Birgit Habermann: The Framing of a Tree: Sacred sites and cash for poles

University of Natural Resources andLife Sciences, BOKU ViennaDepartment for Sustainable AgriculturalSystems

Institute for Organic Farming I Working Group Knowledge Systems and Innovations I Birgit Habermann 11.04.23 1

The Framing of a Tree: Sacred sites and cash for poles

Birgit Habermann (BOKU Austria/ IDS UK), Habtamu Yeshegat (ARARI Gondar), Ulrike Felt (UNI VIENNA)

BOKU, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Dept. For Sustainable Agricultural Systems, Institute for Organic Farming, Working Group Knowledge Systems and Innovation


Institute for Organic Farming I Working Group Knowledge Systems and Innovations I Birgit Habermann

The idea behind – Ways of knowing

Ways of knowing is a FWF funded project (basic research), carried out together with a partnership project (applied research)

Meeting of farmers and scientists in research projects

Sites in Ethiopia and Uganda Looking at interfaces, social worlds, politics of

knowledge, framing of technologies

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North Gondar, Ambober Watershed

West Shewa, Galessa Watershed



How did we do it?

Ethnographic approach Interviews with farmers // participatory mapping,

seasonal calendars, village walks,… Interviews with scientists, development organisations,

(N)GOs Historical sources, common literature, project

documentation and publications Observations documented with video, photographs,

observation notes and a reflective diary

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The idea behind: Conceptual Framework

Framing, narratives: Narratives of environmental degradation (Hoben 1995,

Leach and Mearns 1996, McCann 1995) Framing (STEPS Centre)

Modes of ordering Modes of ordering, classifications (Bowker and Star 1999) Labelling (Moncrieffe and Eyben 2007)

Social Worlds and Technopolitical Cultures Actor-oriented (Long and Long 1992, Long 2001) Technopolitical cultures (Felt et al 2009) Social worlds (Gieryn 1995, Rival 1998, Clarke 2005)/

laboratories (Knorr-Cetina 1981) Standardized Packages (Fujimura 1992)

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What did we try to find out?

Understand the influence of social worlds on farmers and scientists ways of knowing in research projects Categorisations and modes of ordering Room for meeting of different ways of knowing or participation

as a means of creating publics Role of framing and narratives in management of trees and soils

Review of degradation discourse Policies and politics in NRM

Whose sustainability are we talking about? Donor-oriented and/or government policies? Project goals? Collective or individual goals? Appropriation or use of vocabulary / adaptation of semantics

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Landscape framing

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Landscape framing

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Tree categorisation

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Forest categorisation

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Narratives in tree management: sacred sites? Cash for poles?

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Multiple Ways of Knowing

Migration: Migrating farmers: Resettlement in Ethiopia,

outmigration of Falashas Researchers travelling and studying abroad

Transmission Knowledge of previous generations: if forest areas

different from today, different images may be passed on to next generation

Role of church and community leaders Transmission in science: role models

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Traditional tree use for storage




Dynamic versus stagnant – psychology of change Innovative farmers may have the possibility to see

different parts of Ethiopia, bring in new ideas - networks, power relations

Proximity of urban areas (plantations near cities) Market demands on tree production (Eucalyptus,

Wanza) Projects bring in new and old ideas Association to research centres, new technologies

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Gesho terraces – innovation for soil conservation




Imposed images, and imposition of action: Powerpoint presentations eg before and after

images to ‘create awareness’ and feeling of ‘blame’ for environmental degradation

Meetings after church: social control within communities, mobilisation, introduction of new technologies

Inputs and support tied to adoption of new technologies selected by whom?

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Results: Semantics vs reality

Adaptation of semantics but no appropriation – hidden transcripts (Scott 1995) ?

Enforced diversity: example of tree seedlings (Eucalyptus plus indigenous trees) Numbers versus outcomes Role of research

Conflicting views, embeddedness of ‚trees‘ in social realities influences practical action

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Conclusions

More actors coming in, more claims on how ordering is done (compare Bower and Star 1999)

Multiple ways of seeing the world, and different values, as well as organisational regulations or internal codes.

Hidden transcripts and resistance

Whose technologies, whose sustainability?

More space for innovation from within

Risk taking for more complexity

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University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, BOKU Vienna

Dept. For Sustainable Agricultural SystemsInstitute for Organic Farming,Working Group Knowledge Systems and Innovation

Contact: Birgit Habermann

Gregor Mendel-Straße 33, A-1180 WienTel.: +43 1 [email protected], www.boku.ac.at

Education

Birgit Habermann: The Framing of a Tree: Sacred sites and cash for poles