Tsing2005_-_Selection_for_course

Friction: An Ethnography of Global Connection

Author & Publication

• Author: Anna Lowenhaupt Tsing

• Published by: Princeton University Press, 2005

• ISBN: 0-691-12064-1 (hardcover), 0-691-12065-X (paperback)

• Library of Congress Cataloging: Discusses intercultural communication, international economic relations, and globalization.

Introduction to the Book

• Theme: Examines aspirations for global connections and their manifestation as 'friction' in worldly encounters.

• Key Questions:

  • How to study global connections?

  • What is the role of capitalism, science, and politics in these connections?

  • What does 'friction' reveal about global encounters?

• Post-Colonial Theory: Challenges scholars to find balance between universal and culturally specific narratives.

  • Universal notions can be oppressive, often legitimizing Western superiority.

  • Universals arise from specific histories and encounters.

Understanding Global Capitalism

• Dilemma: Global capitalism is often described as chaotic and violent in its destruction of resources.

• Case Study: Indonesian forests became a focal point for activism against state and corporate exploitation during the 1980s and 1990s.

  • Activists bridged urban and rural divides, giving a voice to previously marginalized communities.

  • Explores questions of environmental and social justice in a global context.

Post-Colonial Establishments

• The universality of global connection often overlooks the nuances of local encounters.

• Cultures are not self-contained; they are influenced by and engage in global dialogues.

  • Scholars noted that cultures should not be seen as isolated from global forces but as shaped through interaction.

The Concept of Friction

• Friction Defined: Describes the productive tension in global interactions that shapes cultural forms, leading to unexpected and creative outcomes.

• Ethnographic Methods: The book promotes ethnographic methods for studying these intersections of culture and power.

  • Highlights continuity and change as part of culture formation across differences.

Exploring Universals

• Universals and Engagement:

  • Universals are practical frameworks for mobilizing social movements and cultural initiatives.

  • They are not absolute truths but processes that charged and altered through local practices.

• Examples Include:

  • Environmental movements that operated transnationally, requiring locally-engaged discourses and knowledge.

  • The roles of local knowledge in shaping broader environmental politics and conflicts.

Examination of Globalization

• The book critiques linear narratives of globalization, suggesting they ignore the local complexities and historical realities behind global capitalism.

• Observers of the late 20th and early 21st centuries argued that capitalist expansion was seamless, whereas it is often fragmented and chaotic.

Friction in Capitalism and Collaboration

• Analyzes the roles of collaborations across cultures in creating new knowledge and social movements.

• Examines how collaboration can lead to friction, generating new identities and alliances.

  • Considers competing interests and perspectives in global partnerships, particularly in conservation and social justice movements.

Conclusion and Forward Look

• Tsing emphasizes the unpredictability of global connections as both a challenge and a space for possibility, calling for a nuanced understanding of friction as the engine of cultural change.

• The book is structured in three parts, focusing on aspirations of prosperity, knowledge, and freedom.

• Calls for deep engagement with the messiness of global relations and the importance of local histories in shaping those narratives.