Project Details
Description
Global challenges such as climate change, deforestation, food security, and poverty-related diseases can only be addressed through the inclusion of heterogeneous stakeholders from Indigenous farmers to specialized lab scientists. While there is increased recognition of the knowledge of local stakeholders in agricultural, environmental and health sciences, their integration into scientific practice often raises fundamental questions about conflicting metaphysical and ontological perspectives of local communities and academically trained scientists. For example, ontologies of an Indigenous hunter and a Western conservation biologist may converge in the recognition of many biological species but also diverge in other categories of animals or metaphysical assumptions about totemic bonds with them.
The project will explore cross-cultural relations between ontologies and their implications for collaborative and inclusive approaches in the global life sciences. The aim of this project is to develop “ethnoontology” as an interdisciplinary field that brings together the state of ontological debates in academic philosophy with empirical research in fields such as ethnobiology, ethnoecology, and ethnomedicine. As there has been almost no interaction between academic philosophy and these ethnosciences, the project develops an equally ambitious and original program. It provides a framework for approaching cross-cultural collaborations despite underlying ontological differences and for expanding ontological debates through cross-cultural and applied considerations.
Preliminary work of the applicant on ethnoontology has been published in flagship journals of both philosophy and ethnosciences (e.g. Philosophy of Science and Current Anthropology), demonstrating cross-disciplinary interest in tackling these foundational issues of knowledge diversity. At the same time, a fully developed debate on “ethnoontology” is beyond the capabilities of an individual researcher. The VIDI grant therefore provides a unique opportunity to build a community around this emerging research topic and to bring together an interdisciplinary research team that includes ongoing collaborations with ethnobiological researchers in Brazil and Mexico.
The project will explore cross-cultural relations between ontologies and their implications for collaborative and inclusive approaches in the global life sciences. The aim of this project is to develop “ethnoontology” as an interdisciplinary field that brings together the state of ontological debates in academic philosophy with empirical research in fields such as ethnobiology, ethnoecology, and ethnomedicine. As there has been almost no interaction between academic philosophy and these ethnosciences, the project develops an equally ambitious and original program. It provides a framework for approaching cross-cultural collaborations despite underlying ontological differences and for expanding ontological debates through cross-cultural and applied considerations.
Preliminary work of the applicant on ethnoontology has been published in flagship journals of both philosophy and ethnosciences (e.g. Philosophy of Science and Current Anthropology), demonstrating cross-disciplinary interest in tackling these foundational issues of knowledge diversity. At the same time, a fully developed debate on “ethnoontology” is beyond the capabilities of an individual researcher. The VIDI grant therefore provides a unique opportunity to build a community around this emerging research topic and to bring together an interdisciplinary research team that includes ongoing collaborations with ethnobiological researchers in Brazil and Mexico.
Status | Active |
---|---|
Effective start/end date | 1/11/19 → … |
Fingerprint
Explore the research topics touched on by this project. These labels are generated based on the underlying awards/grants. Together they form a unique fingerprint.