Western conceptions of nature and society?
Indigenous worldviews, such as those described by Viveiros de Castro, often do not separate nature and society.
Instead, they see humans, animals, and spirits as persons with different perspectives, challenging the Western nature/culture divide and offering alternative ways of relating to the environment.
(Viveiros de Castro, 1998; Lecture summary)
What are the human costs of conservation efforts, according to anthropologists?
Conservation efforts, such as the creation of protected areas, often displace local communities, restrict access to resources, and undermine local livelihoods and knowledge systems.
Anthropologists document these costs and advocate for more just and inclusive approaches. (Fairhead & Leach, 1996; Lecture summary)
How does Ben Orlove describe the evolution of ecological anthropology?
Orlove traces ecological anthropology from early functionalist and adaptationist models (Steward, Rappaport) to more recent approaches that incorporate political economy, history, and the agency of local actors.
He highlights the shift from viewing societies as closed systems to recognizing their embeddedness in larger processes.
(Orlove, “Ecological Anthropology,” 2002)
What is the significance of “local knowledge” in environmental anthropology?
Local knowledge refers to the understandings and practices of people living in specific environments.
Anthropologists show that this knowledge is often sophisticated and adaptive, but is frequently misread or dismissed by outsiders, leading to misguided policies.
(Fairhead & Leach, 1996; Lecture summary)
How do Leach and Fairhead’s findings relate to the concept of “misreading” the landscape?
Their findings show that external experts often misinterpret the environmental history and practices of local people, leading to policies that are not only ineffective but also unjust.
This “misreading” is both a technical and a political act.
(Fairhead & Leach, 1996; Leach & Fairhead, “Misreading the African Landscape,” 1996)
Sources Cited
Fairhead, J. & Leach, M. (1996). Misreading the African Landscape
Viveiros de Castro, E. (1998). “Cosmological Deixis and Amerindian Perspectivism”
Wolf, E. (1972). “Ownership and Political Ecology”
Orlove, B. (2002). “Ecological Anthropology”
Steffen, W. et al. (2015). “The Trajectory of the Anthropocene: The Great Acceleration”
Lecture summary, slides, and handout (AN101, Week 8)
How does the concept of “degrowth” relate to environmental anthropology?
Degrowth is a critique of the idea that economic growth is compatible with environmental sustainability.
Environmental anthropologists engage with degrowth debates by highlighting alternative ways of living and valuing the environment, often drawing on indigenous and local practices.
(Lecture summary; Steffen et al., 2015)
What is the importance of the “body” in Amerindian perspectivism, according to Viveiros de Castro?
The body is not just a biological entity but a site of perspective.
Different bodies (human, jaguar, spirit) perceive the world differently, and these perspectives are not reducible to cultural differences but are ontological.
This challenges the Western separation of nature and culture.
(Viveiros de Castro, 1998)
How do anthropologists critique the “green development” paradigm?
Anthropologists argue that “green development” often reproduces old power dynamics, marginalizes local voices, and imposes external models of sustainability.
They call for approaches that recognize local knowledge, histories, and rights.
(Lecture summary; Fairhead & Leach, 1996; Wolf, 1972)
What is the main lesson from environmental anthropology for addressing climate change?
The main lesson is that effective and just responses to climate change require understanding and engaging with the diverse ways people relate to their environments, valuing local knowledge, and addressing issues of power and inequality.
(Lecture summary; Orlove, 2002; Steffen et al., 2015)
