Planning of two wolf-themed articles

Today I took part in a Skype call with a colleague (should have been two) to plan for two belated wolf-themed articles we are co-writing based on video material from Wolf Park and our own field work with video-recorded interviews in Norway.

Popular scientific summary of field work prepared

The last week or so I have prepared a 7 page PDF document with text, images and links that sums up field work on people´s perception of wolves and related animals carried out at various locations in Norway in Spring 2015 as part of the project "Animals in changing environments: Cultural mediation and semiotic analysis", specifically the subproject "Representations (both Problematic and Romanticizing) of Large Mammals, especially Wolves". The document will be distributed and made publicly available shortly.

Program for 4th and final "Animals in changing environments" research seminar

The program for the 4th and final Norwegian research seminar of the Estonian-Norwegian research project "Animals in changing environments: Cultural mediation and semiotic analysis" is now available online, at the webpage of the project (in English and in Norwegian).

Copied here:

4th Norwegian research seminar of ”Animals in changing environments: Cultural mediation and semiotic analysis” (EMP151)

Venue: Lecture room KA-U-020 (Kjell Arholms hus)

Thursday December 15th

10.00-10.20 Morten Tønnessen (UIS): Welcome

10.20-11.00 Kadri Tüür (University of Tartu): ”The Semiotics of nature representations”

11.00-11.40 Kristin Armstrong Oma (AM/UIS): ”Living with animals in the Bronze Age”

11.40-12.20 Laura Kiiroja (University of Tartu): "Socialization of wolves"

12.20-13.20 Lunch break

13.20-14.00: Nelly Mäekivi (University of Tartu): ”Semiotic analysis and modelling of zoological gardens: an overview of PhD thesis”

14.00-14.40: Paul Thibault (University of Agder): ”Multimodal cultural thematic analysis of the interview data”

14.40-15.20 Riin Magnus (University of Tartu): ”The semiotics of guide dog work”

15.20-15.30 Break

15.30-16.30 General discussion

 — Ideas about theoretical synthesis, developing research programs

 — Future plans, possible collaboration

Friday December 16th

10:00-10.40 Silver Rattasepp (University of Tartu): ”Animals and the empirico-transcendental doublet”

10.40-11.20 Timo Maran (University of Tartu): ”Premises and lineaments of a general research model in Zoosemiotics”

11.20-12:00 Morten Tønnessen (UIS): ”The semiotics of predation and the nature of human beings”

Book chapters proof-read

Today I have proof-read my contributions to the forthcoming book Animal Umwelten in a changing world: Zoosemiotic perspectives.

Page reference for "Proto-language in wolves" abstract

Our paper "Proto-language in wolves" appears on pp. 42-43 on the printed abstract book of the 3rd International conference in code biology.

Work meeting on wolf communicative acts

Today I met with my collaborator Paul Thibault at University of Agder to continue our work on two joint articles. We spent the time discussing the article formerly referred to as the "Proto-language in wolves" article (though the focus is changing somewhat).

"Facts not enough" dissemination article referred to in Jeger news story

A news story published on Jeger.no November 17th 2015, "Fakta ikke nok i ulvedebatten" [Facts not enough in debate on wolves], refers to a longer story featuring my research published on forskning.no November 16th, "Fakta er ikke nok i ulvedebatten" [Facts are not enough in debate on wolves].

Jeger.no is the online version of the Norwegian magazine Jeger [hunter].

Work on three wolf-related articles

Today I met with colleague Paul Thibault to commence work on two articles related to field work on human perceptions of wolves and related animals, and one article on proto-language in wolves.

”Synchronicity in human perception of animals” paper scheduled for presentation April 22

My paper ”Synchronicity in human perception of animals” has been scheduled for presentation at NoSP 2016: Phenomenology and Beyond (Reykjavik April 21-23) on Friday April 22nd at 12.15-12.45 (in the session “Phenomenological Approaches to the Anthropological Difference”, convened by Cristian Ciocan).

"Proto-language in wolves" accepted for presentation in Urbino

Today I was notified that the paper "Proto-language in wolves", which presents joint work with Paul Thibault, with the assistance of Laura Kiiroja, has been accepted for presentation at the Third International Conference in Code Biology (Urbino, Italy 24-28 May, 2016). 

Abstract for NoSP 2016: "Synchronicity in human perception of animals"

In the end of November, I composed the abstract below, for Phenomenology and beyond: 14th annual conference of the Nordic Society for Phenomenology, to be held at University of Iceland, Reykjavík,  21–23 April 2015.

***

Synchronicity in human perception of animals

Abstract

By Morten Tønnessen, Associate professor of philosophy, University of Stavanger, Norway

Part of the panel "Phenomenological Approaches to the Anthropological Difference”, convened by Cristian Ciocan

This paper presents findings from 13 video-recorded interviews conducted Spring 2015 in Norway focused on the respondents´ perception of wolves and related animals which are often perceived to be in conflict with wolves. The interviews were conducted in the rural municipalities Kautokeino (Finnmark county) and Rendalen (Hedmark county), and the urban municipalities Stavanger (Rogaland county) and Kristiansand (Vest-Agder county). In the interviews, the respondents were shown images, video-clips and audio featuring wolves, elk, dogs, sheep, reindeer and people, and prompted to explain what they saw and/or heard. In the course of these verbal explanations, accompanied by telling body language, it becomes clear how the respondents sought to interpret the media material and e.g. determine the species of featured animals, or understand the situation on display.

I will demonstrate different ways in which human perception of animals is synchronized, and show examples involving simultaneous display of multiple screens and video-recordings. A study of synchronicity in human perception of animals can reveal patterns and tendencies in such perception, and inform us about the respondents´ identity, attitudes and self-understanding. By making use of parameters including geography, demography (gender, age etc.), occupation and hobbies, this study sheds light on the ways in which human self-understanding is always based in part on our ideas about, and perception of, animals.

Acknowledgements: This work has been carried out thanks to the support of the research project Animals in Changing Environments: Cultural Mediation and Semiotic Analysis (EEA Norway Grants/Norway Financial Mechanism 2009-2014 under project contract no. EMP151). Paul Thibault took part in designing and conducting the interviews; Laura Kiiroja contributed by cataloguing the video-recorded interviews.

Abstract "Proto-language in wolves" submitted to Code Biology 3 (Urbino)

I have today submitted the abstract "Proto-language in wolves" (see previous posts), which presents joint work with Paul Thibault, with the assistance of Laura Kiiroja, for the Third International Conference in Code Biology (Urbino 24-28 May, 2016). 

See also:

"Proto-language in wolves" talk cancelled

"Human perceptions of animals" chapter revised

Today I´ve revised the chapter "Human perceptions of animals: A multimodal event analysis of interview data" (co-written with Paul Thibault, for the collective monograph Semiotic Methods in the Study of Human-Animal Interactions, due next Spring).

"Human Perceptions of Wolves and other Animals in Contemporary Norway" presented by Laura Kiiroja

On Saturday September 19th, my and Paul Thibault´s presentation "Human Perceptions of Wolves and other Animals in Contemporary Norway" was given at the international conference "Animals in the Anthropocene: Human–animal relations in a changing semiosphere" (University of Stavanger September 17-19th). Our paper was presented by Laura Kiiroja, our research colleague.

Revision of "Human Perceptions of Animals: A Multimodal Event Analysis of Interview Data" finished

I have just finished, in collaboration with Paul J. Thibault, the chapter "Human Perceptions of Animals: A Multimodal Event Analysis of Interview Data", in its revised version (see some related posts). At ca. 10.000 words and with several images, the chapter is one of the longest I´ve contributed to.

Contents:

1. Introduction
2. Interview Design
3. Theory
4. Analysis of Data
5. Discussion

3rd EMP151 research seminar held; paper on human perceptions of animals presented

The 3rd research seminar of the Norwegian research group of the project "Animals in changing environments: Cultural mediation and semiotic analysis" was held at University of Stavanger last Friday. 6 people were present. I presented "Human Perceptions of Wolves and other Animals in Kristiansand, Kautokeino and Rendalen" along with Paul Thibault.

Talk on human perceptions of wolves and other animals scheduled for June 5th at noon

My presentation, to be given with Paul Thibault, "Human Perceptions of Wolves and other Animals in Kristiansand, Kautokeino and Rendalen" (see abstract) has been scheduled for presentation at 12.00-13.30. The presentation will be given at the 3rd research seminar of the Norwegian research group in the project "Animals in changing environments: Cultural mediation and semiotic analysis".

Program for 3rd research seminar of "Animals in changing environments"

Here´s the program for the 3rd research seminar of the Norwegian research group of the Estonian-Norwegian research project "Animals in changing environments: Cultural mediation and semiotic analysis" (EMP151), to be held at University of Stavanger Friday June 5th:

10.00-10.15 Welcome

10.15-11.00 Riin Magnus (University og Tartu): "A semiotic analysis of guide dog teams’ work"

11.00-11.45 Kristin Armstrong Oma (Museum of Archaeology, University of Stavanger): "The sheep people: the embodied experience of living with and of sheep"

11.45-12.00 Break

12.00-13.30 Paul Thibault (University of Agder) & Morten Tønnessen (University of Stavanger): "Human Perceptions of Wolves and other Animals in Kristiansand, Kautokeino and Rendalen"

13.30-14.30 Lunch

See also the project´s Norwegian home page.

Moss field trip cancelled

Our field trip to Moss has been cancelled due to illness.

See also:

Three field trips arranged

Moss interviews to be conducted at Moss library

Abstract for 3rd EMP151 research seminar: "Human Perceptions of Wolves and other Animals in Kristiansand, Kautokeino and Rendalen"

Paul Thibault and I have today composed the abstract below for the 3rd Norwegian research seminar in the Estonian-Norwegian research project "Animals in changing environments: Cultural mediation and semiotic analysis" (University of Stavanger, June 5th).

***

Human Perceptions of Wolves and other Animals in Kristiansand, Kautokeino and Rendalen 

Paul Thibault (University of Agder) and Morten Tønnessen (University of Stavanger) 

This paper presents fieldwork focused on people´s perception of wolves and selected animals which the wolf is often perceived as being in conflict with. The data analyzed in this paper consists of video-recordings of a series of semi-structured interviews conducted in Norway in Spring 2015 in three locations. During these interviews, participants were shown and asked to respond to display materials featuring wolves and other animals – particularly reindeer (Kautokeino, Finnmark) and sheep (Rendalen, Hedmark). Other study animals include hunting dogs, lynx and moose. Reindeer and sheep were selected for study due to their centrality in regional discourses on wolf management. At each of the interview locations (including the pilot study in Kristiansand, Vest-Agder), participants were recruited from relevant interest groups, including environmentalists, hunters, sheep farmers and reindeer herders. 11 interviews are included in the data presented here (4 in Kristiansand, 3 in Kautokeino, 4 in Rendalen). 

Using techniques derived from Multimodal Interaction Analysis (MIA), the study analyzes participants´ accounts of, attitudes to and reactions towards selected display materials. The term ´perception´ used in the title of this paper refers to participants´ experience with, ideas about and attitudes towards the study animals, as revealed in the interviews. Methodologically, display materials were used in order to elicit responses that provide information about the participants´ perceptions of the study animals. The display materials included video clips, audio recordings of animal vocalizations, and images. The semi-structured interviews also included a few standard questions.  

The techniques of MIA were deployed in order to analyze the full range of interviewees´ meaning-making resources, including vocal utterances, gesture, facial expressions and other relevant body movements. The purpose of the MIA was to identify salient cultural thematic patterns, evaluative stances and feelings experienced by the participants in their encounter with the display materials and their recounts of their experiences of the study animals. Furthermore, a comparative analysis was developed of relevant patterns in the data that showed differences and similarities in the perceptions of the different interest groups. Moreover, a comparative analysis was also undertaken based on the different geographical locations where the data was gathered. 

The paper will present preliminary findings concerning the different ways in which interviewees performed and enacted their experiences of the study animals through body dynamics, verbal patterns and orientation to cultural values. The display material included in the interviews were designed to elicit different responses and interpretations, without prompting from the interviewer. In particular the audio clips and images proved, in many instances, to be highly ambiguous and open to diverse interpretations.  

Acknowledgements: This work has been carried out thanks to the support of the research project Animals in Changing Environments: Cultural Mediation and Semiotic Analysis (EEA Norway Grants/Norway Financial Mechanism 2009–2014 under project contract no. EMP151). Laura Kiiroja contributed to cataloguing and coding the video-recordings as a valuable stage in the preparation of the analyses developed in this paper.