‘WEIRD’ visions of the Global South Analysing representations of nature-culture complexes in the Global South in national geographic magazine since 1990 Name: Walter Apotheker Student number: S2175037 Supervisor: Dr. Arie Stoffelen Date: 28 May 2019 Abstract In this critical content analysis, relevant articles in national geographic magazine are examined to find how nature-culture complexes in the Global South have been positioned since 1990. Following a constructionist epistemology, nature and culture are regarded a fluent whole in this analysis. Indicators signalling orientalism were found in several articles. The indicators include exoticism, stereotyping, negative characterisations, heroic characterisations of western scientists, and exaggerated romantic depictions of the landscape. Consistent trends over time were not found. Multiple nature-culture complexes were identified ranging from articles objectifying nature to articles considering multiple interpretations to a place. Representations seem to depend on the author and their background. National geographic magazine tends to highlight overly spectacular segments of a narrative while representing scientist heroically. Table of Contents 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 1 2. Nature-culture complex: the role of representation in popular media ................................... 4 2.1 Nature-culture complex in geography .............................................................................. 4 2.2 The role of power and the importance of the narrative in representations of nature and culture ..................................................................................................................................... 5 2.3 Hegemonic ideas and the institutionalisation of truth claims .......................................... 7 3. Global South and the ‘unknown’: orientalism and postcolonialism ...................................... 9 3.1 Postcolonialism in popular media .................................................................................... 9 3.2 Orientalism and gender in popular media ...................................................................... 10 3.3 Postcolonialism expressed through stereotyping ........................................................... 12 3.4 Conceptual model ........................................................................................................... 13 4. Methodology ........................................................................................................................ 15 4.1 1990: a turning point for national geographic magazine ................................................ 15 4.2 The Global South and WEIRD countries and places ..................................................... 15 4.3 Methodology for data-collection and categorisation ...................................................... 16 4.4 Methodology for analysis of spatial distribution ............................................................ 20 4.5 Methodology for analysis of selected articles ................................................................ 20 5. Analysis Results ................................................................................................................... 23 5.1 Results of analysis of spatial distribution of relevant articles since 1990 ...................... 23 5.2 Results of article analysis for articles published from 1990 to 1999 ............................. 24 5.2.1 Rain Forest Canopy – The High Frontier ................................................................ 24 5.2.2 Malaysia’s Secret Realm ......................................................................................... 29 5.2.3 Masai Passage to Manhood ..................................................................................... 31 5.2.4 Amazon – South America’s River Road ................................................................. 34 5.2.5 The Orinoco – Into the Heart of Venezuela ............................................................ 38 5.3 Results of article analysis for articles published from 2000 to 2009 ............................. 41 5.3.1 The Driest Place on Earth ........................................................................................ 41 5.3.2 Megatransect ........................................................................................................... 45 5.3.3 The Gods Must Be Restless .................................................................................... 50 5.3.4 Cruellest Place on Earth .......................................................................................... 54 5.3.5 Last of the Amazon ................................................................................................. 58 5.3.6 Deadly Haven .......................................................................................................... 62 5.4 Results of article analysis for articles published from 2009 to 2019 ............................. 64 5.4.1 Defenders of the Amazon – Kayapo Courage ......................................................... 64 5.4.2 Life on the Edge ...................................................................................................... 68 5.4.3 The Salt and the Earth ............................................................................................. 71 5.4.4 Borneo’s Vast Underworld ...................................................................................... 73 6. Discussion ............................................................................................................................ 77 6.1 Various nature-culture complexes and truth claims seem dependent of authors ........... 77 6.2 Personalisation and characterisation as popular tools in national geographic magazine since 1990 ............................................................................................................................. 78 6.3 Themes indicating orientalism through exoticism, stereotyping, romantic representations, and heroic characterisations of western protagonists ................................. 79 7. Conclusion ............................................................................................................................ 82 7.1 Answer to the main research question ............................................................................ 82 7.2 Reflection and suggestions for future research .............................................................. 84 8. References ............................................................................................................................ 86 9. Appendices ........................................................................................................................... 88 9.1 Appendix A – All relevant articles per issue .................................................................. 88 9.2 Appendix B – All relevant articles divided per continent .............................................. 95 1. Introduction The national geographic magazine is a popular science magazine and an American institution that has been in print since 1888 (national geographic, 2018). It was founded by a group of “geographers, military officers, cartographers, naturalists, biologists, and engineers” (Parameswaran, 2002, p.288). A good part of the topics in the national geographic magazine discuss nature and cultures in the Global South (Lutz & Collins, 1993). Its photographs are described by Lutz & Collins (1993) as “one of the most culturally valued and potent media vehicles shaping American understandings of, and responses to, the world outside the United States” (p.xii). As an organization, the magazine has changed significantly since its start in 1888. Before 1960, the contents of the magazine were determined largely by the personal interests of one man: Gilbert H. Grosvenor. He edited the magazine for fifty-five years and was a self- proclaimed average American, so according to him, his interests would be interesting to other average Americans too (Beaudreau, 2002). There might have been some truth to this as the organization and its audience grew steadily. When Grosvenor’s son Melville took over in 1970, the magazine was no longer managed according to the vision of one man. Melville Grosvenor modernized the organization and embraced modern changes to the hierarchical structure and technological methods of national geographic. By 1990, the national geographic society had expanded further and now included tv-shows and documentaries in addition to the magazine. Importantly, the magazine’s vision was now determined by many contributors, including freelance photographers and writers from more diverse backgrounds instead of the vision of one man or group of men (Beaudreau, 2002). Although the magazine’s target audiences are “global middle- and upper class” readers, the magazine reaches other audiences too (Parameswaran, 2002, p.289). In December 2018, national geographic magazine had an estimated reach of over 37 million people, making it the magazine with the tenth largest audience overall and the only popular science magazine in the top twenty in the United States (Statista, 2018). Within this broad audience, many readers will accept the magazine’s articles as a faithful depiction of reality. National geographic magazine articles hold power to shape audience opinions on whatever topic is chosen for that article.