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All Beings Among plants: Insights into the ‘Plant Turn’ in Anthropology

  • Time
    17 and 18 January 2025, 15.00–16.30
  • Location
    4F, A4 Art Museum
  • Speaker
    YUAN Changgeng

Introduction

‘Multispecies Ethnography’ is a fashionable yet frequently scrutinized label. Can anthropology truly study ‘non-human’ existences? If so, what exactly is being studied? In traditional Chinese culture, plants play a dual role—both aesthetic and ethical. People cultivate their temperament through these natural entities, which also serve as subtle symbols suggesting an escape for the intellectual elite from the rigid order of sovereign power. While the ‘Plant Turn’ in anthropology shares a certain affinity with this imagination, it places greater emphasis on the autonomous life states of plants, resisting the tendency to let them be driven by symbolic systems. More importantly, the ‘Plant Turn’ harbors a hope that transcends mere speculation, helping us imagine the possibilities of ‘healing’ in the face of the encroaching climate crisis.

PART I: An Anthropology That No Longer Focuses Solely on the ‘Human’: The Rise of Multispecies Ethnography
‘Multispecies Ethnography’ is a trendy yet controversial term. Can anthropology still investigate ‘Non-human’ entities? And if it can, what is the object of study? Is it the knowledge associated with these existences? Is it their anthropomorphic roles within mythical and religious cosmologies? This session begins with the intellectual background behind the rise of ‘Multispecies Ethnography’ clarifying common misconceptions regarding contemporary anthropology. Through selected case studies, we will illustrate why this research orientation holds profound academic and practical significance.

PART II: How Flora Heals: The Promise of the ‘Plant Turn’ in Anthropology
In traditional Chinese culture, plants and trees fulfill both aesthetic and ethical functions. On one hand, individuals refine their character through these natural elements; on the other, when the pressures of the secular world become overwhelming, flora serves as an oblique symbol of the intellectual elite’s withdrawal from the corridors of power. The ‘Plant Turn’ in anthropology resonates with this tradition but diverges by prioritizing the intrinsic vitality of plants over their use as ciphers within symbolic systems. Crucially, the ‘Plant Turn’ contains a hopeful dimension that goes beyond theoretical discourse, providing a framework to envision ‘healing’ as we confront the imminent climate crisis.

  • Speaker Profile

    YUAN Changgeng
    Associate Professor and Postgraduate Supervisor at the School of Ethnology and Sociology, Yunnan University. He holds a PhD in Anthropology from The Chinese University of Hong Kong. His primary research interests encompass medical anthropology, the anthropology of ethics, concepts of mortality, and studies of intimacy. In recent years, his work has focused on the perceptions of life and death among urban residents and their end-of-life practices. He has published extensively and is the translator of the Chinese edition of Strangers in the City: Reconfigurations of Space, Power, and Social Networks Within China’s Floating Population.

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