We listen to a cacophony of voices instructing
us how to think and feel about nature, including our own
bodies. The news media, wildlife documentaries, science
magazines, and environmental NGOs are among those
clamouring for our attention. But are we empowered by
all this knowledge or is our dependence on various
communities allowing our thoughts, sentiments and
activities to be unduly governed by others? Making
Sense of Nature shows that what we call ‘nature’ is
made sense of for us in ways that make it central to
social order, social change and social dissent. By
utilising insights and extended examples from
anthropology, cultural studies, human geography,
philosophy, politics, sociology, science studies, this
interdisciplinary text asks whether we can better make
sense of nature for ourselves, and thus participate more
meaningfully in momentous decisions about the future of
life – human and non-human – on the planet. This book
shows how ‘nature’ can be made sense of without
presuming its naturalness. The challenge is not so much
to rid ourselves of the idea of nature and its
‘collateral concepts’ (such as genes) but instead, we
need to be more alert to how, why and with what effects
ideas about ‘nature’ get fashioned and deployed in
specific situations. Among other things, the book deals
with science and scientists, the mass media and
journalists, ecotourism, literature and cinema,
environmentalists, advertising and big business.
This innovative text contains numerous case studies
and examples from daily life to put theory and subject
matter into context, as well as study tasks, a glossary
and suggested further reading. The case studies cover a
range of topics, range from forestry in Canada and
Guinea, to bestiality in Washington State, to how human
genetics is reported in Western newspapers, to
participatory science experiments in the UK. Making
Sense of Nature will empower readers from a wide
range of fields across the social sciences, humanities
and physical sciences.
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