Student: Rebecca Robbins
Graduation date: May 2016
Type: Concentration (single major)
Date approved: November 2013
Summary
Pastoralist communities have survived for centuries because of their mobility, diversity, flexibility, and resource sharing (Fernandez-Gimenez et al. 2006). Recently, there has been a noticed decline in pastoralist communities; Fernandez-Gimenez attributed this to several outside factors, which include political and administrative boundaries that didn’t take into account the pastoralists’ traditional movements, the usurpation of tribal law by national and subnational governments, the ability to earn income from wage labor in lieu of herding animals, and the provision of goods and services by governments (i.e. roads, water, schools, clinics) that encourage pastoralists to settle in one place (Fernandez-Gimenezet al. 2006). As technology permits the expansion of sedentary agriculture practices into marginal lands traditionally utilized by pastoralists, the amount of available rangeland is decreasing. Overtime, cultures have been forced to adapt to the changes around them. I have chosen to situate my concentration through pastoralists because of their complex dilemma and their unique lifestyle. Using pastoralists and governments as actors their interactions with technology will either create a successful yield or create further dilemmas. My concentration includes the theme technology and the environment because I want to see the implications technology has on the environment by specifically looking at pastoralist communities that use minimal amounts of technology, or are just beginning to introduce technology into their lifestyle. In addition, climate change has major effects on the pastoralists’ land and their ability to maintain their livestock. Pastoralists are adjusting their lifestyles to accommodate to new climates. Will this cause pastoralists to travel further to find food, or will they turn to new technologies to adapt to climate change?
A study in southern Ethiopia and northern Kenya on pastoralists’ opinion of weather forecasting technology demonstrates the pastoralists’ want for simple technologies. For example, they are interested in start of the rain and amount of rain but not about the duration its duration; demonstrating the technologies need to be more comprehensive of the pastoralists’ needs and their beliefs towards climate (Luseno et al. 2003). Pastoralists traditional methods for rain predictions are more natural and observational (i.e. wind patterns, animal and children behaviors, dreams etc.) (Luseno et al. 2003). In the late 20th century it was noticed that pastoralist communities were beginning to settle. In Kenya, pastoralists have settled in agricultural and urban areas to avoid poverty, land loss and gain the advantages of living in urban communities (i.e. health care and formal education, electricity) (Fratkin et al. 1999). In Sudan, Ethiopia and Somalia, pastoralists have chosen to settle because of political turmoil and civil war. Although pastoralists feel they are benefiting from living in urban societies, there are many consequences such as poor nutrition, lack of housing and clean drinking water, higher rates of diseases and the lack of guaranteed equal benefits (Fratkin et al. 1999). In Tibet, the issues surrounding pastoralism are quite different than those in other areas. Pastoralism in Tibet is at high elevations (3,500-5,400 m) and their livestock consists of yak (Miller 2000). A benefit of practicing pastoralism at high elevations is that crops are unable to produce and thus there is no competition between crops and rangeland; however, the heavy snows and harsh climates cause a major loss in livestock, especially during their harsh winters (Miller 2000). Due to livestock loss during the winters the Chinese government felt that the pastoralist communities lifestyle, was an “improper use of land” and decided that the loss of livestock was proof that the Tibetan nomads needed to adopt a more “modern” and “scientific” lifestyle through “ecological engineering” and “grassland construction” (i.e. become settled, build houses and fences, no more free ranging yaks) (Miller 2000). All of these changes, in the Chinese officials mind, would raise overall living standards for the pastoralists (Miller 2000). However, others believe that even with the implementation of new technologies, the more “modern” way of living would fail in Tibet because of the harsh climate, and therefore, pastoralism is an appropriate way to live in Tibet (Miller 2000). It is also believed that individuals that do not participate in pastoralism, have little understanding of how pastoralism works and how effective it is in Tibet.
References
Luseno, Winnie K, John G McPeak, Christopher B Barrett, Peter D Little, and Getachew Gebru. 2003. “Assessing the Value of Climate Forecast Information for Pastoralists: Evidence from Southern Ethiopia and Northern Kenya.” World Development 31 (9) (September): 1477–1494. doi:10.1016/S0305-750X(03)00113-X.
Miller, Daniel J. 2000. “Tough Times for Tibetan Nomads in Western China: Snowstorms, Settling down, Fences, and the Demise of Traditional Nomadic Pastoralism.” Nomadic Peoples 4 (1): 89–109.
Fernandez-Gimenez, Maria E., and Sonya Le Febre. 2006. “Mobility in Pastoral Systems: Dynamic Flux or Downward Trend?” International Journal of Sustainable Development & World Ecology 13 (5) (October): 341–362. doi:10.1080/13504500609469685.
Fratkin, Elliot. 1997. “Pastoralism: Governance and Development Issues.” Annual Review of Anthropology 26 (January 1): 235–261.
Fratkin, Elliot M., Eric Abella Roth, and Martha A. Nathan. 1999. “When Nomads Settle: The Effects of Commoditization, Nutritional Change, and Formal Education on Ariaal and Rendille Pastoralists.” Current Anthropology 40 (5) (December 1): 729–735. doi:10.1086/ca.1999.40.issue-5.
Robert L. Worden and Andrea Matles Savada, editors. 1989. “Mongolia: A country Study” Washington: GPO for the Library of Congress
Questions
- Descriptive: Where is pastoralism found/what range of technology do they use? For instance, do they use fences, healthcare, education, or even machinery? In addition, what are their attitudes towards technology? How has climate change affected the use of technology? What are the power relation dynamics within the pastoralist communities and the country they are in? How has power interfered with the pastoralist’s relation to technology?
- Explanatory: Has technology created other demands? Why have certain demands been created versus others? Why has the creation for technology been slow within the pastoralist community? For example, increased health care improves health status; I want to know what other effects are created by implementing new, even basic, forms of technology. How has education influenced pastoralists’ desire for technology? How does a pastoralists social capital affect their relationship with technology?
- Evaluative: What are the cost and benefits of the technologies mentioned above as the pastoralist’s use them to cope with climate change?
Concentration courses
- SOAN 225 (Race and Ethnicity in a Global Perspective, 4 credits), fall 2015 This class focuses on how groups of different race and ethnicities have evolved cross-culturally. This class looks at how groups have evolved through economic globalization. This is important for my concentration because interactions between different bodies of people and how the economy affects the outcome.
- SOAN 349 (Indigenous Peoples: Identities and Politics, 4 credits), fall 2014, fall 2015, spring 2015. This course is how indigenous identity is defined and what indigenous individuals’ rights are. It will also cover the relations with international organizations and indigenous movements.
- SOAN 306 (Social Permaculture, 4 credits), spring 2014. This course focuses on the interactions between humans and ecological systems and local levels. It will also discuss environmental sociology, social ecology, permaculture design and bioregional studies. This course will give me more understanding of the relationship between humans and their surroundings.
- SOAN 342 (Power & Resistance, 4 credits), fall 2015. This course focuses on culture, society and politics and discusses them through theories of power and resistance. I have chosen this course because it will help me understand the dynamics of power relations i.e. pastoralists and governments.
Arts and humanities courses
- HIST 261 (Global Environmental History, 4 credits). Pre-approved A&H course; no justification required.
- PHIL 103 (Philosophy of ethics, 4 credits) fall 2015. This course talks about fundamental moral issues. I feel like this course will work well with my concentration because there are a lot of ethical issues involved in the relationships that pastoral communities have with technology, or could have. I have also chosen to take this course to see if there are any trends in how moral decisions are made between two power groups. For example, are they mostly based on ethical egoism, utilitarianism, deontology etc. I will be taking this course in replacement of PHIL 215