Tag: Complexity

Anutan Conservation

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“Anutans might well disappoint the most extreme romantics. They are not preoccupied with conservation for its own sake and are willing to put up with a degree of litter and environmental damage in the interest of short-term convenience and safety, or to fill their stomachs. They, unlike the western conservationist, would gladly see the elimination of all crocodiles and great white sharks. But they are concerned about the long-term productivity of their fishing grounds and gardens, are willing to take forceful measures to protect them, and have a sufficiently centralized political system to enforce those measures…. In short, they recognize that they are living in a complex world where trade-offs are inevitable. They are struggling to understand the trade-offs and to find a balance that will help them meet the challenges of years to come” (Feinberg 2010, p. 52)

Anuta is a small outlying island within the Solomon islands, and has a population of roughly 300 people. This quote from Feinberg (2010) reminds us not to romanticize people who live closely with nature as ‘the noble savage.’ Instead, we must realize that their conservation efforts likely reflect efforts to maintain human well-being. As the world changes around us in many ways, we must learn to adapt our lifestyles to fit unobtrusively into the ecosystems we inhabit while also maintaining high levels human well-being. This indeed can be a complex problem, for small islands and large cities alike.

References:

Feinberg, R. 2010. Marine resource conservation and prospects for environmental sustainability in Anuta, Solomon Islands. Singapore Journal of Tropical Geography 31(1), pp. 41-54.

Tree vs. Rhizome, a Discussion of Networks

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“Networks are not just an omnipresent structure but also a symbol of autonomy, flexibility, collaboration, diversity, and multiplicity. As nonhierarchical models, networks are embedded with processes of democratization that stimulate individuality and our appetites for learning, evolving, and communication. They are, in essence, the fabric of life” (Lima 2011, p. 69).

Trees have been common and potent symbols across cultures and across time. They represent life, well-being and knowledge. However, as some modern day theorists have argued, they also represent centralization, finalism and essentialism (Lima 2011). Their hierarchical structure leaves little room for the complexities of modern day relationships – between species, between ideas, between people and the spaces they occupy. Thus, the philosophers Deleuze and Guatarri (1972) suggest instead the concept of the rhizome. In sticking with a natural theme, rhizomes are the underground stems of plants. They grow multiple shoots that can reach off in many directions, connecting them to other parts of ecosystem. “There are no points or positions in a rhizome, such as those found in a structure, tree or root. There are only lines” (Deleuze & Guatarri 1987, p. 9). In seeing today’s complex world as a rhizome, we understand the multiple networks in which everything is dynamically connected, as opposed to the hierarchical structure in which everything has its due place.

This conversation of networks, while very philosophical, can be useful to anthropologists. In looking at our world as a complex and interconnected network, as opposed to a rigid and pre-determined structure, we can understand the diversity of ways people (and other species) act and inhabit the world. In today’s world of increasing globalization we must think of life as a democratic network and not a hierarchical structure.

If you are interested in these ideas, I suggest watching Manuel Lima’s youtube video “The Power of Networks.”

References:

Deleuze, G. & Guattari, F. 1987. A Thousand Plateaus. B. Massumi (trans.). Minneapolis, MN: Univ. of Minnesota Press.

Lima, M. 2011. Visual Complexity: Mapping Patterns of Information. Princeton, NJ: Princeton Architectural Press.