Whose diversity counts? The politics and paradoxes of modern diversity

Lauren Baker, Michael Dove, Dana Graef, Alder Keleman, David Kneas, Sarah Osterhoudt, Jeffrey Stoike

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

16 Scopus citations

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.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)2495-2518
Number of pages24
JournalSustainability (Switzerland)
Volume5
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - 2013
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • climate change
  • diversity
  • hybridity
  • indigenous languages
  • mapping
  • modernity
  • political ecology
  • purity
  • scientific authority

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Computer Science (miscellaneous)
  • Geography, Planning and Development
  • Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment
  • Environmental Science (miscellaneous)
  • Energy Engineering and Power Technology
  • Hardware and Architecture
  • Computer Networks and Communications
  • Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law

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