Scalable sociality and "How the world changed social media": conversation with Daniel Miller

Daniel Miller is Professor of Material Culture at University College London. His prolific work in consumption studies, material culture studies and, more recently, digital anthropology has made fundamental contributions to our understanding of consumption, markets and culture. Miller is currently in the midst of a five-year European Research Council grant titled, Social Network Sites and Social Science, which funds the Global Social Media Impact Study. Developing concepts such as scalable sociality and understandings of “Why We Post,” anthropologists in nine locations around the world have conducted ethnographies, each of 15 months, focusing on everyday social media use in relation to issues of migration, family, politics, education, and commerce, as well as, on the ways in which genres of content flow through different platforms. The project's output includes 11 scholarly books, the launch of the Why We Post website, and an online university course, all of which are open access and have creative commons license. Miller is a Fellow of the British Academy and has won the Royal Anthropological Institute's Rivers Memorial Prize, given in past years to such luminaries as Bronislaw Malinowski, E. E. Evans-Pritchard, and Mary Douglas. This interview took place in London, 19 October 2015

Towards a Butlerian methodology: undoing organizational performativity through anti-narrative research

This article explores the methodological possibilities that Butler’s theory of performativity opens up, attempting to ‘translate’ her theoretical ideas into research practice. Specifically, it considers how research on organizational subjectivity premised upon a performative ontology might be undertaken. It asks: What form might a Butler-inspired methodology take? What methodological opportunities might it afford for developing self-reflexive research? What political and ethical problems might it pose for organizational researchers, particularly in relation to the challenges associated with power asymmetries, and the risks attached to ‘fixing’ subjects within the research process? The article outlines and evaluates a method described as ‘anti-narrative’ interviewing, arguing that it constitutes a potentially valuable methodological resource for researchers interested in understanding how and why idealized organizational subjectivities are formed and sustained. It further advances the in-roads that Butler’s writing has made into organization studies, thinking through the methodological and ethical implications of her work for understanding the performative constitution of organizational subjectivities. The aim of the paper is to advocate a research practice premised upon a reflexive undoing of organizational subjectivities and the normative conditions upon which they depend. It concludes by emphasizing the potential benefits and wider implications of a methodologically reflexive undoing of organizational performativity

Wildlife hunting in complex human-environmental systems: How understanding natural resource use and human welfare can improve conservation in the Ankarafantsika National Park, Madagascar

Conservation officials work to manage complex and interacting human-environmental systems, where balancing needs between the two systems can become a source of tension. This study presents information on the use of natural resources by, and the health and welfare of, rural  communities within and near Ankarafantsika National Park (ANP) in northwestern Madagascar. We focus on behaviors that are difficult for natural resource managers to measure themselves, including the hunting of threatened and protected wildlife and on sensitive information about humanwealth, health, and food security. We surveyed 41 9 households and measured the health of 1 860 individuals in 1 8 communities adjacent to or within the boundaries of ANP. We found a very high prevalence of child malnutrition, illness, and food insecurity and a heavy reliance on natural products to meet subsistence needs. More than 90% of the population reported that they hunted wildlife and harvested wild vegetables at least one day during the prior week as a direct means to cope with their food insecurity. Further, we found a high reliance on the forest for both healthcare and the building of adequate shelter. Efforts to improve overall food security would likely improve both human welfare and the long-term conservation of the threatened wildlife and habitat of Ankarafantsika. These data can help both conservation and community livelihood programs to find integrated solutions to the shared challenges of improving the well-being of human populations and the protection of Madagascar’s unique, endemic, and highly threatened biodiversity.   Les gestionnaires oeuvrant pour la protection de la nature sont généralement confrontés à des systèmes socio-écologiques complexes et interactifs dans lesquels la recherche de l’équilibre entre les besoins de ces deux systèmes peut s’avérer être une source de tension. Cette étude présente des informations sur l'utilisation des ressources naturelles par les communautés rurales riveraines du parc national d'Ankarafantsika (PNA) dans le nord-ouest de Madagascar, ainsi que sur la santé et le bien-être de ces communautés. L’étude s’est en particulier orientée sur les comportementsdifficiles à mesurer pour les gestionnaires de ressources naturelles, à savoir la chasse d'animaux sauvages menacés et protégés et les informations portant sur l’opulence, la santé et la sécurité alimentaire des gens. Une enquête a été réalisée auprès de 41 9 ménages et l’état de santé de 1 860 personnes a été mesuré dans 1 8 communautés vivant à la périphérie ou à l’intérieur des limites du PNA. Une très forte prévalence de la  malnutrition infantile a été observée ainsi que diverses pathologies, une insécurité alimentaire et une dépendance importante à l'égard des produits naturels pour répondre aux besoins de subsistance. Plus de 90% de la population a déclaré qu'elle avait chassé des animaux et récolté des plantes sauvages au moins un jour au cours de la semaine précédente, à titre de moyen direct pour faire face à l' insécurité alimentaire. Une forte dépendance à l'égard des forêts a également été notée pour les produits destinés à la santé et la construction de maisons. Les efforts visant à améliorer la sécurité alimentaire dans son ensemble pourraient vraisemblablement améliorer le bien-être humain aussi bien que la conservationà long terme de la faune et des habitats menacés de l'Ankarafantsika. Ces données peuvent aider les programmes de conservation et de subsistance de la communauté à trouver des solutions intégrées aux problèmes communs de l’amélioration du bien-être des populations humaines et de la protection de la biodiversité unique, endémique et hautement menacée de Madagascar

The use of natural resources to improve household income, health, and nutrition within the forests of Kianjavato, Madagascar

Understanding natural resource extraction in Madagascar is key to developing wider conservation and management strategies that ensure the continued delivery of essential ecosystem services, and the development of health and economic strategies to meet the demands of a growing human population. In the Kianjavato lowland rainforest of southeastern Madagascar, 78% of lemur species, 83% of native carnivoran species, and 67% of frugivorous bat species are threatened with extinction. All three of these groups of mammals are commonly hunted for food in other regions of Madagascar, yet we know little about current levels of hunting or whether the use of forest resources significantly affects human welfare in this region. We used health assessments of 1267 Kianjavato residents and semi-structured interviews of members of 336 households in 17 communities in Kianjavato to investigate human-environmental interactions. We found high prevalence of child and teenage malnutrition. More than half of the population under 20 years old was stunted, more than half was underweight, and more than one fifth was wasted. Further, one in six residents were anemic. We found that Kianjavato’s forests provided essential ecosystem services for its rural communities. As Kianjavato’s forests are altered to meet the needs of a growing human population, these direct-use ecosystem services (such as the use of wild animals for food or plants for medicine) are unable to similarly expand to meet the basic needs of the families living in these forests. A worrying proportion of the Kianjavato population depends on forests to meet their healthcare, nutritional, and economic needs, yet they may be failing to do so. All surveyed households (100%) depended on forests to meet their healthcare needs and 40% of the regional economy involved the extraction of finite forest resources (i.e., precious stones). Most households consumed very little wildlife (two animals per household per year) and the great majority (83%) of the forest animals they ate were not threatened with extinction. Forty percent of wildlife were caught illegally. Although hunting is likely not imperiling local wildlife at present, 16% of the Kianjavato population hunts wildlife and 20% are malnourished. The ecosystem services of Kianjavato’s forests may currently be insufficient to meet the needs of residents. Therefore, targeted efforts to increase local access to the healthcare system and to improve household nutrition and economy by improving the production and stability of local agricultural products may increase the long-term sustainability of both wildlife hunting, household incomes, and regional food security. Efforts such as these that can expand with the growing population to meet future needs may help secure the sustainable use of essential ecosystem services for the long term, improving the health of local people and maintaining the integrity of the forests in which they live. RésuméComprendre l'utilisation des ressources naturelles à Madagascar est essentiel pour développer des stratégies de conservation et de gestion plus larges qui permettent à la fois de fournir des services écosystémiques et de développer des stratégies sanitaires et économiques afin de répondre aux besoins d'une population humaine toujours croissante. Dans la forêt tropicale humide de basse altitude de Kianjavato dans le sud-est de Madagascar, 78% des espèces de lémuriens, 83% des espèces de carnivores indigènes et 67% des espèces de chauves-souris frugivores sont menacés d'extinction. Ces trois groupes de mammifères sont généralement chassés dans d'autres régions de Madagascar, mais nous en savons peu sur les niveaux actuels de chasse ou si l'utilisation des ressources forestières affecte significativement le bien-être humain dans cette région. Nous avons conduit une évaluation sanitaire sur 1267 habitants de Kianjavato, ainsi que des entretiens semi-structurés avec des membres de 336 ménages dans 17 communautés de Kianjavato afin d’étudier les interactions entre l’Homme et l’environnement. Nous avons constaté une forte prévalence de la malnutrition chez les enfants et les adolescents. Plus de la moitié de la population âgée de moins de 20 ans souffre d'un retard de croissance, plus de la moitié d’une insuffisance pondérale et plus d'un cinquième d’émaciation. En outre, un résident sur six est anémique. Nous avons constaté que les forêts de Kianjavato fournissent des services écosystémiques essentiels à ces communautés rurales. Comme les forêts de Kianjavato sont altérées pour répondre aux besoins d'une population croissante, ces services écosystémiques à usage direct (tels que la consommation d'animaux sauvages ou des plantes médicinales) ne peuvent plus couvrir les besoins fondamentaux des familles qui y vivent. Une proportion inquiétante de la population de Kianjavato dépend des forêts quant à ses besoins sanitaires, nutritionnels et économiques, cependant ces dernières ne peuvent plus y pourvoir entièrement. Tous les ménages enquêtés (100%) comptent sur la forêt pour la satisfaction de leurs besoins sanitaires. Par ailleurs, l’exploitation de ressources forestières finies (extraction de pierres précieuses) représente 40% de l’économie régionale. La plupart des ménages consommaient très peu d'animaux sauvages (deux animaux par ménage par an) et la grande majorité (83%) des animaux forestiers qu'ils mangeaient n'étaient pas menacés d'extinction. Cependant, 40% de ces animaux forestiers ont été capturés de manière illicite. Certes la chasse ne menace pas actuellement la faune locale mais 16% de la population de Kianjavato reconnaît s’y adonner et 20% souffrent de malnutrition. Les services écosystémiques s’avèrent actuellement insuffisants pour répondre aux besoins des résidents. Il est par conséquent nécessaire de cibler les efforts pour accroître l’accès local au système de santé, ensuite pour améliorer la nutrition et l’économie des ménages (améliorer la production et la stabilité des produits agricoles locaux), et tout ceci dans le but d’augmenter la viabilité à long terme de la chasse, des revenus et de la sécurité alimentaire dans cette région. De tels efforts lorsqu’ils prennent en compte la croissance de la population - et donc ses besoins futurs accrus —peuvent aider à assurer l’utilisation durable des services écosystémiques, à améliorer la santé des populations locales, et en fin de compte, à maintenir l’intégrité des forêts dans lesquelles elles vivent

The use of natural resources to improve household income, health, and nutrition within the forests of Kianjavato, Madagascar

Understanding natural resource extraction in Madagascar is key to developing wider conservation and management strategies that ensure the continued delivery of essential ecosystem services, and the development of health and economic strategies to meet the demands of a growing human population. In the Kianjavato lowland rainforest of southeastern Madagascar, 78% of lemur species, 83% of native carnivoran species, and 67% of frugivorous bat species are threatened with extinction. All three of these groups of mammals are commonly hunted for food in other regions of Madagascar, yet we knew little about current levels of hunting or whether the use of forest resources significantly affects human welfare in this region. We used health assessments of 1 267 Kianjavato residents and semi-structured interviews of members of 336 households in 1 7 communities in Kianjavato to investigate human-environmental interactions. We found high prevalence of child and teenage malnutrition. More than half of the population under 20 years old was stunted, more than half was underweight, and more than one fifth was wasted. Further, one in six residents were anemic. We found that Kianjavato’s forests provided essential ecosystem services for its rural communities. As Kianjavato’s forests are altered to meet the needs of a growing human population, these direct-use ecosystem services (such as the use of wild animals for food or plants for medicine) are unable to similarly expand to meet the basic needs of the families living in these forests. A worrying proportion of the Kianjavato population depends on forests to meet their healthcare, nutritional, and economic needs, yet they may be failing to do so. All surveyed households (1 00%) depended on forests to meet their healthcare needs and 40% of the regional economy involved the extraction of finite forest resources (i.e., precious stones). Most  households consumed very little wildlife (two animals per household per year) and the great majority (83%) of the forest animals they ate were not threatened with extinction. Forty percent of wildlife were caught illegally. Although hunting is likely not imperiling local wildlife at present, 1 6% of the Kianjavato population hunts wildlife and 20% are malnourished. The ecosystem services of Kianjavato’s forests may currently be insufficient to meet the needs of residents. Therefore, targeted efforts to increase local access to the healthcare system and to improve household nutrition and economy by improving the production and stability of local agricultural products may increase the long-term sustainability of wildlife hunting, household incomes, and regional food security. Efforts such as these that can expand with the growing population to meet future needs may help secure the sustainable use of essential ecosystem services for the long term, improving the health of local people and maintaining the integrity of the forests in which they live

Drivers and sustainability of bird hunting in Madagascar

Bird conservation depends on robust data on the densities of and threats to each species, and an understanding of the choices and incentives of bird hunters. This first comprehensive study of bird hunting and its effects in Madagascar uses 8 years of data on 87 bird species to determine bird densities and hunting pressure, incentives, choices, methods, spatial variation, and sustainability on the Masoala Peninsula of Madagascar. We find that bird hunting is common, affecting human wellbeing and, for some species, long-term population viability. Hunters caught more abundant species of lower trophic levels and consumers preferred the flavor of abundant granivores and nectarivores, while they disliked carnivores, scavengers, and species with common cultural proscriptions. Wealth increased species selectivity among consumers, whereas food insecurity increased hunting pressure overall. Projected and documented declines in at least three species are concerning, qualifying at least two for increased IUCN threatened species categories. We provide novel, data-driven assessments of hunting's threat to Madagascar's birds, identify key species of concern, and suggest both species- and consumer-specific conservation actions

Use of Genetic Stock Identification Data for Comparison of the Ocean Spatial Distribution, Size at Age, and Fishery Exposure of an Untagged Stock and Its Indicator: California Coastal versus Klamath River Chinook Salmon

Managing weak stocks in mixed-stock fisheries often relies on proxies derived from data-rich indicator stocks. For example, full cohort reconstruction of tagged Klamath River fall run Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) of northern California, USA, enables the use of detailed models to inform management. Information gained from this stock is also used in the management of the untagged, threatened California Coastal Chinook (CCC) salmon stock, by capping Klamath harvest rates. To evaluate use of this proxy, we used genetic stock identification (GSI) data to compare the two stocks\u27 size-at-age and ocean distribution, two key factors influencing fishery exposure. We developed methods to account for both sampling and genetic assignment uncertainty in catch estimates. We found that, in 2010, the stocks were similar in size-at-age early in the year (age-3 and age-4), but CCC fish were larger later in the year. The stocks appeared similarly distributed early in the year (2010), but more concentrated near their respective source rivers later in the year (2010 and 2011). If these results are representative, relative fishery impacts on the two stocks might scale similarly early in the year but management changes later in the year might have differing impacts on the two stocks

Marketing strategy and the hunt for era V

This paper is a response to a recent special issue of the Journal of Marketing Management in which Shelby Hunt celebrates the achievements of 40 years of marketing strategy. In noting the passing of the ‘old guard’, Hunt calls on a new generation of scholars to meet the challenges confronting marketing and to develop new theories and frameworks to advance Marketing Strategy into Era V. We take for our inspiration Hunt’s own words, specifically his reference to the ‘promising’ and ‘problematic’ that he uses to characterise the current and latent state of marketing strategy. To build our vision and map out our agenda we offer an alternative reading of this discipline through the idea of Marketing Strategy as Discourse (MSAD). Within the paper, we outline the role that discourse can perform as a resource to reconfigure our appreciation of marketing strategy

On the Harmony of Feminist Ethics and Business Ethics

If business requires ethical solutions that are viable in the liminal landscape between concepts and corporate office, then business ethics and corporate social responsibility should offer tools that can survive the trek, that flourish in this well-traveled, but often unarticulated, environment. Indeed, feminist ethics produces, accesses, and engages such tools. However, work in BE and CSR consistently conflates feminist ethics and feminine ethics and care ethics. I offer clarification and invoke the analytic power of three feminist ethicists 'in action' whose investigations into the "grey zones" of harms; identity and representational conventions; and "asymmetrical reciprocity" harmonize with business ethics' requirements