Showing papers by "John Law published in 2017"
TL;DR: This paper explored how technoscience works differently in different global locations, and fine case studies have explored post-coloniality in science and technology in different countries. But their focus was on post-colonization.
Abstract: STS is not short of studies on postcoloniality. Collectively the discipline has explored how technoscience works differently in different global locations, and fine case studies have explored postc...
84 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the Deatnu River in northern Norway is considered and the question of how to think about salmon in this river is investigated. And local people are embedded in the study.
Abstract: How to think about salmon in the Deatnu River in northern Norway? Sami local ecological experts and biological modellers respond to this question in quite different ways. Local people are embedded ...
21 citations
TL;DR: A language, a culture, or a thought, in its divergence, furnishes other engagements with (another glimpse of) the unthought as mentioned in this paper. And its fecundity is measured by the power of this engagement and this g...
Abstract: A language, a culture, or a thought, in its divergence, furnishes other engagements with (another glimpse of) the unthought. And its fecundity is measured by the power of this engagement and this g...
17 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a controversy in north Norway and Finland between biological modellers and policymakers on the one hand, and Sami fisherpeople on the other, is explored, where scientists and the policymakers argue that salmon numbers are falling in the Tana (Tana) river as a result of overfishing, and seek to limit fishing.
Abstract: When technoscience and state policy interact with indigenous knowledges and practices they usually do so asymmetrically. Within relations of domination indigenous knowledges are treated as ‘beliefs’ or ‘culture’ whereas technoscience qualifies as ‘knowledge’ or truth. This paper explores one such interaction: a controversy in north Norway and Finland between biological modellers and policymakers on the one hand, and Sami fisherpeople on the other. The scientists and the policymakers argue that salmon numbers are falling in the Deatnu (Tana) river as a result of overfishing, and seek to limit fishing. Local fishermen partially agree, but argue that other factors (and especially the protection of predators) are also crucial. They also resist restrictions being imposed on local (and often Sami) driftnet fishing practices. The paper treats this controversy as epistemological, political and metaphysical, with a particular focus on the last of these. The metaphysical assumptions enacted by technoscience –and in particular its commitments to nature-culture dualism and a singular ‘one-world’ ontology– are explored. These commitments are shown to be absent in Sami practices. It is argued, following other work in postcolonial anthropology, that those embedded assumptions prevent technoscience and policy practices from recognising metaphysical difference, and so allow policymakers and scientists to refuse the possibility that there might be multiple and different worlds. The paper concludes by arguing that if less dominatory relations between science and policy on the one hand, and Sami practices and knowledges on the other, are to be achieved it will be important to attend: (a) to the down-to-earth material practices of knowledge production; and (b) to the significance of metaphysical difference within and between those practices. It will also be important: (c) to create ways of knowing that recognise and enact differences rather than hoping to seek consensus.
6 citations
TL;DR: The body is not a bounded whole: its boundaries leak and bits and pieces of the outside get incorporated within the active body; while the centre of some bodily activities is beyond the skin this article.
Abstract: We all know that we have and are our bodies. But might it be possible to leave this common place? In the present article we try to do this by attending to the way we do our bodies. The site where we look for such action is that of handling the hypoglycaemias that sometimes happen to people with diabetes. In this site it appears that the body, active in measuring, feeling and countering hypoglycaemias is not a bounded whole: its boundaries leak. Bits and pieces of the outside get incorporated within the active body; while the centre of some bodily activities is beyond the skin. The body thus enacted is not self-evidently coherent either. There are tensions between the body?s organs; between the control under which we put our bodies and the erratic character of their behaviour; and between the various needs and desires single bodies somehow try to combine. Thus to say that a body is a whole, or so we conclude, skips over a lot of work. One does not hang together as a matter of course: keeping oneself together is something the embodied person needs to do. The person who fails to do so dies.
3 citations
Journal Article•
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TL;DR: In this paper, a controversy in north Norway and Finland between biological modellers and policymakers on the one hand, and Sami fisherpeople on the other, is explored, where scientists and the policymakers argue that salmon numbers are falling in the Tana (Tana) river as a result of overfishing, and seek to limit fishing.
Abstract: When technoscience and state policy interact with indigenous knowledges and practices they usually do so asymmetrically. Within relations of domination indigenous knowledges are treated as ‘beliefs’ or ‘culture’ whereas technoscience qualifies as ‘knowledge’ or truth. This paper explores one such interaction: a controversy in north Norway and Finland between biological modellers and policymakers on the one hand, and Sami fisherpeople on the other. The scientists and the policymakers argue that salmon numbers are falling in the Deatnu (Tana) river as a result of overfishing, and seek to limit fishing. Local fishermen partially agree, but argue that other factors (and especially the protection of predators) are also crucial. They also resist restrictions being imposed on local (and often Sami) driftnet fishing practices.The paper treats this controversy as epistemological, political and metaphysical, with a particular focus on the last of these. The metaphysical assumptions enacted by technoscience – and in particular its commitments to nature-culture dualism and a singular ‘one-world’ ontology – are explored. These commitments are shown to be absent in Sami practices. It is argued, following other work in postcolonial anthropology, that those embedded assumptions prevent technoscience and policy practices from recognising metaphysical difference, and so allow policymakers and scientists to refuse the possibility that there might be multiple and different worlds. The paper concludes by arguing that if less dominatory relations between science and policy on the one hand, and Sami practices and knowledges on the other, are to be achieved it will be important to attend: (a) to the down-to-earth material practices of knowledge production; and (b) to the significance of metaphysical difference within and between those practices. It will also be important: (c) to create ways of knowing that recognise and enact differences rather than hoping to seek consensus.
2 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors explore an interaction between the technoscience and the politique d'Etat interagissent avec the savoirs and the pratiques autochtones.
Abstract: Lorsque la technoscience et la politique d’Etat interagissent avec les savoirs et les pratiques autochtones, elles le font habituellement de facon asymetrique. Dans les relations de domination, les savoirs autochtones sont traites comme des « croyances » ou des « cultures » alors que la technoscience est qualifiee de « connaissance » ou de verite. Cet article explore une interaction de ce genre, une polemique au nord de la Norvege et de la Finlande entre, d’une part, les modelisateurs biologiques et les decideurs publics et, d’autre part, les pecheurs samis (lapons). Les scientifiques et les decideurs estiment que le nombre de saumons est en baisse dans la riviere Deatnu (Tana) en raison de la surpeche et cherchent a limiter la peche. Les pecheurs locaux sont en partie d’accord avec cela mais ils font valoir que d’autres facteurs (surtout la protection des predateurs) sont egalement cruciaux. Ils s’opposent egalement aux restrictions imposees aux pratiques locales (et souvent samies) de peche au filet derivant. L’article traite cette controverse sur les plans epistemologique, politique et metaphysique, avec un accent particulier sur ce dernier. Les hypotheses metaphysiques actionnees par la technoscience – en particulier ses liens avec le dualisme de la nature-culture et une ontologie singuliere de « monde unique » – sont explorees. De tels liens sont absents des pratiques samies. L’article pretend, en s’appuyant sur des travaux issus de l’anthropologie postcoloniale, que ces hypotheses enchâssees dans la technoscience empechent celle-ci et les pratiques politiques associees de reconnaitre la difference metaphysique et, du coup, permettent aux decideurs et aux scientifiques de refuser la possibilite qu’il puisse y avoir des mondes multiples et differents. L’article conclut que si l’on veut deboucher sur des relations moins dominatrices entre la science et la politique d’une part, et les pratiques et savoirs samis d’autre part, il sera important de s’occuper : (a) des pratiques materielles et terre a terre de production des connaissances ; (b) du sens de la difference metaphysique au sein de et entre ces pratiques. Il sera egalement important : c) d’inventer des manieres de connaitre qui reconnaissent et actionnent ces differences plutot que d’esperer trouver un consensus.