GEOG20001 Chapter Notes - Chapter 3: Adelaide Zoo, Anthropomorphism, Industrial Revolution
17 May 2018
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Department
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WEEK 3: Colonial and Post-Colonial Natures
Plumwood, V. (1993): ‘Dualism: the logic of capitalism’
Themes: Dualisms – Capitalism – Domination – Capitalism – Post-Colonialism
Overview: The author outlines what makes a dualism, there logics, and how to escape them. She uses the case study of the western model of human/nature
relations to show the features of a dualism. A dualism involves subject/object, hierarchy, an inferior treatment of the ‘other’ – to which the other realises they
are inferior. Characteristics of dualisms include: backgrounding (not realising the contribution of the other), radical exclusion (creating 2 separate worlds),
incorporation (2nd world seen as inferior), instrumentalisation (other there to satisfy dominating world) and homogenisation (other must be stereotyped to
conform). Dismantling a dualism based on difference requires the reconstruction of relationship + identify in terms of a non-hierarchical concept of difference
– seen in various liberation movements.
Main Points:
• Dualisms require a master and a subordinated other, usually based on oppression and marginalisation
• Dualisms are an alienated form of differentiation – which power constructs difference in terms of an inferior realm
• Dualisms are closely associated with domination + accumulation
• To devalue conceptual foundations of systems of domination, we must unmask the identity of the master hidden behind the human + ideals of
rationality
• Colonialism: created subordinated identities through process of colonialism
Anderson, K. (1995): ‘Culture and nature at the Adelaide Zoo’
Themes: Dualisms – Cultural/Social Construction of Nature – Capitalism – Colonialism - Zoos
Overview: Author speaks to the culturally constructed nature of the zoo, and how changing practices of animal composition and visual technologies inscribe
various representations + material strategies for dominion of animals. Zoos rely on dualistic Western thought and knowledge to allow oppression to all zoos to
become an educational and entertaining institution. History of Adelaide Zoo (how changing social values and practices changed the zoo), through time periods:
building a collection, building a fairground, taking stock, biodiversity preservation and conservation.
Main Points:
• Zoo as a cultural construct which allows human dominion over nature, and emphasises the production of nature – rely on nature/culture dualism
• Zoo is a cultural institution which reflects a human adaption of the ensemble of life forms that bear the name ‘nature’.
• Connection of the zoo to cultural conceptions of nature, and regimes of colonialism and capitalism
WEEK 4: Zoos
Anderson, K (2004): ‘Zoos’
Themes: Zoos – Dualisms - Social/Cultural Construction
Overview: Zoos conceal the trace of their human creation and manifestation of power, and attempt to portray freedom (not mastery). Many paradoxes exist
within the zoo: run breading programmes, yet note the natural home is in the wild, animals not domesticated or wild, not hybrid but will never fully embody
their species either. Zoo (and therefore culture) places preference on scary and elusive animals – show dominion.
Main Points:
• Zoo embodies a longing for human invisibility within the very act of nature creation
• Confinement of animals invokes a varied range of human emotion
• Controlled intimacy – impossible paradox, other paradoxes: engagement at a distance, conditional immersion.
Berger, J. (1980): ‘Why look at animals’
Themes: Zoos – Dualisms – Colonialism - Capitalism
Overview: History of human/animal relationship, from animal’s messengers + promises, to a shift in literature excluding anthropomorphism, to the
disappearance of animals in culture. What man and animal shared revealed what differentiated them, what distinguished man from animals started from their
relationship with them. Animals became marginalised due to productive inventions, cities caused animals to become rare + commercial exploitation drove
some to extinction. Zoos preserved animals due to their disappearance in everyday life – a monument to the impossibility of encounter, and were seen as an
endorsement of colonial power. Zoos: animals are in close confinement, rely on keepers for existence, are as spectacle, enclosure serves as a backdrop – all
render the animals marginal.
Main Points:
• Capitalism broke every tradition between man + nature
• Lack of common language guarantees is exclusion from man, yet offer companionship
• Original dualism: animals were subjected + worshipped, bred + sacrificed
• Cultural marginalisation of animals due to capitalism, industrial revolution, commodification of nature, spectacle
• Animal are always the observed, the other, the inferior
• Animal imagery (production of nature) – embedded in childhood upbringing
• The zoo is a demonstration of the relations between man + animals, nothing else
Document Summary
Plumwood, v. (1993): dualism: the logic of capitalism". Themes: dualisms capitalism domination capitalism post-colonialism. Overview: the author outlines what makes a dualism, there logics, and how to escape them. She uses the case study of the western model of human/nature relations to show the features of a dualism. A dualism involves subject/object, hierarchy, an inferior treatment of the other" to which the other realises they are inferior. Characteristics of dualisms include: backgrounding (not realising the contribution of the other), radical exclusion (creating 2 separate worlds), incorporation (2nd world seen as inferior), instrumentalisation (other there to satisfy dominating world) and homogenisation (other must be stereotyped to conform). Dismantling a dualism based on difference requires the reconstruction of relationship + identify in terms of a non-hierarchical concept of difference. Dualisms require a master and a subordinated other, usually based on oppression and marginalisation. Dualisms are an alienated form of differentiation which power constructs difference in terms of an inferior realm.
