Geography

Indigenous technological knowledge and its role in establishing a theory on the technological development of Andean agriculture

Document Type

Article

Abstract

Responding to the shortcomings of development strategies focusing on the transfer of modern agricultural technologies to the Third World peasantry, development institutions have recently shown increased interest in the agricultural knowledge of indigenous farmers. This interest both reflects and has nourished the movement toward participatory methods for the generation of agricultural technologies. This paper suggests an alternative theoretical framework based on the concepts of labour and interaction drawn from the critical hermeneutics of Habermas. This perspective allows each of the peasant's practical engagement with the biophysical environment, the communication of knowledge within the rural community, and the relationship between peasants and external development institutions to be considered within the same theoretical framework. Technological and socio-cultural change are theorised as inextricable elements of the same processes. "Participation' must be based on the principles of "dialogical communities' where campesinos and technicians participate as equals in discussions which simultaneously define the socio-cultural, technological and political objectives of any agrarian strategy. -from English summary

Publication Title

Documents d'Analisi Geografica

Publication Date

1-1-1990

Volume

17

First Page

7

Last Page

26

ISSN

0212-1573

DOI

10.1007/BF01579652

Keywords

technical change, cultural knowledge, meeting point, wide society, political implication

Link to Full Text

Share

COinS