Eviatar Zerubavel
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780195187175
- eISBN:
- 9780199943371
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195187175.003.0001
- Subject:
- Sociology, Culture
The famous fourteenth-century Castilian story about a Moorish king duped by three swindlers into believing that a dazzling new suit they are supposedly weaving for him is somehow invisible to any ...
More
The famous fourteenth-century Castilian story about a Moorish king duped by three swindlers into believing that a dazzling new suit they are supposedly weaving for him is somehow invisible to any person of illegitimate birth was famously retold by Hans Christian Andersen, who basically kept it intact. “The Emperor's New Clothes” illustrates evocative commentary on social life. Denial is a product of individual and collective efforts. Conspiracies of silence are clearly socially patterned as the quintessential public manifestation of denial. Embarrassment, pain, fear, and shame can produce silence. Silence and denial involve active avoidance. The “elephant in the room” is metaphorically evocative of any object or matter of which everyone is definitely aware, yet no one is willing to publicly acknowledge. This book highlights the distinctly generic properties of conspiracies of silence. An overview of the chapters included in it is given in this chapter.Less
The famous fourteenth-century Castilian story about a Moorish king duped by three swindlers into believing that a dazzling new suit they are supposedly weaving for him is somehow invisible to any person of illegitimate birth was famously retold by Hans Christian Andersen, who basically kept it intact. “The Emperor's New Clothes” illustrates evocative commentary on social life. Denial is a product of individual and collective efforts. Conspiracies of silence are clearly socially patterned as the quintessential public manifestation of denial. Embarrassment, pain, fear, and shame can produce silence. Silence and denial involve active avoidance. The “elephant in the room” is metaphorically evocative of any object or matter of which everyone is definitely aware, yet no one is willing to publicly acknowledge. This book highlights the distinctly generic properties of conspiracies of silence. An overview of the chapters included in it is given in this chapter.
Eviatar Zerubavel
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780195187175
- eISBN:
- 9780199943371
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195187175.003.0004
- Subject:
- Sociology, Culture
This chapter describes the sociological perspective of co-denial. Co-denial assumes mutual avoidance. As the foremost expression of co-denial, silence is a collective endeavour, and it involves a ...
More
This chapter describes the sociological perspective of co-denial. Co-denial assumes mutual avoidance. As the foremost expression of co-denial, silence is a collective endeavour, and it involves a collaborative effort on the parts of both the potential generator and recipient of a given piece of information to stay away from it. The “double wall” of silence was originally theorized by psychologist Dan Bar-On. Walls of silence are often more than double, since the number of those who participate in such conspiracies is by no means limited to two. Moreover, the structural features of social relations and social situations are explained. Silent bystanders act as enablers. The intensity of silence is influenced not only by the number of people who conspire to maintain it, but also by the length of time they manage to do so. “Elephants” usually grow with time, their figurative size hence reflecting their age.Less
This chapter describes the sociological perspective of co-denial. Co-denial assumes mutual avoidance. As the foremost expression of co-denial, silence is a collective endeavour, and it involves a collaborative effort on the parts of both the potential generator and recipient of a given piece of information to stay away from it. The “double wall” of silence was originally theorized by psychologist Dan Bar-On. Walls of silence are often more than double, since the number of those who participate in such conspiracies is by no means limited to two. Moreover, the structural features of social relations and social situations are explained. Silent bystanders act as enablers. The intensity of silence is influenced not only by the number of people who conspire to maintain it, but also by the length of time they manage to do so. “Elephants” usually grow with time, their figurative size hence reflecting their age.
Eviatar Zerubavel
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780195187175
- eISBN:
- 9780199943371
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195187175.003.0005
- Subject:
- Sociology, Culture
This chapter emphasizes the collaborative nature of conspiracies of silence, illustrating how each conspirator's actions are symbiotically complemented by the others'. Breaking a conspiracy of ...
More
This chapter emphasizes the collaborative nature of conspiracies of silence, illustrating how each conspirator's actions are symbiotically complemented by the others'. Breaking a conspiracy of silence involves acknowledging the presence of the elephant in the room, by making the elephant's presence part of the public discourse. Publicity critically acts in preventing and counteracting denial. Like silence itself, breaking it is a collaborative endeavor that involves an entire social system. For a conspiracy of silence to actually end, there ultimately need to be no more conspirators left to keep it alive. The situation of being in a minority and facing the majority's pressure to maintain a conspiracy of silence becomes more pronounced as the number of conspirators increases. Conspirators of silence may try to actively divert attention away from silence breakers or ask everybody around to “move on” and not “dwell on” the elephants they exposed.Less
This chapter emphasizes the collaborative nature of conspiracies of silence, illustrating how each conspirator's actions are symbiotically complemented by the others'. Breaking a conspiracy of silence involves acknowledging the presence of the elephant in the room, by making the elephant's presence part of the public discourse. Publicity critically acts in preventing and counteracting denial. Like silence itself, breaking it is a collaborative endeavor that involves an entire social system. For a conspiracy of silence to actually end, there ultimately need to be no more conspirators left to keep it alive. The situation of being in a minority and facing the majority's pressure to maintain a conspiracy of silence becomes more pronounced as the number of conspirators increases. Conspirators of silence may try to actively divert attention away from silence breakers or ask everybody around to “move on” and not “dwell on” the elephants they exposed.
Eviatar Zerubavel
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780195187175
- eISBN:
- 9780199943371
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195187175.003.0007
- Subject:
- Sociology, Culture
This chapter explores the costs considered for the benefits of conspiracies of silence. Silence is not just a product, but also a major source, of fear (which also explains why it impedes the ...
More
This chapter explores the costs considered for the benefits of conspiracies of silence. Silence is not just a product, but also a major source, of fear (which also explains why it impedes the recovery of persons who have been traumatized). One often needs to discuss the undiscussables that help produce it in the first place in order to overcome fear. Conspiracies of silence may lead to loneliness. They produce problems not only for individuals. Indeed, many of those problems are unmistakably social. It is noted that the deeper the silence, the thicker the tension that builds around it. Conspiracies of silence enable the prevention of confrontation, and consequently the clarification of problems. Ironically speaking, it is precisely the effort to collectively deny their ubiquitous presence that makes “elephants” so big.Less
This chapter explores the costs considered for the benefits of conspiracies of silence. Silence is not just a product, but also a major source, of fear (which also explains why it impedes the recovery of persons who have been traumatized). One often needs to discuss the undiscussables that help produce it in the first place in order to overcome fear. Conspiracies of silence may lead to loneliness. They produce problems not only for individuals. Indeed, many of those problems are unmistakably social. It is noted that the deeper the silence, the thicker the tension that builds around it. Conspiracies of silence enable the prevention of confrontation, and consequently the clarification of problems. Ironically speaking, it is precisely the effort to collectively deny their ubiquitous presence that makes “elephants” so big.
Andrew Bell
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199242344
- eISBN:
- 9780191714092
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199242344.003.0005
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, European History: BCE to 500CE
This chapter considers the importation of megalomaniacal majesty into the Roman Republic. Over time, kingly conceit became more conspicuous in Rome, and particularly at times of communal festivity. ...
More
This chapter considers the importation of megalomaniacal majesty into the Roman Republic. Over time, kingly conceit became more conspicuous in Rome, and particularly at times of communal festivity. In contrast to the manner in which the behaviour of kings such as Philadelphus or Epiphanes is remembered, there is rather more information in Roman sources about the sentiments of the urban audience, as is seen in reports about the employment of animals in order to advertise personal greatness.Less
This chapter considers the importation of megalomaniacal majesty into the Roman Republic. Over time, kingly conceit became more conspicuous in Rome, and particularly at times of communal festivity. In contrast to the manner in which the behaviour of kings such as Philadelphus or Epiphanes is remembered, there is rather more information in Roman sources about the sentiments of the urban audience, as is seen in reports about the employment of animals in order to advertise personal greatness.
Gardner Brown
- Published in print:
- 2000
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199240708
- eISBN:
- 9780191718106
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199240708.003.0012
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
This chapter attempts to explain why and in what circumstances a precipitous rate of decline in the stocks of natural capital is not, by itself, a cause for concern. Many problems related to optimal ...
More
This chapter attempts to explain why and in what circumstances a precipitous rate of decline in the stocks of natural capital is not, by itself, a cause for concern. Many problems related to optimal use of wildlife and habitat can be addressed by better design of property rights systems so that ‘owners’ have an incentive to exclude others. Such property right systems can gradually lead to tradable quotas whereby price can generate revenue for conservation efforts. The chapter uses examples of African wildlife areas and the scope for using mixed strategies where ‘owners’ keep both cattle and game. From an economic analysis vantage point, it is argued that game and cattle interact on both demand and supply sides. Some of the benefits of wildlife viewing are illustrated with the cases of Lumpinee Park in Thailand and Korup National Park in Cameroon.Less
This chapter attempts to explain why and in what circumstances a precipitous rate of decline in the stocks of natural capital is not, by itself, a cause for concern. Many problems related to optimal use of wildlife and habitat can be addressed by better design of property rights systems so that ‘owners’ have an incentive to exclude others. Such property right systems can gradually lead to tradable quotas whereby price can generate revenue for conservation efforts. The chapter uses examples of African wildlife areas and the scope for using mixed strategies where ‘owners’ keep both cattle and game. From an economic analysis vantage point, it is argued that game and cattle interact on both demand and supply sides. Some of the benefits of wildlife viewing are illustrated with the cases of Lumpinee Park in Thailand and Korup National Park in Cameroon.
Allan Gotthelf
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- January 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780199287956
- eISBN:
- 9780191738296
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199287956.003.0008
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Ancient Philosophy, Philosophy of Science
This chapter explores the complexity of the axiomatic structure of Aristotelian biological explanation, building on the work of the previous chapter. Using Aristotle's explanatory account of the ...
More
This chapter explores the complexity of the axiomatic structure of Aristotelian biological explanation, building on the work of the previous chapter. Using Aristotle's explanatory account of the distinctive features of the elephant's trunk in Parts of Animals II.16, it is shown that these distinctive features are explained not from a single essential feature of the elephant, but from some seven basic features (which together perhaps constitute the essence of an elephant), when these features are taken along both with teleological principles and with principles pertaining to the material available to make the trunk. It is observed further that as one builds a sub‐science of elephants, in which all the common features of elephants are to be explained, the structure is immensely complicated; any diagram of that structure would need (at least) a third dimension, to capture the fact that explanation takes place at various levels of generality.Less
This chapter explores the complexity of the axiomatic structure of Aristotelian biological explanation, building on the work of the previous chapter. Using Aristotle's explanatory account of the distinctive features of the elephant's trunk in Parts of Animals II.16, it is shown that these distinctive features are explained not from a single essential feature of the elephant, but from some seven basic features (which together perhaps constitute the essence of an elephant), when these features are taken along both with teleological principles and with principles pertaining to the material available to make the trunk. It is observed further that as one builds a sub‐science of elephants, in which all the common features of elephants are to be explained, the structure is immensely complicated; any diagram of that structure would need (at least) a third dimension, to capture the fact that explanation takes place at various levels of generality.
Paul Waldau
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780195145717
- eISBN:
- 9780199834792
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195145712.003.0005
- Subject:
- Religion, Buddhism
Three groups of socially and cognitively complex nonhuman animals are discussed: elephants, cetaceans (whales and dolphins), and nonhuman great apes (gorillas, orangutans, bonobos, and chimpanzees). ...
More
Three groups of socially and cognitively complex nonhuman animals are discussed: elephants, cetaceans (whales and dolphins), and nonhuman great apes (gorillas, orangutans, bonobos, and chimpanzees). These are assessed in terms of a constellation of general characteristics that lead to rich social relationships among complex individuals, which in turn leads to ethical importance or considerability. The limits of epistemology and sociology of knowledge regarding factual realities are analyzed. The central place of language in ethical debates is assessed.Less
Three groups of socially and cognitively complex nonhuman animals are discussed: elephants, cetaceans (whales and dolphins), and nonhuman great apes (gorillas, orangutans, bonobos, and chimpanzees). These are assessed in terms of a constellation of general characteristics that lead to rich social relationships among complex individuals, which in turn leads to ethical importance or considerability. The limits of epistemology and sociology of knowledge regarding factual realities are analyzed. The central place of language in ethical debates is assessed.
Paul Waldau
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780195145717
- eISBN:
- 9780199834792
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195145712.003.0008
- Subject:
- Religion, Buddhism
Examining the common view that Buddhism is sensitive to nonhuman animals, this chapter concludes that the tradition has an ambivalent view of existence as a nonhuman animal, and that early Buddhists ...
More
Examining the common view that Buddhism is sensitive to nonhuman animals, this chapter concludes that the tradition has an ambivalent view of existence as a nonhuman animal, and that early Buddhists were often very derisive and dismissive of the realities of nonhuman animals. Despite the central place of animal stories and their important emphases on continuity and compassion and the ethical achievements obvious in the First Precept (do not harm), recognizable harms to even the most complicated nonhuman animals, such as elephants, were deemed to be humans’ prerogatives under the moral order. The notion of “speciesism” illuminates features of how mainline Buddhism has come to understand the place of other animals even though there are subtraditions and important ethics‐based attitudes that do not easily fit the description “speciesist.”Less
Examining the common view that Buddhism is sensitive to nonhuman animals, this chapter concludes that the tradition has an ambivalent view of existence as a nonhuman animal, and that early Buddhists were often very derisive and dismissive of the realities of nonhuman animals. Despite the central place of animal stories and their important emphases on continuity and compassion and the ethical achievements obvious in the First Precept (do not harm), recognizable harms to even the most complicated nonhuman animals, such as elephants, were deemed to be humans’ prerogatives under the moral order. The notion of “speciesism” illuminates features of how mainline Buddhism has come to understand the place of other animals even though there are subtraditions and important ethics‐based attitudes that do not easily fit the description “speciesist.”
Clapperton Chakanetsa Mavhunga
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- September 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780262027243
- eISBN:
- 9780262326155
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- The MIT Press
- DOI:
- 10.7551/mitpress/9780262027243.003.0001
- Subject:
- Sociology, Science, Technology and Environment
In this prologue, the poaching of elephants in Zimbabwe is discussed. In September 2013, “poachers” had massacred more than ninety elephants in one stroke in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe's largest ...
More
In this prologue, the poaching of elephants in Zimbabwe is discussed. In September 2013, “poachers” had massacred more than ninety elephants in one stroke in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe's largest game reserve. The massacre occurred at a saltpan inside the game reserve, adjacent to villages in the Pelandaba area of rural Tsholotsho. What shocked the government was not only the numbers killed at once, or that these were ordinary people in villages along the national park's boundaries doing it, but also the “sophisticated” technology they were using. For more than a century, the government had come to associate “poaching” with the traditional wire snares and firearms. There had also been sporadic cases in which villagers laced oranges and watermelons with agricultural pesticides to kill rhinos, and sometimes elephants, but these methods targeted individual animals, not entire herds. This time the poachers use cyanide, which destroys indiscriminately and en masse. The ivory is smuggled out of the country and sold in Asia and the Middle East for around US$17,000 per tusk.Less
In this prologue, the poaching of elephants in Zimbabwe is discussed. In September 2013, “poachers” had massacred more than ninety elephants in one stroke in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe's largest game reserve. The massacre occurred at a saltpan inside the game reserve, adjacent to villages in the Pelandaba area of rural Tsholotsho. What shocked the government was not only the numbers killed at once, or that these were ordinary people in villages along the national park's boundaries doing it, but also the “sophisticated” technology they were using. For more than a century, the government had come to associate “poaching” with the traditional wire snares and firearms. There had also been sporadic cases in which villagers laced oranges and watermelons with agricultural pesticides to kill rhinos, and sometimes elephants, but these methods targeted individual animals, not entire herds. This time the poachers use cyanide, which destroys indiscriminately and en masse. The ivory is smuggled out of the country and sold in Asia and the Middle East for around US$17,000 per tusk.
Charles R., Jr. Ault
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- January 2017
- ISBN:
- 9781501704673
- eISBN:
- 9781501705861
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Cornell University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7591/cornell/9781501704673.001.0001
- Subject:
- Biology, Evolutionary Biology / Genetics
Thinking whimsically makes serious science accessible. That's a message that should be taken to heart by all readers who want to learn about evolution. This book invites readers into serious ...
More
Thinking whimsically makes serious science accessible. That's a message that should be taken to heart by all readers who want to learn about evolution. This book invites readers into serious appreciation of Darwinian histories by deploying the playful thinking found in children's books. The book weds children's literature to recent research in paleontology and evolutionary biology. Inquiring into the origins of origins stories, the book presents three portraits of Charles Darwin—curious child, twentysomething adventurer, and elderly worm scientist. Chapters focusing on the origins of tetrapods, elephants, whales, and birds explain fundamental Darwinian concepts with examples of fossil history and comparative anatomy. The imagery of the children's story offers a way to remember and recreate scientific discoveries. By juxtaposing Darwin's science with tales for children, the book underscores the importance of whimsical storytelling to the accomplishment of serious thinking. Darwin mused about duck beaks and swimming bears as he imagined a pathway for the origin of baleen. A “bearduck” chimera may be a stretch, but the science linking not just cows but also whales to moose through shared ancestry has great merit. By calling attention to surprising and serendipitous echoes between children's stories and challenging science, the book demonstrates how playful thinking opens the doors to an understanding of evolutionary thought.Less
Thinking whimsically makes serious science accessible. That's a message that should be taken to heart by all readers who want to learn about evolution. This book invites readers into serious appreciation of Darwinian histories by deploying the playful thinking found in children's books. The book weds children's literature to recent research in paleontology and evolutionary biology. Inquiring into the origins of origins stories, the book presents three portraits of Charles Darwin—curious child, twentysomething adventurer, and elderly worm scientist. Chapters focusing on the origins of tetrapods, elephants, whales, and birds explain fundamental Darwinian concepts with examples of fossil history and comparative anatomy. The imagery of the children's story offers a way to remember and recreate scientific discoveries. By juxtaposing Darwin's science with tales for children, the book underscores the importance of whimsical storytelling to the accomplishment of serious thinking. Darwin mused about duck beaks and swimming bears as he imagined a pathway for the origin of baleen. A “bearduck” chimera may be a stretch, but the science linking not just cows but also whales to moose through shared ancestry has great merit. By calling attention to surprising and serendipitous echoes between children's stories and challenging science, the book demonstrates how playful thinking opens the doors to an understanding of evolutionary thought.
Arupjyoti Saikia
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780198069539
- eISBN:
- 9780199081240
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198069539.003.0007
- Subject:
- History, Indian History
This chapter discusses the redefinition of term ‘conservation’ which is extended not only to game reserves but also to the wildlife. In the nineteenth century, the conservation of forest landscapes ...
More
This chapter discusses the redefinition of term ‘conservation’ which is extended not only to game reserves but also to the wildlife. In the nineteenth century, the conservation of forest landscapes was hampered by wild animals. While Assamese revered wild animals, the colonial government eradicated them to forward and expand its agrarian frontier. Although forest conservation was one of the policies of the government, the conservation of wildlife was often ignored. The wildlife conservation was a later phenomenon and came only after a proper understanding of the importance of wildlife in native society. Since 1905, colonial rules and non-colonial personnel took active interest in protecting the wildlife. And in 1990s onwards, active and staunched protection of wildlife was given prominence in the vernacular press of India. Among the issues discussed herein are zoology, wildlife crime, privileged hunting, elephant hunting, and the contemporary practices in the wildlife preservation.Less
This chapter discusses the redefinition of term ‘conservation’ which is extended not only to game reserves but also to the wildlife. In the nineteenth century, the conservation of forest landscapes was hampered by wild animals. While Assamese revered wild animals, the colonial government eradicated them to forward and expand its agrarian frontier. Although forest conservation was one of the policies of the government, the conservation of wildlife was often ignored. The wildlife conservation was a later phenomenon and came only after a proper understanding of the importance of wildlife in native society. Since 1905, colonial rules and non-colonial personnel took active interest in protecting the wildlife. And in 1990s onwards, active and staunched protection of wildlife was given prominence in the vernacular press of India. Among the issues discussed herein are zoology, wildlife crime, privileged hunting, elephant hunting, and the contemporary practices in the wildlife preservation.
Madhav Gadgil and Ramachandra Guha
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- January 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780198077442
- eISBN:
- 9780199082155
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198077442.003.0002
- Subject:
- Sociology, Science, Technology and Environment
Agricultural-pastoral people spread over the Indian subcontinent in many phases. Hunting-gathering, along with shifting cultivation, dominated all the moister tracts of this region. The pattern of ...
More
Agricultural-pastoral people spread over the Indian subcontinent in many phases. Hunting-gathering, along with shifting cultivation, dominated all the moister tracts of this region. The pattern of resource use became grounded in a continual march of agriculture and pastoralism over territory held by food gatherers. The highest concentration of agricultural-pastoral populations was along the Gangetic plains. Buddhism and Jainism did not succeed in destroying the social hierarchy of Indian society then. The eight centuries from 500 bc to ad 300, which followed the colonization of the fertile lands of northern India, appear to have been characterized by the availability of large surpluses of agricultural production for activities outside food production. Elephant forests and hunting preserves brought in a new form of territorial control over living resources—control by the state. Protection to cattle has undoubtedly been significant in influencing the practices of mixed agriculture and animal husbandry, which are so characteristic of India.Less
Agricultural-pastoral people spread over the Indian subcontinent in many phases. Hunting-gathering, along with shifting cultivation, dominated all the moister tracts of this region. The pattern of resource use became grounded in a continual march of agriculture and pastoralism over territory held by food gatherers. The highest concentration of agricultural-pastoral populations was along the Gangetic plains. Buddhism and Jainism did not succeed in destroying the social hierarchy of Indian society then. The eight centuries from 500 bc to ad 300, which followed the colonization of the fertile lands of northern India, appear to have been characterized by the availability of large surpluses of agricultural production for activities outside food production. Elephant forests and hunting preserves brought in a new form of territorial control over living resources—control by the state. Protection to cattle has undoubtedly been significant in influencing the practices of mixed agriculture and animal husbandry, which are so characteristic of India.
Sarinda Singh
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- November 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780824835712
- eISBN:
- 9780824871765
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University of Hawai'i Press
- DOI:
- 10.21313/hawaii/9780824835712.001.0001
- Subject:
- Anthropology, Asian Cultural Anthropology
Forests, as physical entities, have received considerable scholarly attention in political studies of Asia and beyond. Much less notice has been paid to the significance of forests as symbols that ...
More
Forests, as physical entities, have received considerable scholarly attention in political studies of Asia and beyond. Much less notice has been paid to the significance of forests as symbols that enable commentary on identity, aspirations, and authority. This book challenges common views of the rural countryside as isolated and disconnected from national social debates and politics under an authoritarian regime. It offers a novel understanding of local perspectives under authoritarianism, demonstrating that Lao people make implicit political statements in their commentary on forests and wildlife; and showing that, in addition to being vital material resources, forests (and their natural potency) are linked in the minds of many Lao to the social and political power of the state. The book explores the intertwining of symbolic and material concerns in local debates over conservation and development, the popularity of wildlife consumption, the particular importance of elephants, and forest loss and mismanagement. In doing so, it draws on ethnographic fieldwork around Vientiane, the capital, and Nakai, site of the contentious Nam Theun 2 hydropower project. Nam Theun 2, supported by the World Bank, highlights the local, regional, and global dynamics that influence discussions of forest resources in Laos. Government officials, rural villagers, and foreign consultants all contribute to competing ideas about forests and wildlife. The book advances research on forest politics by rethinking how ideas about nature influence social life.Less
Forests, as physical entities, have received considerable scholarly attention in political studies of Asia and beyond. Much less notice has been paid to the significance of forests as symbols that enable commentary on identity, aspirations, and authority. This book challenges common views of the rural countryside as isolated and disconnected from national social debates and politics under an authoritarian regime. It offers a novel understanding of local perspectives under authoritarianism, demonstrating that Lao people make implicit political statements in their commentary on forests and wildlife; and showing that, in addition to being vital material resources, forests (and their natural potency) are linked in the minds of many Lao to the social and political power of the state. The book explores the intertwining of symbolic and material concerns in local debates over conservation and development, the popularity of wildlife consumption, the particular importance of elephants, and forest loss and mismanagement. In doing so, it draws on ethnographic fieldwork around Vientiane, the capital, and Nakai, site of the contentious Nam Theun 2 hydropower project. Nam Theun 2, supported by the World Bank, highlights the local, regional, and global dynamics that influence discussions of forest resources in Laos. Government officials, rural villagers, and foreign consultants all contribute to competing ideas about forests and wildlife. The book advances research on forest politics by rethinking how ideas about nature influence social life.
Jay Geller
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- May 2019
- ISBN:
- 9780823282005
- eISBN:
- 9780823284795
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Fordham University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5422/fordham/9780823282005.003.0007
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
This chapter addresses the famous joke on “the elephant and the Jewish question,” whose prominence is attested by its many iterations not only in collections of Jewish jokes but also in works of ...
More
This chapter addresses the famous joke on “the elephant and the Jewish question,” whose prominence is attested by its many iterations not only in collections of Jewish jokes but also in works of philosophy and theory. Drawing together two seemingly unrelated terms such as Jews and elephants and pointing at their close proximity, jokes do not merely comment on the preposterous character of the “rumor about the Jews” that there is an inherent relationship between Jews and nonhuman animals. The joke also points to what escapes theory and calls out its limitations, for theory takes the Jew as well as the animal as categories, singular as they might be, that can be comprehended only vis-à-vis universals. The chapter then looks at how Jewish authors have called into question the human-nonhuman animal divide in their struggle to think through European modernity.Less
This chapter addresses the famous joke on “the elephant and the Jewish question,” whose prominence is attested by its many iterations not only in collections of Jewish jokes but also in works of philosophy and theory. Drawing together two seemingly unrelated terms such as Jews and elephants and pointing at their close proximity, jokes do not merely comment on the preposterous character of the “rumor about the Jews” that there is an inherent relationship between Jews and nonhuman animals. The joke also points to what escapes theory and calls out its limitations, for theory takes the Jew as well as the animal as categories, singular as they might be, that can be comprehended only vis-à-vis universals. The chapter then looks at how Jewish authors have called into question the human-nonhuman animal divide in their struggle to think through European modernity.
Joyce H. Poole
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- February 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780226542232
- eISBN:
- 9780226542263
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
- DOI:
- 10.7208/chicago/9780226542263.003.0009
- Subject:
- Biology, Animal Behavior / Behavioral Ecology
This chapter, which builds upon an established body of work on elephant communication to examine the calls emitted by African elephants, Loxodonta africana, from the standpoint of social function, ...
More
This chapter, which builds upon an established body of work on elephant communication to examine the calls emitted by African elephants, Loxodonta africana, from the standpoint of social function, proposes several new call types. It describes a broad range of behavioral contexts and examines, qualitatively and quantitatively, the acoustic signals with which they are associated, making a first attempt to discriminate between proposed contextual call subtypes based on a number of acoustic measurements. The chapter then uses these and contextual differences to illustrate how vocal signals form an essential and integral component of the complex dynamics of elephant society. It begins by describing what is known about elephant acoustic communication and vocal repertoire, in general, and then examines in detail how elephants in Amboseli use acoustic signals in the context of their sociality.Less
This chapter, which builds upon an established body of work on elephant communication to examine the calls emitted by African elephants, Loxodonta africana, from the standpoint of social function, proposes several new call types. It describes a broad range of behavioral contexts and examines, qualitatively and quantitatively, the acoustic signals with which they are associated, making a first attempt to discriminate between proposed contextual call subtypes based on a number of acoustic measurements. The chapter then uses these and contextual differences to illustrate how vocal signals form an essential and integral component of the complex dynamics of elephant society. It begins by describing what is known about elephant acoustic communication and vocal repertoire, in general, and then examines in detail how elephants in Amboseli use acoustic signals in the context of their sociality.
S. C. Williams
- Published in print:
- 1999
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198207696
- eISBN:
- 9780191677786
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198207696.003.0002
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Modern History, History of Religion
The Metropolitan Borough of Southwark was formed in 1900 from the amalgamation of the civil parishes of St Saviour's Southwark, St George's, Christ Church, and St Mary Newington. Old local ...
More
The Metropolitan Borough of Southwark was formed in 1900 from the amalgamation of the civil parishes of St Saviour's Southwark, St George's, Christ Church, and St Mary Newington. Old local attachments continued to predominate even after the amalgamation of the civil parishes. In Southwark these attachments centred on three principal focuses: first, the area in the north around Borough High Street, historically known as the Borough; secondly, the Elephant and Castle; and thirdly, the eastern part of Walworth in the immediate vicinity of the East Street Market. The characteristics for which Southwark was famed during the 19th century were low life, criminality, and heathenism.Less
The Metropolitan Borough of Southwark was formed in 1900 from the amalgamation of the civil parishes of St Saviour's Southwark, St George's, Christ Church, and St Mary Newington. Old local attachments continued to predominate even after the amalgamation of the civil parishes. In Southwark these attachments centred on three principal focuses: first, the area in the north around Borough High Street, historically known as the Borough; secondly, the Elephant and Castle; and thirdly, the eastern part of Walworth in the immediate vicinity of the East Street Market. The characteristics for which Southwark was famed during the 19th century were low life, criminality, and heathenism.
Thomas R. Trautmann
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- January 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780226264226
- eISBN:
- 9780226264530
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
- DOI:
- 10.7208/chicago/9780226264530.003.0001
- Subject:
- History, Asian History
Elephant numbers worldwide are in decline, but in India they are holding steady and even increasing somewhat. China once had wild elephants throughout but now has only a handful, in the region ...
More
Elephant numbers worldwide are in decline, but in India they are holding steady and even increasing somewhat. China once had wild elephants throughout but now has only a handful, in the region bordering Southeast Asia. India’s relative success has to do with the institution of the war elephant, which gave its kings an interest in protecting wild elephants.Less
Elephant numbers worldwide are in decline, but in India they are holding steady and even increasing somewhat. China once had wild elephants throughout but now has only a handful, in the region bordering Southeast Asia. India’s relative success has to do with the institution of the war elephant, which gave its kings an interest in protecting wild elephants.
Thomas R. Trautmann
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- January 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780226264226
- eISBN:
- 9780226264530
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
- DOI:
- 10.7208/chicago/9780226264530.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, Asian History
Because of their enormous size, elephants have been irresistible for kings as symbols of their eminence. In the early civilizations—Egypt, Assyria and Mesopotamia, the Indus Civilization, China—kings ...
More
Because of their enormous size, elephants have been irresistible for kings as symbols of their eminence. In the early civilizations—Egypt, Assyria and Mesopotamia, the Indus Civilization, China—kings have used elephants in royal sacrifice, spectacular hunts, public display of live captives, and the conspicuous consumption of ivory—all of them tending toward the elephant’s extinction. But the kings of India, as Thomas Trautmann writes in this book, found a use for elephants that actually helped preserve their habitat and numbers in the wild: war. Trautmann shows that because elephants eat such massive quantities of food, it was uneconomic to raise them from birth. Rather, in a unique form of domestication, Indian kings captured wild adults and trained them, one by one, through millennia. Kings were thus compelled to protect wild elephants from hunters and elephant forests from being cut down. Trautmann traces the history of the war elephant in India and the spread of the institution to the west—where elephants took part in some of the greatest wars of antiquity—and Southeast Asia (but not China, significantly), a history that spans 3000 years and a considerable part of the globe, from Spain to Java. By taking a wide-angle view of human-elephant relations over a such an expanse, he throws into relief the structure of India’s environmental history and the reasons for the persistence of wild elephants in its forests.Less
Because of their enormous size, elephants have been irresistible for kings as symbols of their eminence. In the early civilizations—Egypt, Assyria and Mesopotamia, the Indus Civilization, China—kings have used elephants in royal sacrifice, spectacular hunts, public display of live captives, and the conspicuous consumption of ivory—all of them tending toward the elephant’s extinction. But the kings of India, as Thomas Trautmann writes in this book, found a use for elephants that actually helped preserve their habitat and numbers in the wild: war. Trautmann shows that because elephants eat such massive quantities of food, it was uneconomic to raise them from birth. Rather, in a unique form of domestication, Indian kings captured wild adults and trained them, one by one, through millennia. Kings were thus compelled to protect wild elephants from hunters and elephant forests from being cut down. Trautmann traces the history of the war elephant in India and the spread of the institution to the west—where elephants took part in some of the greatest wars of antiquity—and Southeast Asia (but not China, significantly), a history that spans 3000 years and a considerable part of the globe, from Spain to Java. By taking a wide-angle view of human-elephant relations over a such an expanse, he throws into relief the structure of India’s environmental history and the reasons for the persistence of wild elephants in its forests.
Cynthia J. Moss, Harvey Croze, and Phyllis C. Lee (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- February 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780226542232
- eISBN:
- 9780226542263
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
- DOI:
- 10.7208/chicago/9780226542263.001.0001
- Subject:
- Biology, Animal Behavior / Behavioral Ecology
Elephants have fascinated humans for millennia. Their ivory has been sought after and treasured in most cultures, and they have delighted zoo and circus audiences worldwide for centuries. But it was ...
More
Elephants have fascinated humans for millennia. Their ivory has been sought after and treasured in most cultures, and they have delighted zoo and circus audiences worldwide for centuries. But it was not until the second half of the twentieth century that people started to take an interest in elephants in the wild, and some of the most important studies of these intelligent giants have been conducted at Amboseli National Park in Kenya. This book provides a summation of what has been learned from the Amboseli Elephant Research Project—the longest continuously running elephant research project in the world. It presents more than three decades of uninterrupted study of over 2,500 individual elephants, from newborn calves to adult bulls to old matriarchs in their 60s. Chapters explore such topics as elephant ecosystems, genetics, communication, social behavior, and reproduction, as well as new developments from the study of elephant minds and cognition. The book closes with a view to the future, making arguments for the ethical treatment of elephants and suggestions to aid in their conservation.Less
Elephants have fascinated humans for millennia. Their ivory has been sought after and treasured in most cultures, and they have delighted zoo and circus audiences worldwide for centuries. But it was not until the second half of the twentieth century that people started to take an interest in elephants in the wild, and some of the most important studies of these intelligent giants have been conducted at Amboseli National Park in Kenya. This book provides a summation of what has been learned from the Amboseli Elephant Research Project—the longest continuously running elephant research project in the world. It presents more than three decades of uninterrupted study of over 2,500 individual elephants, from newborn calves to adult bulls to old matriarchs in their 60s. Chapters explore such topics as elephant ecosystems, genetics, communication, social behavior, and reproduction, as well as new developments from the study of elephant minds and cognition. The book closes with a view to the future, making arguments for the ethical treatment of elephants and suggestions to aid in their conservation.
