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SI Dams: Negotiating Resettlements: How social science experts shaped dam construction and the displacement of alpine communities in Switzerland and Italy, 1940–1970
No full textThis article delves into the multifaceted roles of social science experts in negotiating resettlements in the Alps between 1940 and 1970, particularly focusing on dam construction projects in Switzerland and Italy. While the construction and maintenance of dams typically involve geologists, engineers, and hydrologists, the presence of social science experts becomes crucial when dams are built in inhabited valleys, necessitating the management of resource distribution and community displacement. Through examining case studies in the Swiss canton of Grisons and the Italian region of Trentino-South Tyrol / Alto Adige, this study explores the negotiation processes, motivations, and strategies of various actors involved. Drawing from primary sources such as expert reports and project documents, as well as secondary sources including publications and theses, this study sheds light on the intersection of social sciences and dam construction, revealing the dynamics of power, expertise, and technocratic convictions that shaped resettlement negotiations under the auspices of high modernism
Inequality in the Gain in Life Expectancy at Birth in India, 1976–2020
Full text linkThe increase in human longevity has been a factor in the increase in world population but the increase in human longevity has not been uniform across countries and within countries and this inequality is increasing, which is a matter of concern as regards sustainable development. Understanding the inequality in the increase in human longevity is important for determining appropriate health policies by providing insights into disparities in population health and mortality. This article highlights the inequality in the gain in life expectancy at birth in India in the period 1976–2020. The difference in gain in life expectancy at birth has been decomposed into gain attributed to improvement in mortality at different ages. The article calls for a decentralised approach to health policy and planning to address the challenge of differential gain in life expectancy at birth across mutually exclusive population groups within the country; and argues that a reduction of inequality in the gain in life expectancy at birth within the country may contribute to accelerating the increase in life expectancy at birth for the country, which remains low by international standards
Thomas More’s 'Utopia' as a Steady State Economy
Full text linkThe idea of a steady-state economy based on the relationship between population and land was first introduced in the writings of Plato (Laws) and Aristotle (Politics), both in the fourth century BC. Nineteen centuries later, in 1516, Thomas More published his Utopia. In this paper I argue that More’s Utopia is a steady state economy based on two fundamental institutions: public ownership of the means of production and democratic system of governance. What makes Utopia a steady state economy is the limited land (Utopia is an island) and the stability of population. Given that resources are limited the ‘Grow or Die’ motto of modern capitalism does not apply and therefore a different system of social values is developed in Utopia
Into the Wind: Writing with a Fig Tree
Full text linkMerve Ünsal, Into The Wind, 2022. 21 minutes, audio installation with speakers. Sound file available at https://soundcloud.com/merve07/into-the-wind-1?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharin
Poppies and Women Under the Linden Tree in a Slovak Village: Exploring Culturally Significant Plants Through Informed Archaeological Storytelling
Full text linkIn her 1993 book, ‘What This Awl Means’, Jane Spector examined the relationship between gender, objects, environment and archaeology through a female personal narrative. While such historical storytelling has been viewed as unconventional, it is effective as it paints a vibrant picture communicating context, significance and insight into what might otherwise be viewed in traditional archaeological description as a simple, utilitarian tool. However, to do this effectively, sufficient cultural competence and symbolic understanding must be woven with archaeological research, anthropological interpretation and understanding of the cultural and historical context through the lens of storytelling. This paper explores this approach by presenting the complex symbolic and agroeconomic relationships maintained with the opium poppy (Papaver somniferum L.) and the linden tree (Tilia sp.) by ancient peoples in Central Europe. The story draws on a body of archaeological, botanical and chemical research, Slovak cultural and linguistic background, as well as ancestral oral history
Diego Molina, 'Planting a City in the Tropical Andes: Plants and People in Bogotá, 1880 to 1920'
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Conversations with Trees: The Experiences of an Arboreal Pilgrim
Full text linkThis is a tale of my connection with trees, a connection from which conversations arose. My aim is to chart my journey from tree-lover to tree-listener and to share the wisdom of the trees. I do not offer any explanation for these experiences, though I will express my sometimes confused and uncertain responses, my questions and concerns, my attempts, as a person who sits more on the side of science than spirit, to make sense of what happened. Ultimately, as I hope these conversations will demonstrate, I decided that what I gained from the trees was more significant than the how or the why of it
