Beyond the Biophysical argues for an interdisciplinary perspective on agriculture, natural resource management (NRM), and international development practice that extends beyond a purely biophysical orientation. Biophysical interventions succeed or fail not simply on their own merits but within a context shaped by knowledge, culture, and power. The original case studies and conceptual syntheses (from Africa, Asia, and Latin America) analyze some of the challenges and “misadventures” associated with past and current development approaches and practice. They apply contemporary, critical social science to make sense of these realities and offer concrete recommendations for moving beyond them. With them, we hope to make social science theory, the challenges faced by socio-cultural scientists working in arenas dominated by other disciplines, and the potentially unique contributions of social science to agriculture and natural resource management more accessible to biophysical scientists, development practitioners, and those exploring the socio-cultural sciences as a possible career path.
The book is broken into four main sections: (1) an introduction to concepts and the volume; (2) a series of chapters designed to foster a rethinking of common concepts and assumptions in agricultural development and natural resource management; (3) a set of case studies and conceptual overviews on the interface of knowledge, culture, and politics; and (4) a set of chapters on institutional disconnects and innovations to expand institutionalized thinking and practice.
Author(s): Laura German, Ritu Verma, Joshua J. Ramisch (auth.), Laura A. German, Joshua J. Ramisch, Ritu Verma (eds.)
Edition: 1
Publisher: Springer Netherlands
Year: 2010
Language: English
Pages: 301
Tags: Sustainable Development; Anthropology; Sociology, general; Human Geography; Agriculture; Forestry
Front Matter....Pages i-xviii
Front Matter....Pages 24-24
Agriculture, Natural Resource Management, and “Development” Beyond the Biophysical....Pages 1-21
Beyond the Invisible: Finding the Social Relevance of Soil Nutrient Balances in Southern Mali....Pages 25-48
The “Demonization” of Rainforest Migrants, or: What Conservation Means to Poor Colonist Farmers....Pages 49-71
Beyond Biodiversity: Culture in Agricultural Biodiversity Conservation in the Himalayan Foothills....Pages 73-97
Local Knowledge and Scientific Perceptions: Questions of Validity in Environmental Knowledge....Pages 99-125
Front Matter....Pages 128-128
“Opting Out”: A Case Study of Smallholder Rejection of Research in Western Kenya....Pages 129-148
Natural Resource Management in an Urban Context: Rethinking the Concepts of “Community” and “Participation” with Street Traders in Durban, South Africa....Pages 149-166
The Deliberative Scientist: Integrating Science and Politics in Forest Resource Governance in Nepal....Pages 167-191
Common Property Regimes: Taking a Closer Look at Resource Access, Authorization, and Legitimacy....Pages 193-214
Front Matter....Pages 216-216
Innovative Farmers, Non-adapting Institutions: A Case Study of the Organization of Agroforestry Research in Malawi....Pages 217-239
Framing Participation in Agricultural and Natural Resource Management Research....Pages 241-255
Anthro-Apology? Negotiating Space for Interdisciplinary Collaboration and In-Depth Anthropology in the CGIAR....Pages 257-281
Who Is Fooling Whom? Participation, Power, and Interest in Rural Development....Pages 283-294
Back Matter....Pages 295-301
