scholarly journals Woodlands, Warlords, and Wasteful Nations: Transnational Networks and Conservation Science in 1920s China

2019 ◽  
Vol 61 (3) ◽  
pp. 712-738
Author(s):  
Micah S. Muscolino
Keyword(s):  
Modern Science ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Environmental Knowledge ◽  
Transnational Networks ◽  
Shanxi Province ◽  
Conservation Science ◽  
Global Context ◽  
Conservation Movement ◽  
Transmission Of Knowledge ◽  
Recent Scholarship

AbstractThis article investigates the production of conservation science at nodes of transnational networks of encounter through an examination of field studies conducted during the mid-1920s in North China's Shanxi province by the American forester and soil conservation expert Walter C. Lowdermilk with his student, colleague, and collaborator Ren Chengtong. Even in the politically fragmented China of the 1920s, their research on deforestation, streamflow, and erosion benefited from alliances with Shanxi's regional powerholder, Yan Xishan, and produced environmental knowledge that furthered the agenda of harnessing natural resources to strengthen the state. By paying attention to two-way interactions between Chinese and foreign actors in the construction and transmission of knowledge about nature, the article speaks to the global context of the early twentieth-century conservation movement and adds to recent scholarship that recasts China's encounter with modern science as one of active appropriation, translation, and innovation rather than passive reception.

Transnationalism and Ethnonational Diasporism

2006 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 121-145
Author(s):  
Gabriel (Gabi) Sheffer
Keyword(s):  
The Other ◽  
Transnational Networks ◽  
Transnational Communities ◽  
Recent Scholarship ◽  
The One

This article argues that much recent scholarship devoted to the concept of transnationalism and to the category of transnational communities is misguided. Such scholarship neglects to acknowledge the distinctions between the transnational and the diasporic, in particular the qualities and features of certain ethno-diasporas that set them apart. The article argues that “scholars need on all occasions to acknowledge, first, the difficult work that dispersed entities must conduct in order to persist” and must recognize the very different capacities possessed by, say, Latino or Muslim transnational networks and communities, on the one hand, and Jewish, Armenian, or Indian ethnonational diasporas, on the other. It also affirms that scholars must acknowledge all features of the behavior of such communities, including “the possibility that some members of these entities may be guilty of creating difficulties, unrest, conflicts, [even] terrorism,” which does not mean that scholars need neglect their obligation to emphasize the immense contributions of various dispersions to the economies and cultures of their hostlands.

scholarly journals Insights from two decades of the Student Conference on Conservation Science

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonas Geldmann ◽  
Helena Alves-Pinto ◽  
Tatsuya Amano ◽  
Harriet Bartlett ◽  
Alec P. Christie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Human Impacts ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Biological Data ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Conservation Science ◽  
Global Representation ◽  
Student Projects ◽  
The Tropics ◽  
Lower Income Countries ◽  
Oral Presentations

AbstractConservation science is a crisis-oriented discipline focused on delivering robust answers to reducing human impacts on nature. To explore how the field might have changed during the past two decades, we analyzed 3,245 applications for oral presentations submitted to the Student Conference on Conservation Science (SCCS) in Cambridge, UK. SCCS has been running every year since 2000, aims for global representation by providing bursaries to early-career conservationists from lower-income countries, and has never had a thematic focus, beyond conservation in the broadest sense. We found that the majority of submissions to SCCS were based on primary biological data collection from local scale field studies in the tropics, contrary to established literature which highlights gaps in tropical research. Our results showed a small increase over time in submissions framed around how nature benefits people as well as a small increase in submissions integrating social science. Our findings also suggest that students and early-career conservationists could provide pathways to increased availability of data from the tropics and for addressing well-known biases in the published literature towards wealthier countries. We hope this research will motivate efforts to support student projects, ensuring data and results are published and made publicly available.

Ecological Science in Latin America and the Caribbean

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Megan Raby
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Life Histories ◽  
Modern Science ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Ecological Research ◽  
Forthcoming Article ◽  
Colonial Era ◽  
Latin American History ◽  
The Caribbean

This is an advance summary of a forthcoming article in the Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Latin American History. Please check back later for the full article. Fieldwork in Latin America and the Caribbean has played a major role in the development of the modern science of ecology––the study of organisms’ relationships with each other and the physical environment. Since the colonial era, natural historical knowledge grew and circulated through expeditions and naturalists’ encounters with indigenous and enslaved people’s environmental knowledge. Observations of the life histories, behavior, and geographical distribution of the regions’ species laid the groundwork for the emergence of ecology as a self-conscious discipline during the late 19th century. Major figures in the foundation of ecology were inspired by travel throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, and especially by the large number and variety of species found in rainforests and other tropical areas. The growth of colonial and independent national scientific institutions––including botanical gardens, museums, and geographical surveys––also created important foundations for ecological research, although these were primarily oriented toward agricultural and economic improvement. As field stations specifically devoted to ecological research emerged at the beginning of the 20th century, long-term, place-based studies of living organisms became possible for the first time. Research at such institutions helped to shape key ecological concepts––including the ecological community, ecosystems, and species diversity––and contributed directly to the rise of the biodiversity ideal in conservation. Despite their historic importance, field studies in Latin America and the Caribbean remain significantly underrepresented in ecology today.

Eco-Profetik: Integrasi Pengetahuan Lokal dengan Islam tentang Lingkungan

2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 311
Author(s):  
Harifuddin Halim ◽  
Rasyidah Zainuddin ◽  
Fauziah Zainuddin
Keyword(s):  
Local Knowledge ◽  
Natural Environment ◽  
Modern Science ◽  
Phenomenological Research ◽  
Environmental Knowledge ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Traditional Farming ◽  
Natural Signs ◽  
Depth Interview ◽  
Phenomenological Research Design

Abstract: The Segeri Society has a sacrosanct local knowledge system about animism, dynamism, and Sufism. It is manifested into the cosmological form that put nature and human beings as God's creatures that need each other. Therefore, Segeri people appreciate the natural environment. This research intends to reveal their local knowledge of the environment. The research was categorized into qualitative approach and it employed phenomenological research design. In collecting the data, the researcher utilized in-depth interview techniques and observations. Sources of data research were several informants namely: 'Bissu' that has authority over local belief and knowledge; 'Pananrang' that has authority of knowledge of astronomy; and 'Pallaoruma' who have the authority of knowledge about traditional farming. Local knowledge of Segeri people based on its relation to the natural environment (natural signs) and the non-natural environment (belief). Due to the emerge of Islamic Sufism, this knowledge is acculturated. Therefore, their environmental knowledge contains a sacred value called eco-prophetic. The existence of the value of sacredness in the local knowledge can be an inquiry for the modern science expert in returning the essence of science.الملخص: مجتمع سيجيري لديهم نظام المعرفة المحلية التوقيفية بين الوثنية والدينامية والصوفية. تتجلّى هذه المعرفة في شكل علم الكونيات الذي يضع الطبيعة والبشر كمخلوقات الله التي يحتاج بعضها إلى بعض. فبالتالي فإن مجتمع سيجري يقدرون بعمق البيئة الطبيعية. وبالتالى تهدف هذه المقالة إلى الكشف عن معارفهم البيئة المحلية. لذلك، يتم استخدام طريقة نوعية مع نهج الظواهر. استخدمت الدراسة لجمع البيانات تقنيات المقابلة المتعمقة والملاحظات. ومصادر البيانات البحثية هم المخبرون : "بيسو" الذي لديه سلطة على المعتقدات والمعرفة المحلية ، " باناترانج " الذين لديهم سلطة المعرفة بعلم الفلك، و "بالاروما" الذين لديهم سلطة المعرفة حول الزراعة التقليدية. تعتمد المعرفة المحلية لمجتمع سيجري على علاقتهم بالبيئة الطبيعية ( الاشارات الطبيعية) والبيئة غير الطبيعية ( الاعتقاد ). هذه المعرفة تصبح فريدة من نوعها بعد أن صحبت الصوفية الإسلامية. وبالتالي  فإن معرفتهم للبيئة تحتوى على قيمة مقدّسة بحيث يطلق عليه بالايكولوجية النبوية. وقيمة المقدسة من المعرفة المحلية يمكن أن تكون مادة دراسية لمحبّى العلوم الحديثة في استعادة جوهر  العلم.Abstrak: Masyarakat Segeri memiliki sistem pengetahuan lokal sinkretis antara animisme, dinamisme, dan sufisme. Pengetahuan tersebut terwujud dalam bentuk kosmologi yang menempatkan alam dan manusia sebagai makhluk Tuhan yang saling membutuhkan. Oleh karenanya, masyarakat Segeri sangat menghargai lingkungan alam. Untuk itu, tulisan ini bermaksud mengungkapkan pengetahuan lokal mereka terkait lingkungan. Untuk itu, digunakan metode kualitatif pendekatan fenomenologi. Pengumpulan data menggunakan teknik wawancara mendalam dan pengamatan. Sumber data penelitian adalah informan yaitu: ‘Bissu’ yang memiliki otoritas atas kepercayaan dan pengetahuan lokal; ‘Pananrang’ yang memiliki otoritas pengetahuan ilmu falak; dan ’Pallaoruma’ yang memiliki otoritas pengetahuan tentang pertanian tradisional. Pengetahuan lokal masyarakat Segeri didasarkan pada relasinya dengan lingkungan alam (tanda-tanda alam) dan lingkungan non-alam (kepercayaan). Pengetahuan ini menjadi unik setelah mengalami akulturasi dengan sufisme Islam. Oleh karenanya, pengetahuan lingkungan mereka mengandung nilai sakral sehingga disebut eco-profetik. Adanya nilai sakralitas dalam pengetahuan lokal tersebut dapat menjadi bahan kajian bagi pelaku sains modern dalam mengembalikan esensi ilmu pengetahuan.

Australasian Eagles and Eagle-like Birds

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen Debus
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Food Chain ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Population Status ◽  
Global Context ◽  
Australian Species ◽  
New Information ◽  
Near Threatened ◽  
Antarctic Birds

Eagles are awe-inspiring birds that have influenced much human endeavour. Australia is home to three eagle species, and in Melanesia there are four additional endemic species. A further three large Australian hawks are eagle-like. Eagles, being at the top of the food chain, are sensitive ecological barometers of human impact on the Earth’s ecosystem services, and all of the six Australian species covered in this book are threatened in at least some states (one also nationally). Three of the four Melanesian tropical forest endemics are threatened or near-threatened. In Australasian Eagles and Eagle-like Birds, Dr Stephen Debus provides a 25-year update of knowledge on these 10 species as a supplement to the Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds (HANZAB) and recent global treatises, based partly on his own field studies. Included are the first nest or prey records for some Melanesian species. This book places the Australasian species in their regional and global context, reviews their population status and threats, provides new information on their ecology, and suggests what needs to be done in order to ensure the future of these magnificent birds. Australasian Eagles and Eagle-like Birds is an invaluable resource for raptor biologists, birdwatchers, wildlife rescuers and carers, raptor rehabilitators and zookeepers.

Knowledge in Motion

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pamela H. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Early Modern ◽  
Cultural Practices ◽  
Modern Science ◽  
Modern World ◽  
Early Modern Europe ◽  
Early Modern Science ◽  
Transmission Of Knowledge ◽  
The Hours ◽  
Modern Europe

This chapter focuses on “itineraries of matter,” or objects as traveling carriers of cultural practices and meanings, in the early modern world. It examines the role of red in the transmission of knowledge back and forth among European vernacular practitioners and text-oriented scholars in their production and reproduction of knowledge about natural things. To this end, the chapter takes us to the heat and dangers of vermillion production in early modern Europe: the hours of firing, stirring, stoking, hammering, chemical manipulation, and anxious waiting that produced the red pigments highly valued by painters and illuminators to bring blood to life. Vermillion production was dangerous and exacting, and yet its underlying techniques traveled rapidly across early modern Europe (and beyond) together with the webs of interlinked homologies—an entourage of lizards, blood, gold, alchemical formulas, and vernacular knowledge—which formed the foundations of early modern science.

scholarly journals Influence of Environmental Concern and Knowledge on Households’ Willingness to Purchase Energy-Efficient Appliances: A Case Study in Shanxi, China

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 1073 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guomin Li ◽  
Wei Li ◽  
Zihan Jin ◽  
Zhihao Wang
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficient ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Environmental Concern ◽  
Behavioral Control ◽  
Environmental Knowledge ◽  
Shanxi Province ◽  
Perceived Behavioral Control ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
The Government ◽  
Willingness To Purchase

With the increases in residents’ household energy consumption and carbon emissions, to conserve regional energy and reduce emissions, studying the factors affecting residents’ willingness to purchase energy-efficient appliances and their mechanisms of action is necessary. In this research, based on the theory of extended planned behavior and combined with environmental concern variables and environmental knowledge variables, a model of the factors influencing residents’ willingness to purchase energy-efficient appliances was constructed and an empirical study of urban residents in Shanxi Province, China was conducted. The research indicates that environmental concern, environmental knowledge, attitude, and perceived behavioral control are significantly positively correlated with residents’ willingness to purchase energy-efficient appliances. The influence of subjective norms on the willingness of residents to purchase energy-efficient appliances is not significant; environmental concern and environmental knowledge have a positive impact on attitudes and indirectly affect residents’ willingness to purchase energy-efficient appliances. This study focuses on improvement and research from the perspectives of theoretical expansion, indirect impact test, and analysis of typical underdeveloped energy-rich regions. This study provides corresponding policy suggestions from the perspectives of education and guidance, sales and marketing, and independent improvement for the government, sellers, and residents, to improve the residents’ willingness to purchase energy-efficient appliances.

“But they were never only the master’s tools”: the use of photography in de-colonial praxis

2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 106-113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Celeste Pedri-Spade
Keyword(s):  
Indigenous Peoples ◽  
Natural World ◽  
Colonial History ◽  
Global Context ◽  
Recent Scholarship ◽  
Anthropological Literature ◽  
The Relationship

The majority of anthropological literature around photography of Indigenous peoples has privileged the actions, agency, and intent of the Western photographer. While one cannot ignore the significant colonizing influences that photographs have had on Indigenous peoples, one cannot presume that these individuals were solely the silenced subject or victim in a one-sided, inferior relationship with the camera and its operator. Recent scholarship is now re-examining the relationship Indigenous peoples have had with photography as a culturally productive technology since its development. In this article, I will address the role of photography in a global context as an object and a method of decolonization in two ways: (a) through archived collections of colonial photography and (b) in the production of contemporary photographs by peoples who experience contemporary colonialism. In both of these contexts, I will explore how various populations or communities with a colonial history use photography to confront ongoing legacies of colonialism, particularly in agendas aimed at repairing and reconfiguring relationships with self, family and kin, colonizer, community, and the natural world. Drawing on examples from several countries and locales, I will address the potentials and challenges of reframing Indigenous peoples’ experience of, and relationship with, photography within the context of de-colonial praxis.

scholarly journals Rethinking Disaster Theology: Combining Protestant Theology with Local Knowledge and Modern Science in Disaster Response

Open Theology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 623-635
Author(s):  
Yance Zadrak Rumahuru ◽  
Agusthina Ch. Kakiay
Keyword(s):  
Local Knowledge ◽  
Disaster Response ◽  
Qualitative Method ◽  
Modern Science ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Holistic Approach ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Christian Theology ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Response Strategies

AbstractThe interpretation of disaster through a religious lens has produced diverse theological perspectives regarding disaster. This article seeks to analyze the theology of disaster from a Protestant perspective, which may be combined with local knowledge and modern science to create disaster response strategies. This study is based on field studies and related literature analysis with qualitative method using an ethno science approach to see disaster phenomena in the context of Indonesian society, using primary data and secondary data. This study finds out that within Christian theology and among its followers disasters can be seen as the means through which God glorifies His creation while punishing those who have sinned and abandoned His teachings. It concludes, first, that God – the Creator – shows His love and mercy even through disaster. In the Protestant perspective, God seeks to honor His creation by mercifully creating balance. Second, disaster, as part of a natural cycle, should also be understood through local knowledge and modern science; as such, a holistic approach is necessary to understand and respond to disaster.

Recent Scholarship in Spanish Literature

1968 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 118-124
Author(s):  
Alexander A. Parker
Keyword(s):  
Spanish Literature ◽  
Recent Scholarship
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