About this Special Issue
Pastoralist studies, particularly those focusing on nomadic pastoralism, are usually performed by two distinct groups of specialists. One group consists of biological scientists (ecologists, botanists, zoologists, and veterinarians) interested in understanding biological drivers and practical applications of their work in developing techniques of animal management as well as improving administrative organization of pastoralism and its natural resources. The second group features social scientists (anthropologists, archaeologists, human ecologists, political ecologists, and economists) who analyze pastoralist systems as social-ecological phenomena within cultural traditions, including traditional embedded knowledge. At the intersection of both groups, of course, are the traditional knowledge holders who often host and guide both sets of researchers.
Historically, interaction between these two groups of researchers, though obviously desirable, has often been rare, although becoming more common in the last few decades. When such interaction is organized, very valuable results are achieved, as seen in the establishment of the New Rangeland Paradigm and expanding work on the history of domestication. Regrettably, organizing such an interaction often meets serious difficulties, partly due to the different approaches and aims of the two groups and partly due to administrative barriers separating the disciplines in many countries in their systems of research management.
Separation between the two groups of researchers seems to be especially strong in reindeer herding studies. The reason is that in the former USSR and in contemporary Russia, where two thirds of the semi-domesticated reindeer and numerous reindeer herders live, these research groups have been
divided by particularly high administrative walls. Research by biologists and ecologists was part of so-called “agricultural science”, that used to be administrated separately from other disciplines. In contrast, anthropology (ethnology) did not have a special status, but was managed through the
Soviet/Russian Academy of Sciences. Moreover, the post-Soviet development of Russian anthropology and Russian agricultural science occurred rather differently. Russian anthropologists relatively quickly found contacts with Western colleagues, started publishing in English and several other European
languages and thus presented their findings and ideas to Western publics. By contrast, Russian agricultural scientists in general and Russian reindeer herding scientists in particular did not manage so well: for various reasons, which, will hopefully be made clear in this special issue, they did not establish many international contacts, their mastery of other European languages remains low, and their ideas and results are thus far almost unknown in Western countries.
In Fennoscandia, where most of Western research in reindeer herding science has taken place, separation between biological and social sciences of reindeer herding has never been so great. At least, the dialogue between them was much less hindered by administrative barriers. Still, the barriers created by differences in approach and aims remain. Furthermore, when it comes to practical results – developing new techniques of raising and herding reindeer as well as administrative management of reindeer herding– the linguistic barrier not dissimilar to that between Russia and the West emerges: most of these recommendations as well as the research that supports them are published in Fennoscandian languages, which hinders exchange of ideas across the borders.
Aim:
The aim of the special issue is to build bridges across institutional and regional lacunae outlined above.
This also involves (re-)establishing scientific dialogue across the border between East and West – a border that has reappeared and grown fast during the last two years. It is very important that scientific contacts and scientific dialogues between Russian and Western specialists should not stop. It is hoped that the special issue will become a place where reindeer herding scientists from different countries across Eurasia and Alaska will be able to present their practical results and learn from the results of others. We especially welcome accounts which increase the visibility of reindeer herders themselves who often have been the ones integrating all of these diverse perspectives.
Impact:
This special issue is expected to interest a broader readership beyond reindeer herding studies, addressing the widespread challenges of integrating biological and sociological research in pastoralism.
By fostering East-West scientific collaboration, this issue also aspires to have positive social implications amid current geopolitical tensions.
Historically, interaction between these two groups of researchers, though obviously desirable, has often been rare, although becoming more common in the last few decades. When such interaction is organized, very valuable results are achieved, as seen in the establishment of the New Rangeland Paradigm and expanding work on the history of domestication. Regrettably, organizing such an interaction often meets serious difficulties, partly due to the different approaches and aims of the two groups and partly due to administrative barriers separating the disciplines in many countries in their systems of research management.
Separation between the two groups of researchers seems to be especially strong in reindeer herding studies. The reason is that in the former USSR and in contemporary Russia, where two thirds of the semi-domesticated reindeer and numerous reindeer herders live, these research groups have been
divided by particularly high administrative walls. Research by biologists and ecologists was part of so-called “agricultural science”, that used to be administrated separately from other disciplines. In contrast, anthropology (ethnology) did not have a special status, but was managed through the
Soviet/Russian Academy of Sciences. Moreover, the post-Soviet development of Russian anthropology and Russian agricultural science occurred rather differently. Russian anthropologists relatively quickly found contacts with Western colleagues, started publishing in English and several other European
languages and thus presented their findings and ideas to Western publics. By contrast, Russian agricultural scientists in general and Russian reindeer herding scientists in particular did not manage so well: for various reasons, which, will hopefully be made clear in this special issue, they did not establish many international contacts, their mastery of other European languages remains low, and their ideas and results are thus far almost unknown in Western countries.
In Fennoscandia, where most of Western research in reindeer herding science has taken place, separation between biological and social sciences of reindeer herding has never been so great. At least, the dialogue between them was much less hindered by administrative barriers. Still, the barriers created by differences in approach and aims remain. Furthermore, when it comes to practical results – developing new techniques of raising and herding reindeer as well as administrative management of reindeer herding– the linguistic barrier not dissimilar to that between Russia and the West emerges: most of these recommendations as well as the research that supports them are published in Fennoscandian languages, which hinders exchange of ideas across the borders.
Aim:
The aim of the special issue is to build bridges across institutional and regional lacunae outlined above.
This also involves (re-)establishing scientific dialogue across the border between East and West – a border that has reappeared and grown fast during the last two years. It is very important that scientific contacts and scientific dialogues between Russian and Western specialists should not stop. It is hoped that the special issue will become a place where reindeer herding scientists from different countries across Eurasia and Alaska will be able to present their practical results and learn from the results of others. We especially welcome accounts which increase the visibility of reindeer herders themselves who often have been the ones integrating all of these diverse perspectives.
Impact:
This special issue is expected to interest a broader readership beyond reindeer herding studies, addressing the widespread challenges of integrating biological and sociological research in pastoralism.
By fostering East-West scientific collaboration, this issue also aspires to have positive social implications amid current geopolitical tensions.
Keywords: Reindeer, Pastoralism, Nomadic pastoralism, Reindeer herding, Anthropology, Open Access
