Sensory landscapes of drylands and grasslands are dramatically changing, due to climate change, urbanisation, technological changes and particularly because of land appropriation for agricultural and mining projects. All those changes are experienced differently by different groups, actors, and individuals. Here I would like to start considering theoretical, conceptual, and methodological tools (and traps) for understanding diverse pastoralists’ experiences of changing sense-scapes.
Sensory anthropology (as methodology including the role of senses in research: Pink, Järviluoma ) and anthropology of the senses (which senses and how are important in different cultural contexts: Howes, Geurts) were not often applied to pastoralist contexts. Except, spontaneously, they are an integral part of many ethnographic films on herding and pastoralism. Since sensory experiences are subjective and cultural, it is problematic how to grasp other people’s sensory experiences and their meanings (Bajic and Abram). Obviously, sensing experiences in everyday life activities and environment are also irritating, hard and painful, not just nice and nostalgic. The concept of sense-scapes (after Massey’s sense of place) includes the diversity and dynamic change in sensory perception/creation of environment by different subjects. Approaches through participant observation and audiovisual participatory means, embodiment and emplacement (Pink) to get closer to research subjects, phenomenological approaches including constructing meaning in conversation (Jackosn), sensory memory walks (Järviluoma, Muršic) are all useful methods which need constant reflection. The sensoriality of changing landscapes is not apolitical because it relates to changing experiences of different actors. The question is, however, do pastoralists themselves find sensory and emotional aspects important, or do researchers rather have to focus directly to support access to land and value of pastoralists’ knowledge?
