Browsing by Author "O'Brien, William Eugene"
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- Constructing the problem of "slash-and-burn" agricultureO'Brien, William Eugene (Virginia Tech, 1996-05-17)"Slash-and-burn" agriculture, or shifting cultivation, is perceived by many to be the leading cause of land degradation in tropical forests. Performed mainly by resource-poor farmers, shifting cultivation is the most widespread form of agriculture in the tropics. Concern over its environmental impacts has led to calls throughout the twentieth century for alternatives by policy-makers and development planners. This study employs a constructivist framework, post-colonial perspectives, and rhetorical methods to understand the images which support such assertions regarding shifting cultivation, primarily in policy-oriented depictions. Elements of Kenneth Burke's "dramatistic" method are used, including the analysis of hierarchies which structure discourse, and pentadic analysis.
- Coordinates of Control: Indigenous Peoples and Knowledges in Bioprospecting RhetoricTakeshita, Chikako (Virginia Tech, 1999-12-15)In this thesis, I draw attention to how representations of indigenous peoples and knowledges in the rhetoric of bioprospecting weave the people into multiple coordinates of discursive control. Bioprospecting, or the exploration of biological resources in search of valuable genetic and chemical material for commercial use, is portrayed by proponents as an ideal project which benefit all of its stakeholders. I challenge such perception by exposing the power relationships underlying bioprospecting proposals as well as the various interests built into their rhetoric. My particular interest lies in exploring the implications for indigenous peoples whose appearances in bioprospecting proposals are less than voluntary. I make three claims: (1) that the representation of indigenous peoples as stewards of the environment is a role assigned to them, which is then circulated and mobilized within the bioprospecting rhetoric in order to support its arguments concerning biodiversity conservation; (2) that indigenous knowledges of the environment, of medicinal plants in particular, are taken out of their original socio-cultural contexts, utilized, appropriated, and valorized by bioprospectors who construct the rhetoric; (3) that the visibility of indigenous peoples and knowledges, which was heightened as a result of the increased interest taken in controlling them, opens up new opportunities for the people to resist misappropriation and struggle for self-definition. In short, this project takes indigenous peoples and knowledges as the intersection of forces and interests comprising an intricate web of power relationships, within which any participant can attempt to empower oneself either by resisting or manipulating the control to which one is exposed.
- Participation and indigenous knowledge in development for African pastoralistsO'Brien, William Eugene (Virginia Tech, 1991)Rural development in Africa’s arid rangelands has been exceptionally difficult. Conventional approaches to range and livestock development have consistently failed to meet desired goals, including increased productivity and improved living standards for pastoralists. Perspectives on constraints to successful development can be divided into two major viewpoints. The dominant view, which has guided these failed attempts, blames pastoralist for traditionalism and clinging to economically irrational and environmentally destructive herding strategies. From this conventional perspective, project planners have sought radical changes from current indigenous practice towards "modern" beef ranching and sedentary agriculture. The other major perspective views pastoral systems as basically economically and environmentally sound, though they are increasingly becoming less so due largely to pressures for such modernization. From this view, development projects should instead include the participation of herder populations and be based upon indigenous livestock and range management practices. Thus far there have been few projects which encourage herders to build upon elements of traditional pastoralism, though such an approach is seen as having a better chance for success than the conventional approach. Several examples of failed projects are presented. Two of these failed partly because they denied genuine herder participation and were based on an inadequate understanding of indigenous pastoral systems. A third project faltered due to the unwillingness of the government in question to follow through on its appropriate, herder-oriented design. Two successful, NGO-sponsored projects are offered as evidence that the participatory/indigenous knowledge approach can serve as a viable strategy in donor-sponsored projects.