- “Knowledge is a related aspect with factors like value systems. normative behaviors, customs & beliefs, justification, truth and wisdoms, involving empiricism, rationalism, and constructivism, a subset of what is true and what is believed.” (Gupta 2011 pg58)
Gupta, A. D. (2011). Does indigenous knowledge have anything to deal with sustainable development? Antrocom Online Journal of Anthropology, 7(1), 57-64. doi:11/29/15
- In this article, Gupta argues that indigenous knowledge is still extremely function and heavily “value-loaded.” He argues that the pitfalls of a unidirectional and unequal development of the global market can be mitigated with incorporating the use of indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) through biodiversity management at a community-specific level. While Gupta notes that IKS are unequally distributed, in specific societies the IKS can mirror the actual knowledge base of the community. While many anthropologists argue that emphasizing IKS in sustainable development is blindly assuming indigenous knowledge is true; the IKS can be helpful in creating a two-way street between modern and traditional systems of knowledge, that can ultimately lead to a more sustainable world. Furthermore, IKS are extremely relevant to the sustainable development conversation, as indigenous communities have been adapting to their availability of resources for centuries, having a sense of resource preservation and feedback mechanisms within each knowledge system. Finally, it is recognized that unidirectional global development may positively benefit certain areas of the world, but at the cost of the rest of humanity.
*See abstract filing cabinet for :Carrying Capacity’s New Guise by Lisa Cliggett and Smallholders, Householders, Robert Netting