Knowledge relativity: Carnarvon residents’ and SKA personnel’s conceptions of the SKA’s scientific and development endeavours by Suné Sonia Butler Thesis presented in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at Stellenbosch University Supervisor: Prof Cherryl Walker March 2018 The financial assistance of the National Research Foundation (NRF) is hereby acknowledged. Opinions expressed and conclusions arrived at are those of the author and are not necessarily to be attributed to the NRF. i Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za DECLARATION By submitting this thesis electronically, I declare that the entirety of the work contained therein is my own, original work, that I am the sole author thereof (save to the extent explicitly otherwise stated), that reproduction and publication thereof by Stellenbosch University will not infringe any third party rights and that I have not previously in its entirety or in part submitted it for obtaining any qualification. March 2018 Copyright © 2018 Stellenbosch University All rights reserved i Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za Abstract Carnarvon, a small and isolated town in the Northern Cape, is the South African host-town of an international radio astronomy project, the Square Kilometre Array (SKA). The notion of pushing the boundaries of knowledge lies at the heart of this multibillion-rand, big-science project, but this desire stands in stark contrast to many Carnarvon residents’ lived realities which are characterised by poverty, low levels of education and high levels of drug and alcohol misuse. The SKA justifies this massive expenditure through a specific development discourse that sees science and development to be in a causal relationship and promises that the SKA will benefit all of society. Most Carnarvon residents, however, are uncertain as to how the SKA will bring about local development as their understandings of what development entails differ from the science-development discourse that the SKA promotes. Many black residents still suffer the consequences of a long history of land dispossession and racial oppression and struggle to make a living. For them, the SKA symbolised a beacon of hope when the Department of Science and Technology (DST) first announced in 2012 that Carnarvon will host the SKA as promises of job opportunities were made. But since then, the SKA has emerged as a controversial entity as it has not fulfilled residents’ high expectations of “development”. Furthermore, the SKA has also brought about major changes in this small town in a relatively short timespan which many residents did not expect nor accept. These are the conditions that prompted my study of Carnarvon residents’ and SKA personnel’s conceptions of the SKA’s scientific and development endeavours. Carnarvon was my main research site where I conducted interviews with residents to explore their conceptions of the SKA, as well as the role of their social context in this. I also interviewed a few SKA staff members to discern how their conceptions mesh with Carnarvon residents’ conceptions. Through Pierre Bourdieu’s concept of habitus, I explored not only how Carnarvon residents and SKA personnel conceived of the SKA, but also “where” they were coming from in their conceptions. Deep-seated power relations underlie Carnarvon residents’ and SKA personnel’s conflicting conceptions of the SKA’s scientific and development endeavours. I consider these conflicting conceptions and unequal power relations in relation to Bourdieu’s concepts of habitus, field, capital and doxa, together with assemblage thinking and Bruno Latour’s notions of ‘matters of fact’ and ‘matters of concern’. ii Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za Opsomming Carnarvon, ‘n klein en geïsoleerde dorpie in die Noord-Kaap, is die Suid-Afrikaanse gasheer-dorp van ‘n internasionale radio astronomie projek, die Square Kilometre Array (SKA). Die idee om die grense van kennis te verskuif lê ten grondslag van hierdie multibiljoen-rand, groot-wetenskapsprojek, maar hierdie begeerte staan in ‘n starre kontras met baie van Carnarvon se inwoners se beleefde realiteite wat gekenmerk word deur armoede, lae vlakke van opvoeding en hoë vlakke van dwelm en alkohol misbruik. Die SKA regverdig hierdie massiewe uitgawe deur ‘n spesifieke ontwikkelingsdiskoers te propageer wat die wetenskap en ontwikkeling in ‘n oorsaaklike verhouding teenoor mekaar stel en deur te belowe dat die SKA almal in die samelewing sal bevoordeel. Meeste van Carnarvon se inwoners is wel onseker oor presies hoe die SKA plaaslike ontwikkeling te weeg sal bring, aangesien hul verstaan van ontwikkeling verskil van die wetenskap-ontwikklingsdiskoers wat die SKA promoveer. Baie swart inwoners ly steeds onder die gevolge van ‘n lang geskiedenis van grondonteiening en rassige onderdrukking en sukkel om ‘n bestaan te voer. Die SKA het vir baie inwoners ‘n baken van hoop gesimboliseer toe die Departement van Wetenskap en Tegnologie (DWT) in 2012 Carnarvon as die gasheer-dorp van die SKA aangekondig het, aangesien beloftes van werksgeleenthede gemaak was. Sedertdien het die SKA ontpop as ‘n kontroversiële entiteit aangesien dit nie aan inwoners se hoë verwagtinge voldoen het nie. Verder het die SKA ook groot veranderinge oor ‘n relatiewe kort tydperk in hierdie klein dorpie te weeg gebring, wat baie inwoners onkant gevang het en nie aanvaar het nie. Hierdie kondisies het aanleiding gegee tot my studie van Carnarvon-inwoners en SKA personeellede se opvattings van die SKA se wetenskaplike en ontwikkelingsondernemings. Ek het die meeste van my navorsing in Carnarvon uitgevoer waar ek onderhoude met inwoners gevoer het om hul opvattings oor die SKA te verken, asook die rol van hul sosiale kontekste daarin. Ek het ook onderhoude met SKA personeellede gevoer om te vas te stel hoe hul opvattings met betrekking tot die SKA in mekaar pas met dié van Carnarvon-inwoners s’n. Deur Pierre Bourdieu se konsep, habitus, het ek nie net Carnarvon inwoners en SKA personeellede se opvattings verken nie, maar ook “waar” hulle vandaan kom in hul opvattings. Diep gesetelde magsverhoudings is onderliggend aan Carnarvon-inwoners en SKA personeellede se botsende opvattings van die SKA se wetenskaplike en ontwikkelingsondernemings. Ek oorweeg hierdie botsende opvattings en ongelyke magsverhoudings in terme van Bourdieu se konsepte van habitus, field, kapitaal en doxa, tesame met assemblage thinking en Bruno Latour se begrippe, ‘matters of fact’ en ‘matters of concern’. iii Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za Acknowledgements This study was made possible by Prof Cherryl Walker’s DST/NRF SARChI Research Chair in The Sociology of Land, Environment and Sustainable Development. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Prof Walker who not only made this academic journey possible, but who guided me throughout. Her amazing knowledge has challenged and motivated me while her kindness and patience have encouraged me when I needed it the most. I would also like to extend my gratitude to the participants of this study who made time to speak with me and who let me into their homes and workplaces. I appreciate their kindness and openness toward me. Finally, I would like to thank the Karoosters who have made this journey an exceptional one. Every Karooster brought something special to the group and it was wonderful for me to be a part of it. iv Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za Dedications Leopold, thank you for encouraging me throughout the writing of this thesis and for taking care of the many things that sometimes fell through the cracks when things got hectic. Most of all, thank you for always growing with me. To my dad, thank you for working as hard as you did so that Leana and I could go to university and for always making time for us. To my mom, thank you for your love and support and for always showing interest in what this study was about. Leana, thank you for being the best sister I could wish for and for showing me that a Master’s can be done. v Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za Table of Contents DECLARATION .......................................................................................................................................... i Abstract ................................................................................................................................................... ii Opsomming ............................................................................................................................................ iii Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................................ iv Dedications ............................................................................................................................................. v List of figures ........................................................................................................................................ viii List of abbreviations ............................................................................................................................... ix Chapter 1: Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 10 1.1 Research rationale and research questions .......................................................................... 11 1.2 Background: Carnarvon and the SKA