From calculations to reasoning: history, trends, and the potential of Computational Ethnography and Computational Social Anthropology

The domains of 'computational social anthropology' and 'computational ethnography' refer to the computational processing or computational modelling of data for anthropological or ethnographic research. In this context, the article surveys the use of computational methods regarding the production and the representation of knowledge. The ultimate goal of the study is to highlight the significance of modelling ethnographic data and anthropological knowledge by harnessing the potential of the semantic web. The first objective was to review the use of computational methods in anthropological research focusing on the last 25 years, while the second objective was to explore the potential of the semantic web focusing on existing technologies for ontological representation. For these purposes, the study explores the use of computers in anthropology regarding data processing and data modelling for more effective data processing. The survey reveals that there is an ongoing transition from the instrumentalisation of computers as tools for calculations, to the implementation of information science methodologies for analysis, deduction, knowledge representation, and reasoning, as part of the research process in social anthropology. Finally, it is highlighted that the ecosystem of the semantic web does not subserve quantification and metrics but introduces a new conceptualisation for addressing and meeting research questions in anthropology

Spatial ontologies for architectural heritage

Informatics and artificial intelligence have generated new requirements for digital archiving, information, and documentation. Semantic interoperability has become fundamental for the management and sharing of information. The constraints to data interpretation enable both database interoperability, for data and schemas sharing and reuse, and information retrieval in large datasets. Another challenging issue is the exploitation of automated reasoning possibilities. The solution is the use of domain ontologies as a reference for data modelling in information systems. The architectural heritage (AH) domain is considered in this thesis. The documentation in this field, particularly complex and multifaceted, is well-known to be critical for the preservation, knowledge, and promotion of the monuments. For these reasons, digital inventories, also exploiting standards and new semantic technologies, are developed by international organisations (Getty Institute, ONU, European Union). Geometric and geographic information is essential part of a monument. It is composed by a number of aspects (spatial, topological, and mereological relations; accuracy; multi-scale representation; time; etc.). Currently, geomatics permits the obtaining of very accurate and dense 3D models (possibly enriched with textures) and derived products, in both raster and vector format. Many standards were published for the geographic field or in the cultural heritage domain. However, the first ones are limited in the foreseen representation scales (the maximum is achieved by OGC CityGML), and the semantic values do not consider the full semantic richness of AH. The second ones (especially the core ontology CIDOC – CRM, the Conceptual Reference Model of the Documentation Commettee of the International Council of Museums) were employed to document museums’ objects. Even if it was recently extended to standing buildings and a spatial extension was included, the integration of complex 3D models has not yet been achieved. In this thesis, the aspects (especially spatial issues) to consider in the documentation of monuments are analysed. In the light of them, the OGC CityGML is extended for the management of AH complexity. An approach ‘from the landscape to the detail’ is used, for considering the monument in a wider system, which is essential for analysis and reasoning about such complex objects. An implementation test is conducted on a case study, preferring open source applications

Spatial ontologies for architectural heritage

Informatics and artificial intelligence have generated new requirements for digital archiving, information, and documentation. Semantic interoperability has become fundamental for the management and sharing of information. The constraints to data interpretation enable both database interoperability, for data and schemas sharing and reuse, and information retrieval in large datasets. Another challenging issue is the exploitation of automated reasoning possibilities. The solution is the use of domain ontologies as a reference for data modelling in information systems. The architectural heritage (AH) domain is considered in this thesis. The documentation in this field, particularly complex and multifaceted, is well-known to be critical for the preservation, knowledge, and promotion of the monuments. For these reasons, digital inventories, also exploiting standards and new semantic technologies, are developed by international organisations (Getty Institute, ONU, European Union). Geometric and geographic information is essential part of a monument. It is composed by a number of aspects (spatial, topological, and mereological relations; accuracy; multi-scale representation; time; etc.). Currently, geomatics permits the obtaining of very accurate and dense 3D models (possibly enriched with textures) and derived products, in both raster and vector format. Many standards were published for the geographic field or in the cultural heritage domain. However, the first ones are limited in the foreseen representation scales (the maximum is achieved by OGC CityGML), and the semantic values do not consider the full semantic richness of AH. The second ones (especially the core ontology CIDOC – CRM, the Conceptual Reference Model of the Documentation Commettee of the International Council of Museums) were employed to document museums’ objects. Even if it was recently extended to standing buildings and a spatial extension was included, the integration of complex 3D models has not yet been achieved. In this thesis, the aspects (especially spatial issues) to consider in the documentation of monuments are analysed. In the light of them, the OGC CityGML is extended for the management of AH complexity. An approach ‘from the landscape to the detail’ is used, for considering the monument in a wider system, which is essential for analysis and reasoning about such complex objects. An implementation test is conducted on a case study, preferring open source applications

Sustainability Ethics : Ecology, Economy & Ethics : International Conference SusCon III, Shillong/India

"“Sustainable Development” is the goal 2015-2030 of the global community of states, adopted by the United Nations. This book shows how ecology, economy and ethics are all needed to reach these goals. Understanding a concept like ‘sustainability’ requires an understanding not only of what we are seeking to ‘sustain’, but also how man’s activities and needs are implicated in and can threaten the future of these biological systems. It is for this first point that we are concerned with Ecology, and for the second that we are concerned with Economics. Ethics then shows the orientation by values and virtues how human being should interact with the environment. The articles in this book come from one of the key countries of the world, India, whose population represents almost 20% of the world’s population. Questions surrounding economic development and environmental sustainability are fundamental to understanding the country’s future, and how it will tackle difficult issues, like the eradication of poverty. This publication represents a selection of articles presented at the Third Annual International Conference on Sustainability SusCon III in Shillong, India, which took place between the 6-8 March 2013, hosted by the Indian Institute of Management, a leading institute in the North East of India.

From calculations to reasoning: history, trends, and the potential of Computational Ethnography and Computational Social Anthropology

The domains of computational social anthropology and computational ethnography refer to the computational processing or computational modelling of data for anthropological or ethnographic research. In this context, the article surveys the use of computational methods regarding the production and the representation of knowledge. The ultimate goal of the study is to highlight the significance of modelling ethnographic data and anthropological knowledge by harnessing the potential of the semantic web. The first objective was to review the use of computational methods in anthropological research focusing on the last 25 years, while the second objective was to explore the potential of the semantic web focusing on existing technologies for ontological representation. For these purposes, the study explores the use of computers in anthropology regarding data processing and data modelling for more effective data processing. The survey reveals that there is an ongoing transition from the instrumentalisation of computers as tools for calculations, to the implementation of information science methodologies for analysis, deduction, knowledge representation, and reasoning, as part of the research process in social anthropology. Finally, it is highlighted that the ecosystem of the semantic web does not subserve quantification and metrics but introduces a new conceptualisation for addressing and meeting research questions in anthropology

The Genetic Contamination of Mexican Nationalism : Biotechnology and Cultural Politics

This thesis interrogates the relationship between Mexican nationalism, maize agriculture and contemporary technoscience. My aim is to unlock a phenomenon that can at times take the shape of a reactive nationalism, while positioning itself as a defense of maize agriculture. Since 1999, a growing coalition of Mexican and international activists has denounced the transgenic "contamination" of Mexican maize agriculture. In the process, activists have identified transgenic maize as the instrument of a foreign assault on a sovereign entity, namely the nation itself – which "native maize" symbolizes in a very tangible way. Rather than being positioned as a mere instrument of foreign powers, in my argument agricultural biotechnology is seen as a non-deterministic event that calls for a critical assessment of national narratives around agriculture, science, technology and technoscience. In addition to developing such a critical assessment, I set out to explore the ethical and political promises of refiguring the activist use of the term "contamination" so that the latter is understood to pertain genetically to identity itself, including the maize-based identity that some Mexicans invoke in their nationalistic opposition to transgenic maize. Drawing on specific contributions from post-Marxist political theory, media and cultural studies and feminist technoscience, I position "genetic contamination" as a critical and creative alternative to the reproduction of nationalist identifications. An acknowledgment of the ineradicability of antagonism, a rigorous attention to contextual specificities and a materialist commitment to the pursuit of democracy in the technoscientific world all inform my engagement with the nationalist narratives in the context of technoscience, understood here as "a form of life, a generative matrix" (Haraway, Modest_Witness 50)

Intangible Cultural Heritage, Diverse Knowledge Systems and Climate Change

Human cultural diversity is reflected in many different ways of knowing, being, and doing, each with specific histories, positionalities, and connections to ecosystems, landscapes, and the world. Such diversity results in plural knowledge systems. This white paper describes the characteristics and complexity of knowledge systems in the context of climate change. It notes the deficiencies of action to date on climate change, which has largely rested on scientific knowledge, and discusses the importance of drawing on other knowledge systems, particularly Indigenous knowledge and local knowledge. This paper synthesises evidence highlighting that Indigenous knowledge systems and local knowledge systems are dynamic, contemporary, and actively applied worldwide. Although Indigenous knowledge and local knowledge systems continue to be politically marginalised, the recognition of their role in climate governance is essential. We consider plural knowledge systems and the interactions and potential collaborations between them, with a goal of informing how they can most constructively, equitably, and inclusively be conceptualised and addressed when discussing and generating knowledge about and responses to climate change