The Practice of Hunting As a Way to Transcend Alienation from Nature

The Journal of Transdisciplinary Environmental Studies vol. 17, no. 1, 2019 The Practice of Hunting as a Way to Transcend Alienation from Nature Lara Tickle, Ph.D. scholar Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) Division of Environmental Communication Department of Urban and Rural Development Postal address: P.O. Box 7012, SE-750 07 Uppsala, SWEDEN Visiting and delivery address: Ulls väg 28, SE-756 51 Uppsala, SWEDEN Telephone: +46 (0) 186 725 88 Abstract: This paper explores whether and to what extent the practice of leisure hunting is used as a way to transcend the human-nature alienation and thereby reconcile modern society and nature. The study is based on semi-structured interviews with hunters around Stockholm, Sweden and participant observation. In the paper, modernity is discussed from a Marxist perspective as causing the alienation of human beings from nature and natural sources of production through processes of industrialisation, capitalism and urbanisation. By exploring hunting as an ancient activity in a modern society the paper further discusses whether hunting can, through managing and harvesting wildlife, offer some kind of insight into people’s interaction with natural sources of production. The question is whether hunting has the potential to facilitate a more profound appreciation of wildlife and ecosystems by reconnecting people with nature. The effects of Modernity on hunting are also discussed to reflect some of the paradoxes and internal contradictions that exist within hunting. Keywords: Hunting, Alienation, Reconciliation, Modernity, Nature Introduction The first question that led to this project is “why monetize value and separate producers from con- would modern people want to hunt?”. The fact sumers. In turn, modernity creates an understanding that there is no need for most people to hunt made that nature and culture are two separate systems that it more interesting, especially since I do not hunt only interact with one another, nevertheless, this myself. From this first question the idea expanded is argued to be an alienated understanding of the onto what a modern hunter is. People have become reality of the world (Harvey, 1993). The separation such a successful species in terms of thriving popula- of producers and consumers means the consumer tions that it has become a problem in modern society no longer has knowledge or control over the means (Beck, 2009). In western societies most communities of production and therefore cannot determine the want for nothing and processes inherent in capital- source of what they consume or the clear effects of ism have led to a system where people are no longer their own consumption. Due to society’s alienation in touch with sources of production; causing what from natural systems there is a resulting anxiety in is referred to as alienation. Alienation is the Marxist individual consumers because they are separated term for separation and estrangement of people from from modes of production. themselves and the reality of the world they live in (Ollman, 1976). Modernity is the vehicle that fa- Recently championed as an antidote to alienation cilitates alienation through the inherent processes of (Reis, 2009) hunting is an activity which not only industrialization, capitalism and urbanization which places people in natural environments and in close The Journal of Transdisciplinary Environmental Studies, ISSN 1602-2297 http://www.journal-tes.dk/ Tickle: The Practice of Hunting as a Way to Transcend Alienation From Nature contact with wildlife, it also is an ancient practice 1. Modernity and Alienation that has been continued until this day (Peterson et Modernity exists at the heart of most social theory al., 2010; Persson, 1981). The purpose of hunting as a critiqued phenomenon and is a catalyst for the has not changed much but its practice has evolved alienation of human society from nature (Peterson and changed along with society (Persson, 1981), et al., 2010). The wellbeing of individuals is said to perhaps in response to the increased scrutiny it is depend “on improving understanding of the connected- under from the latter. Hunting is now more mul- ness between people and natural systems and applying tifunctional. that understanding in the policy arena to meet social challenges.” (Peterson et al., 2010 p. 127). Yet it is Hunting scholars generally argue that hunting, as a evident that modernity, and the functions inherent leisure activity, in modern society holds the potential in modernity such as capitalism and urbanization, to reconnect people with nature thus facilitating an work against such goals of understanding the rela- understanding of society’s dependence on natural tionship between humans and nature, viewing them sources of production (Peterson et al., 2010). Peo- as separate bounded systems rather than a function- ple’s wellbeing often benefits from being in nature ing whole (Harvey, 1993). (Peterson et al., 2010) and hunting takes a person outside and lets the hunter interact with natural William Cronon writes about nature or “wilderness” sources of production such as ecosystems and wild- and how the concept has evolved from what used to life. Hunting unites the producer and consumer as be associated with savageness, desolation and waste the hunter embodies both. Hence hunting can pro- that has now become a new “Eden”, a depiction of vide a potential opportunity to bridge the alienation the sublime (Cronon, 1996). Wilderness, just like gap between “culture” and “nature”. On the other nature is a human idea coloured by perspective. hand, as hunting changes along with society, it is In a modern society the vaguely defined idea of paradoxically affected by modernization and thus “nature” is only understood as something that is juxtaposes both the ancient and the modern. This separate from “culture” (Peterson et al., 2010). The means that as far as hunting approximates reconcili- distinction between society and nature means that ation, it does not do so unproblematically. environmental issues are defined as a problem with intricate relations between these interacting systems. The question of alienation from natural systems is This way of thought is the crux of many ecological important due to the possible causative effects such issues and is the “product of alienated reason, having as; unsustainable attitudes about consumption, no historical or well-grounded scientific justification” consumer anxiety, general ignorance about nature (Harvey, 1993, p. 33). We understand natural and environments. By studying the viewpoints and systems as we would our gardens that depend on changing reality of hunters in Sweden, the role of our care, yet glorify the wild outdoors because they hunting in relation to nature reconciliation may be inspire wonder and remind us of existence outside clarified. of the human world (Cronon 1996). Alienation is defining of the modern person who is Nature often becomes a separate object from the separated from sources of production and ratified by point of view of the subjective human and therefore artificial consumption. Hunting could perhaps “fit something that humans perceive they can control. in” like some atavistic puzzle piece and bridge the Conversely, modernity has also led to great advances hypothetical gap between the individual and sources in technology through observing nature under a of production. The concept is explored from the Cartesian type lens that has provided insight into perspective of hunters and if hunting carries such various natural systems but, also led to the reduc- a relevance for them. This is a question that is part tionist view of nature which can only be defined as phenomenological by exploring the subjective views “alienated” (Levins and Lewontin, 1985). Nonethe- of the hunters themselves on what they derive from less, a separate “nature” causes a disturbing separa- the experience, and part philosophical, discussing tion from personal self-realisation through labour the extent to which, but also with what practical and and the appropriation of nature (Ollman, 1976). philosophical limitations, the institution of hunting “Appropriation” is a term used by Marx to describe today can deliver as dis-alienation. the process where “man incorporates the nature he 23 The Journal of Transdisciplinary Environmental Studies (TES) comes into contact with into himself” (Ollman, 1976 healthier lives, whilst simultaneously feeling less safe p. 137). Capitalism and industrialization have cre- and secure” (Pidgeon 2000 and Mythen, 2004). The ated a society where people “are in fact alienated underlying insecurity of an individual's impact hav- from their human nature, because that involves people ing larger and graver implications somewhere else working freely and creatively, for their own benefit, creates a foundation of social anxiety. and for that of people in their community” (Inglis and Thorpe, 2012, p. 25). Due to the separation of con- Hunting often presents itself as a solution to the sumer and producer by industrialized producers, the issue of living in Modern society and as such, deal- consumer is rendered helpless as they no longer are ing with alienation by getting away from “it all” in control of their own production but dependent and returning to nature. Hunting is sometimes on industrialized versions instead (Ollman, 1976). implied to be a vacation away from society and the Ollman states that “man is alienated from his product human condition (Morris, 2013). However, hunting because the

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