The corral and the slaughterhouse: knowledge, tradition and the modernization of indigenous reindeer slaughtering practice in the Norwegian Arctic

For copyright and other reasons, all images have been removed from the online version of this dissertation.This dissertation is a contribution to the ethnography of contemporary indigenous reindeer pastoralism in Norway: specifically, to the study of the neglected fields of reindeer killing and slaughtering practice. Its central contention is that in recent decades, the proliferation of human powers vested in the conduct of reindeer slaughter has created new conditions for practice, placing the identities of reindeer and herders at stake in new and still only dimly conceptualized ways. By exploring these, the dissertation aims to broaden existing debates concerning the so-called modernization of pastoral practice in Norway, drawing attention to some of its neglected aspects and inscribing them in a new register. Two principal strands inform the theoretical framework: one, approaches to the social study of knowledge that emphasise its practical, non-verbal and material aspects; and two, Foucauldian concepts of biopower as these may or may not be applicable to the human management of animal life. Individual chapters examine, in turn: the local politics of space on the Varanger peninsula, focusing particularly on links between the spatial management and the killing of reindeer; the practices and social relations of slaughter as it is conducted at the round-up corral; the social effects of the introduction of slaughterhouses, and of the regime of which they form a part; controversies surrounding specific slaughtering techniques and instruments, particularly the curved knife; and the politics of animal welfare discourse and practices in their application to reindeer herding. Finally, using the figure of animal sacrifice as a guiding trope, the concluding chapter attempts to situate some key aspects of the modernization of reindeer slaughter in relation to the operation of broader sacrificial economies that regulate the destruction of life at aggregate or populational levels

Adapting to Climate Change in Reindeer Herding: The Nation-State as Problem and Solution.

This paper discusses the role of nation-states and their systems of gover- nance as sources of barriers and solutions to adaptation to climate change from the point of view of Saami reindeer herders. The Saami, inhabiting the northernmost areas of Fennoscandia, is one of more than twenty ethnic groups in the circumpolar Arctic that base their traditional living on reindeer herding. Climate change is likely to affect the Saami regions severely, with winter temperatures predicted to increase by up to 7 centigrade. We argue that the pastoral practices of the Saami herders are inherently better suited to handle huge natural variation in climatic con- ditions than most other cultures. Indeed, the core of their pastoral practices and herding knowledge is skillful adaptation to unusually frequent and rapid change and variability. This paper argues that the key to handle permanent changes successfully is that herders themselves have sufficient degrees of freedom to act. Considering the similarities in herding practices in the fours nation-states between which Saami culture is now divided . Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia . the systems of governance are surprisingly different. Indeed, the very definition of what is required to be defined as an ethnic Saami is very different in the three Nordic countries. We argue that timely adjust- ments modifying the structures of governance will be key to the survival of the Saami reindeer herding culture. Since the differences in governance regimes . and the need to change national governance structures . are so central to our argument, we spend some time tracing the origins of these systems.

Aleitamento materno: fazendo a diferença no desenvolvimento, saúde e nutrição dos recém-nascidos de termo e pré-termo

Breastfeeding is the natural and safe way of feeding small infants, providing nutritional, immunological, psychological and economic recognized and unquestionable advantages. These qualities are especially important in premature infants, because of their vulnerability. Despite highly desirable, there is, in general, little success in breastfeeding preterm infants, especially in special care neonatal units. There are evidences that a high supportive hospital environment, with an interdisciplinary team, makes possible to these infants to be breastfed. In this article, the authors present an up-to-date review about the components of human milk and its unique characteristics, as well as describes aspects that make the breast milk particularly suitable for feeding the premature newborn.O aleitamento materno é o modo natural e seguro de alimentação para a criança pequena, proporcionando vantagens nutricionais, imunológicas, psicológicas e econômicas reconhecidas e inquestionáveis. Estas qualidades adquirem relevo especial em se tratando de recém-nascidos pré-termo, por sua maior vulnerabilidade. Apesar de altamente desejável, observa-se, de modo geral, baixa incidência de êxito na amamentação de prematuros, especialmente em unidade neonatais de risco. Há evidências de que uma postura hospitalar favorável, com apoio de uma equipe multiprofissional, torne possível o aleitamento nestas crianças. Neste artigo, os autores apresentam uma revisão atualizada sobre os componentes do leite humano e suas características únicas, bem como descrevem aspectos que tornam o leite materno particularmente adequado para a alimentação do recém-nascido prematuro

Aproximación del comportamiento de ladrillos cerámicos huecos mediante métodos numéricos

En la provincia de Misiones, Argentina, se destaca el uso frecuente de mampuestosconocidos como Ladrillos Cerámicos Huecos (LCH), los cuales son de fabricación industrial,moldeados con máquinas extrusoras, cocidos en hornos continuos. En términos de comportamientomecánico y estructural es un elemento de rotura frágil, el cual suele estar solicitado en forma global acompresión dentro de las mamposterías que conforma, con valores de resistencia que dependen devarios factores propios de su proceso de fabricación. En cuanto a su geometría es destacable laaparente interacción entre las paredes internas y externas que conforman una estructura de marcos. Elobjetivo del presente trabajo es analizar mediante una herramienta de simulación numérica, elcomportamiento mecánico de los mampuestos de la región, en forma aislada, considerando lasdiferentes variables que intervienen en su forma y composición material. Para ello, los ladrilloscerámicos individuales son modelados a través del método de los elementos finitos en el softwareSAP 2000 versión 14.1.0. El material es considerado según propiedades mecánicas y geométricas queson obtenidas a través de ensayos experimentales normalizados. Con los resultados experimentales dedeformaciones y resistencia a compresión se calibra el modelo numérico, con el que se obtieneinformación sobre el comportamiento de interacción entre las paredes horizontales y verticales delladrillo a efectos de poder avanzar en la formulación de macro modelos conformados por elementosfinitos de área.Fil: Duarte, Javier Alberto. Universidad Nacional de Misiones; ArgentinaFil: Detke, Fernando Rubén. Universidad Nacional de Misiones; ArgentinaFil: Reinert, Hugo Orlando. Universidad Nacional de Misiones; ArgentinaFil: Garcia, Diego Alberto. Universidad Nacional de Misiones; Argentina. Comisión Nacional de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica; ChileFil: Ares, Alicia Esther. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Materiales de Misiones. Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Químicas y Naturales. Instituto de Materiales de Misiones; ArgentinaFil: Möller, Oscar. Universidad Nacional de Rosario; Argentin

Exclusive breastfeeding in infants attending public health care units in the municipality of Joinville, State of Santa Catarina, Brazil

OBJECTIVES: to identify the prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding in children attending the public health system and its association with variables relating to the mother and the child. METHODS: cross-sectional study conducted in the course of the 2005 National Immunization Campaign, in the city o Joinville, State of Santa Catarina, Brazil. Carers for 889 children answered a questionnaire including questions about the mother and the child at the vaccination sites. Descriptive statistics and chi-square test were used to analyze data, with a level of significance of 5%. RESULTS: the observed prevalence for breastfeeding was 90.7%, 84.2% and 73.5%, in children under four, six and twelve months of age, respectively. Exclusive breastfeeding rates were 53.9% among children under four and 43.6% among those under six months. Use of pacifiers was significantly associated with the absence of exclusive breastfeeding both in children under four and in those under six months of age (p<0.001). Mother work outside home was associated with the absence of exclusive breastfeeding in children aged under six months (p=0.001). CONCLUSIONS: exclusive breastfeeding rates among infants under 12 months of age attending public health system were lower than those recommended by the World Health Organization. The use of pacifiers and the mother work may negatively influence exclusive breastfeeding.OBJETIVOS: identificar a prevalência do aleitamento materno exclusivo entre lactentes atendidos na rede pública municipal e sua associação com variáveis maternas e do lactente. MÉTODOS: estudo transversal realizado durante a Campanha Nacional de Vacinação em 2005, em Joinville, Santa Catarina, Brasil. Foi aplicado um questionário aos acompanhantes de 889 lactentes menores de um ano de idade nos postos de vacinação incluindo aspectos maternos e do lactente. Para a análise, utilizou-se estatística descritiva e o teste do qui-quadrado, com nível de significância de 5%. RESULTADOS as prevalências de amamentação foram 90,7%, 84,2% e 73,5%, nos lactentes com idade inferior a quatro, seis e doze meses, respectivamente. O índice de aleitamento materno exclusivo foi de 53,9% em menores de quatro e de 43,6% em menores de seis meses. O uso de chupeta esteve significativamente associado à amamentação não-exclusiva nas crianças com menos de quatro ou seis meses de idade (p<0,001) e o trabalho materno, entre aquelas com até seis meses (p=0,001). CONCLUSÕES: as taxas de amamentação exclusiva entre menores de um ano de idade atendidos na rede pública estão aquém do preconizado pela Organização Mundial da Saúde. O uso de chupeta e o trabalho materno podem interferir negativamente com o aleitamento materno exclusivo

Aproximación del comportamiento de ladrillos cerámicos huecos mediante métodos numéricos

En la provincia de Misiones, Argentina, se destaca el uso frecuente de mampuestos conocidos como Ladrillos Cerámicos Huecos (LCH), los cuales son de fabricación industrial, moldeados con máquinas extrusoras, cocidos en hornos continuos. En términos de comportamiento mecánico y estructural es un elemento de rotura frágil, el cual suele estar solicitado en forma global a compresión dentro de las mamposterías que conforma, con valores de resistencia que dependen de varios factores propios de su proceso de fabricación. En cuanto a su geometría es destacable la aparente interacción entre las paredes internas y externas que conforman una estructura de marcos. El objetivo del presente trabajo es analizar mediante una herramienta de simulación numérica, el comportamiento mecánico de los mampuestos de la región, en forma aislada, considerando las diferentes variables que intervienen en su forma y composición material. Para ello, los ladrillos cerámicos individuales son modelados a través del método de los elementos finitos en el software SAP 2000 versión 14.1.0. El material es considerado según propiedades mecánicas y geométricas que son obtenidas a través de ensayos experimentales normalizados. Con los resultados experimentales de deformaciones y resistencia a compresión se calibra el modelo numérico, con el que se obtiene información sobre el comportamiento de interacción entre las paredes horizontales y verticales del ladrillo a efectos de poder avanzar en la formulación de macro modelos conformados por elementos finitos de área.Publicado en: Mecánica Computacional vol. XXXV no.37Facultad de Ingenierí

Conceptualising resilience in Norwegian Sámi reindeer pastoralism

-Resilience thinking has growing purchase in the context of Arctic policy, resource management and indigenous politics. The present text outlines and compares two conflicting versions of the resilience concept, both currently at work in the field of contemporary Norwegian Sa´mi reindeer pastoralism. First, while ecological resilience originally emerged as a challenge to mainstream equilibrium ecology in the 1970s, we identify and discuss here a strand of current research that links ‘resilience’ to the ability of reindeer populations – and ecosystems – to maintain themselves in a steady state. At the same time, another strand of resilience research – developed in large part with (and by) indigenous pastoralists – uses the term to conceptualise the pastoral ecology as a dynamic and unstable system, threatened by factors such as progressive pasture loss, competing land-use forms and the ongoing pressure to ‘modernise’ production. Contrasting these two versions of the resilience concept, we explore some of its potential implications and uses in the context of resistance against dominant political agendas

Requiem for a Junk-Bird

The article describes an experiment in captive-bred supplementation of a highly endangered wild bird species that took place in the Norwegian Arctic a few years ago. Following the fate of a single bird, over the course of two years, the argument lays out some of the powerful conceptual, political and affective stakes involved in the experiment. The brief life of the bird, named A16, was contained almost entirely within an unresolved tension between salvific urgency and a purist biopolitics, deeply committed to the preservation of vanishing (or vanished) forms. Behind the scenes of the experiment, ornithological factions clashed over issues like genetic purity, the integrity of migration routes and the potential for behavioral contamination. Laying out the stakes of this, the argument begins to develop an account of salvific violence in conservation work—a framework for questioning the affective investments that drive purificatory biopolitics, especially during a time of planetary turmoil. What stands to be saved, what must be destroyed? What is a species, exactly, such that it can (or cannot) be saved in certain ways? What was A16