Aesthetically Appreciating Animals: On<i>The Abundant Herds</i>

Vice, Samantha

doi:10.3197/096327122x16386102423994

Environmental Values

2023

DOI: 10.3197/096327122x16386102423994

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Aesthetically Appreciating Animals: OnThe Abundant Herds

Samantha Vice¹

Abstract: This is an essay in appreciation of The Abundant Herds, a study of the amaZulu’s naming practices for their Nguni cattle. The book reveals an aesthetic vision in which contemplative and practical attention are intertwined and a complex classificatory system does not undermine an appreciation of the individuality of the cattle. The book and the practices it celebrates permit a richer account of the beauty of farm animals to the standard functionalist approach.

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“… 2. For an outsider glimpse into the intricacies of describing cattle among amaZulu, see the beautifully illustrated Nguni cows in the celebrated The Abundant Herds ( Poland et al, 2003 ; discussed by Vice, 2022 ). …”

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Readjusting observational grids in dragonfly field guides

Turnhout

Halffman

2023

Soc Stud Sci

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Wildlife field guide books present salient features of species, from colour and form to behaviour, and give their readers a vocabulary to express what these features look like. Such structures for observation, or observational grids, allow users to identify wildlife species through what Law and Lynch have called ‘the difference that makes the difference’. In this article, we show how these grids, and the characteristics that distinguish species, change over time in response to wider concerns in the community that use and make the field guides. We use the development of Dutch field guides for dragonflies to show how the ethics of observing wildlife, the recreational value of dragonfly observation, the affordances of observational tools, and biodiversity monitoring and conservation goals all have repercussions for how dragonflies are to be identified. Ultimately, this affects not only how dragonflies are to be observed and identified, but also what is taken to be ‘out there’. The article is based on a transdisciplinary cooperation between a dragonfly enthusiast with emic knowledge and access, and an STS researcher. We hope the articulation of our approach might inspire analyses of other observational practices and communities.

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Readjusting observational grids in dragonfly field guides

Turnhout

Halffman

2023

Soc Stud Sci

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Nature Breaks through Our Worldviews

Greaves¹

2023

Environmental Values

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Aesthetically Appreciating Animals: OnThe Abundant Herds

Cited by 2 publications

References 19 publications

Readjusting observational grids in dragonfly field guides

Readjusting observational grids in dragonfly field guides

Nature Breaks through Our Worldviews

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