Abstract
Is “diversity” a modern concept, like indigeneity or biodiversity, which is conceived precisely at the time that it seems to be threatened and on the verge of disappearing? In the face of perceived threats to diversity, projects and policies have been crafted to protect, promote, or conserve diversity, but in doing so they have often demonstrated a paradoxical propensity toward purity and authority in representations of diversity. Perceptions of “pure” natural diversity might represent native forests comprised solely of native species; “pure” cultural diversity might represent indigenous peoples who still speak indigenous languages and wear native dress. If purity is emblematic of diversity, what, then, is the place of hybrid landscapes and peoples? In our study, we draw on a range of examples—of agrobiodiversity conservation in Bolivia, satellite mapping initiatives in Madagascar and Ecuador, scientific authority about anthropogenic climate change, indigenous language and identity in Peru, and a comparison of the Amazon and Atlantic Forest in Brazil—to demonstrate gaps between representations of diversity, and the heterogeneous local realities they obscure. We suggest that hybridity is a form of diversity unto itself—albeit a form of diversity that is more complex, and thus harder to codify and categorize.
Highlights
Is ―diversity‖ a modern concept, like indigeneity or biodiversity, which is conceived precisely at the time that it seems to be threatened and on the verge of disappearing? Does diversity engender sustainability [1]? A number of scholars have analyzed the ways in which diverse local knowledges and practices enhance both biodiversity and sustainability [2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10]
Drawing from the insights of political ecologists who have debunked assumptions of local peoples‘ actions degrading the environment [9,22], we propose that hybridity is a form of diversity unto itself—albeit a form of diversity that is more complex, and harder to codify and categorize
We use six examples to interrogate the politics and paradoxes of modern diversity, which are in turn broken up into three sections—the first and second sections have to do with mapping and metrics, respectively, and our third section focuses on diversity in beliefs having to do with environmental problems and valued landscapes
Summary
Is ―diversity‖ a modern concept, like indigeneity or biodiversity, which is conceived precisely at the time that it seems to be threatened and on the verge of disappearing? Does diversity engender sustainability [1]? A number of scholars have analyzed the ways in which diverse local knowledges and practices enhance both biodiversity and sustainability [2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10]. In the face of perceived and actual threats to biological and cultural diversity, projects and policies have been crafted to protect, promote, or conserve diversity [17] In doing so, they have often demonstrated a paradoxical propensity: to normalize through measurement, definition, and representation a concept that encompasses heterogeneity and difference. We use six examples to interrogate the politics and paradoxes of modern diversity, which are in turn broken up into three sections—the first and second sections have to do with mapping and metrics, respectively, and our third section focuses on diversity in beliefs having to do with environmental problems (in particular, climate change) and valued landscapes. Throughout our examples, we call for reflection, and in many cases, reconsideration, about the ways in which diversity is considered and valorized
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