Parts- About Nature Final Paper - University of Chicago · Donna Haraway, the writer who originated...
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Colin Parts About Nature Professor Jasarevic Nature Through Nurture: Growing Mushrooms and Exploring Relationships In Unruly Edges: Mushrooms as a Companion Species, Anna Tsing highlights the ways in which human relationships with nonhuman species are mutually transformative. Her writing particularly explores the ways in which mushrooms have changed along with humans over time, claiming fungi are a companion species to humans (a term originated by Donna Haraway). Tsing states: “the presence of fungi often tell us of the changing practices of being human,” (145). After seeing one online, I wondered what a Do It Yourself (DIY) mushroom growing kit might be able to tell us, using Tsing’s theory. I purchased a kit and had it delivered to my house (a capitalist network of exchange). There were three main questions that I kept in my mind as I began to care for my companions. First, what do these home mushroom kits tell us about the human condition? Next, since Tsing discusses mushrooms as a species living on the edges of society, do these living room kits mean we cannot see mushrooms as edge species any longer? And finally, do the apparent contradictions to her work inherent in this kit mean Tsing is wrong and must be disregarded? I found that all three of these questions come together in a thought process about the place humans have in nature. During my time raising the mushrooms, I came to the conclusion that these DIY “natures” contained within the mushroom kit are really an extension of the way that Tsing conceives of humans existing mutually with nature. These kits help us to recapitulate a relationship with nature that domestication and capitalism have sought to destroy. In order to understand my conclusion, it is best to begin by answering my questions. I will first present my basic answers before going into further detail. In answer to my first question: I found that the kits tell us a number of different things about the human condition. As DIY has gained popularity, it has become a push away from domestication and the alienation from products of labor that capitalism enforces. Not only does DIY culture allow people (more importantly, women) to become producers and subvert the capitalist structures, it allows them to do so within the sanctum sanctorum of patriarchal domestication, the home. Through DIY, women can produce and be agentive while they had previously been isolated and forcibly made dependent. I found that my second question allowed me to explore the different types of mushrooms that can be found at the edges of civilization and compare them to the mushrooms that I grew in my living room. The more “rare” and “valuable” mushrooms that live on the edges of society (matsutake, morel etc.) cannot be grown in the same way I can grow oyster mushrooms in my home. I found that even the “domesticated” mushrooms in my living room had the uncontrolled (really, undomesticated) agency to “domesticate” me in return. By answering these two questions, I found (to my relief) that the answer to my third question was no, Tsing is decidedly not wrong and cannot be disregarded. At the end of her work on mushrooms as companion species, Tsing explains how mushrooms gather the toxins
Transcript of Parts- About Nature Final Paper - University of Chicago · Donna Haraway, the writer who originated...
ColinPartsAboutNatureProfessorJasarevic
NatureThroughNurture:GrowingMushroomsandExploringRelationships InUnrulyEdges:MushroomsasaCompanionSpecies,AnnaTsinghighlightsthewaysinwhichhumanrelationshipswithnonhumanspeciesaremutuallytransformative.Herwritingparticularlyexploresthewaysinwhichmushroomshavechangedalongwithhumansovertime,claimingfungiareacompanionspeciestohumans(atermoriginatedbyDonnaHaraway).Tsingstates:“thepresenceoffungioftentellusofthechangingpracticesofbeinghuman,”(145).Afterseeingoneonline,IwonderedwhataDoItYourself(DIY)mushroomgrowingkitmightbeabletotellus,usingTsing’stheory.Ipurchasedakitandhaditdeliveredtomyhouse(acapitalistnetworkofexchange).TherewerethreemainquestionsthatIkeptinmymindasIbegantocareformycompanions.First,whatdothesehomemushroomkitstellusaboutthehumancondition?Next,sinceTsingdiscussesmushroomsasaspecieslivingontheedgesofsociety,dotheselivingroomkitsmeanwecannotseemushroomsasedgespeciesanylonger?Andfinally,dotheapparentcontradictionstoherworkinherentinthiskitmeanTsingiswrongandmustbedisregarded?Ifoundthatallthreeofthesequestionscometogetherinathoughtprocessabouttheplacehumanshaveinnature.Duringmytimeraisingthemushrooms,IcametotheconclusionthattheseDIY“natures”containedwithinthemushroomkitarereallyanextensionofthewaythatTsingconceivesofhumansexistingmutuallywithnature.Thesekitshelpustorecapitulatearelationshipwithnaturethatdomesticationandcapitalismhavesoughttodestroy. Inordertounderstandmyconclusion,itisbesttobeginbyansweringmyquestions.Iwillfirstpresentmybasicanswersbeforegoingintofurtherdetail.Inanswertomyfirstquestion:Ifoundthatthekitstellusanumberofdifferentthingsaboutthehumancondition.AsDIYhasgainedpopularity,ithasbecomeapushawayfromdomesticationandthealienationfromproductsoflaborthatcapitalismenforces.NotonlydoesDIYcultureallowpeople(moreimportantly,women)tobecomeproducersandsubvertthecapitaliststructures,itallowsthemtodosowithinthesanctumsanctorumofpatriarchaldomestication,thehome.ThroughDIY,womencanproduceandbeagentivewhiletheyhadpreviouslybeenisolatedandforciblymadedependent.IfoundthatmysecondquestionallowedmetoexplorethedifferenttypesofmushroomsthatcanbefoundattheedgesofcivilizationandcomparethemtothemushroomsthatIgrewinmylivingroom.Themore“rare”and“valuable”mushroomsthatliveontheedgesofsociety(matsutake,moreletc.)cannotbegrowninthesamewayIcangrowoystermushroomsinmyhome.Ifoundthateventhe“domesticated”mushroomsinmylivingroomhadtheuncontrolled(really,undomesticated)agencyto“domesticate”meinreturn.Byansweringthesetwoquestions,Ifound(tomyrelief)thattheanswertomythirdquestionwasno,Tsingisdecidedlynotwrongandcannotbedisregarded.Attheendofherworkonmushroomsascompanionspecies,Tsingexplainshowmushroomsgatherthetoxins
oftheworldintothemselves,andshowhumanswhatwehavewroughtontheworld.Weknowwhatisbeingputintotheworld,andwithmushroomsasourcompanionspecies,wearemoving(slowly)awayfromtheeraofmassmonocropfarming.ThegrowthintheDIYtrendandthepseudo-domesticationinherentwithinthattrendshowthatpeoplearesearchingforwaystocontrolwhatgoesintotheproductstheyconsume,freefromtheglobalsocietalstructurescurrentlyinplace.Wearecreatingourownnaturestogetherwiththemushroomswegrowathome. Toexplainmyanswertothefirstquestioninmoredetail,itisfirstimportanttounderstandtheconceptofacompanionspecies.DonnaHaraway,thewriterwhooriginatedtheideaofacompanionspecies,explains:“IamwhoIbecomewithcompanionspecies,whoandwhichmakeamessoutofcategoriesinthemakingofkinandkind,”(19).Tsingsayshumansandmushroomsbecomewhatwearethroughourinteractions,sowhatdoDIYmushroomkitstellusaboutwhowearebecoming?Rebels!Theideaofdoingsomethingyourselfisatoncehighlyexcitingandquiterevolutionary.InhisworkTheRevolutionWillNotBeMicrowaved:InsideAmerica’sUndergroundFoodMovements,SandorKatzexplainsthat:“becomingaproducersubvertstheconsumeristparadigm,”andallowsustoescapethecapitalistnetworksintowhichwehavebecomeentrenched(30).Now,tobuyakit(usingacapitalistnetwork)thatIclaimallowsmetosubvertthecapitalistnetworkmayseemsomewhatcontradictory.However,theclaimthatonemustworkfromwithinthesystemtooverturnthesystemmaybeavaliddefenseofmyactions.Asaresult,withhomegrownmushroomswecanbecomerebelsagainstcapitaliststructures. Inadditiontomyattemptstosubvertacapitalistparadigm,IalsobelievethatDIYprojectsareawayforwomentobecomerebelsagainstthepatriarchalparadigm.InTheSecondSex,SimoneDeBeauvoirlamentsthestationthatthepatriarchyforcesuponwomen.“Shutupinthehome,womancannotherselfestablishherexistence;shelacksthemeansrequisiteforself-affirmationasanindividual;andinconsequence,herindividualityisnotgivenrecognition,”(526).In“UnrulyEdges,”TsingechoesBeauvoir’sdisdainforthedomesticationofwomenandsetsforthmushroom-gatheringasaformofrebellionagainstforceddomestication.Womencanleavethehomeandgathersustenancewithouthavingtodependonmen.Atfirstglance,akitthatmovesmushrooms,Tsing’sidolofrebellion,intothehomemayseemtobefurtherdomestication.Ratherthanbeingforcedtoexistthroughthebeneficenceofaman,though,womenareabletoproduceforthemselves,whilestillwithinthehome.Themushroomsthemselves,asacompanionspeciesarenotthen“domesticated”butratherpartofawoman’sprojectofliberation.Menandwomencanbecomeindividuals(andrebels)throughourinteractionswithhomegrownmushrooms. Inthinkingaboutthevalueofmushrooms,wecanbegintoanswerthesecondquestion.Itmustbesaidthatthemushrooms(oyster,shiitake,buttonetc.)typicallygrowninaDIYkitarenotthemushroomsmostvaluedbyhumans.“Highvalue”mushrooms,suchasmorelormatsutake,areinsomecasesimpossibletodomesticate.In“BlastedLandscapes(AndtheGentleArtofMushroomPicking),”
AnnaTsingdescribestherarityandvalueofmatsutakemushrooms.“Matsutakecannotbecultivated.Theyrequirehistoriesofradicaldisturbancefortheirassociationswithpioneerplantsandmineralsoils.Matsutakeforeststhusteachusaboutsystemsofworldmakingandenergysharingthatreachbeyondtheconceitsoffarming,withitsappealstostableharmoniesbetweenpeopleandcrops.“Thesemushroomscanfetchpricesofover¥100,000perkginparticularlylowharvestyears1.Giventhereadysupplyandhighdemandforundomesticablemushrooms,itisclearthattheedgesinwhichmushroomsgrowstillthrive. Additionally,ifonebelievesthatthemushroomsIpurchasedweredomesticated,thoughIremainunconvinced,Iwouldarguethatthey,too,havedomesticatedme.Thispositionallowsadeeperanswertomysecondquestion.Intheirdiscussionoftheinteractionsbetweenplantsandinsects,CarlaHustakandNatashaMyersstate:“[researchers]areproducingfascinatingaccountsofplantsaspractitionerswiththeingenuityand‘know-how’to‘befriend’insectsand‘defend’themselvesagainstherbivores,”(79).Whilefungiarenotplants,andIamnotaninsect,themushroomshadtheknow-howtobefriendmeandmakemethinkofthemduringourtimetogether.ThecoldoftheChicagowinterwasapparentlyleakingthroughthewindowbywhichIhadplacedthemushrooms,andtheytaughtmetobeawareoftheirtemperaturebynotgrowingatthepaceIwasexpecting.TheymademethinkaboutthemeverymorningasIwateredthemandeveryeveningasIcamebackhomeandmadedinnernearbythem.Ieven,thoughIhatetoadmitit,worriedthattheymightspreadmushroomsporestootherpartsofmyapartment.Interestingly,IfoundaparalleltothisfearinthefearsthatCaitlinBerriganencounteredduringherexhibitionofdandelionspartiallyfertilizedwithhumanblood(HepatitisCpositive).Shedescribesthefearbysaying:“[herexhibit]producedanxiety…asthevirus–theexogenousotherwithunknownmetamorphicandbioticpotential–lurkedintheenvironment,”(175).True,itwasafungusandnotavirusthatIkeptinmyapartment,buttheothernesswithbioticpotentialsurprisedmeasitmademeanxious.Thisfearandawarenessinspiredinmebythemushroomsindicatesafungalagencybothundomesticatedanduncontrolled.StacyAlaimo(viaKarenBarad)providesadefinitionofagencythatnotonlyfitstheagencyofmushrooms,butonethatprovidesfortheirpositionasacompanionspeciesthatinter-(andintra-)actswithme.“’Agencyisnotanattribute’buta‘doing/beinginitsintra-activity,’“(248).Giventhisagency,thisundomestication,andthevalueof“edge”mushrooms,wemustmaintaintheconceptionofmushroomsasedgespecies,ratherthantossitaway. Whilethisfungalagencycreatesanewconceptionoftherelationshipbetweenthefungiandme,itisimportantnottolosesightofthecontrolthathumanshaveinenactingDIYprojects.Inconsideringhumancontrol,wecanbegintoanswerthethirdquestionIposed.Theseprojects,particularlythoseresultinginediblematerial,allowhumanstoknowwhatgoesintotheproductoftheirlabor.Asthey“doitthemselves,”humanscanattempttocontrolthetoxinsthatmayormay1ThisinformationfoundthroughtheJapanTimes.
notpoisonorpassthroughtheirproduct.Anyattemptatcontrol,though,maynotbesuccessful,asisparticularlythecaseinradiationandpollution(twoforcesverydescriptiveofthehumanconditiontoday).Tsingdescribestheeffectsofthemodernworldbysaying:“Eventhehardylichensaredyingfromairpollutionandacidrain.Whentheytakeupradioactivityfromnuclearaccidents,theyfeedittothereindeer,whointurnfeedittohumanherders.Wecanignorethem,orwecanconsiderwhattheyaretellingusaboutthehumancondition,”(152).Tomakemattersworse,thereisnowayofknowingwhetherornottheseforcescanbefullycontrolled.HughRafflesdescribesthepurerandomnessofthenuclearradiationhumanshavebroughtintotheworld:“thecontingencyoflandscapesandbodies,theconcreteaestheticsofchance,andtherandombehaviorofartificialradionuclides.Somethinglikerandomness,acombinationofcontingencyandchance,isnowananalyticaswellasanaesthetic,”(37).Thehomemushroomkitsoftodayarenotcontradictingherclaimthattheyareourcompanionspecies.Instead,theyarechangingalongwithusasTsingsaystheywould,althoughthewaytheyarechangingisunfortunatelyrathernegative.
Despitethebleakimagethatthesequotationspaintforhumanity,thereisalsogoodtobeseenintherelationshipbetweenhumansandnature.However,myrelationshipwiththemushroomsisnotasimplecaptureofthenatural.Bybringingthissmallpieceofdirtandsporesintomyhome,IcouldarguethatIhaveappropriatednatureandbroughtitintothehumansphere.MelissaCaldwellexplainsthattheRussianconceptionofnatureisindeed“anexpansivenotionthatcanbebroughtintourbanspaces,suchaswithatransplantedgoatorcow,aswellaswithcollectionsofpottedplantsandherbsonapartmentbalconiesandwindowsills,”(84).However,thisconceptionofnatureisonethatservestoreifynatureratherthanacknowledgeitsfluidityandagency.Ratherthanpullabitofnatureintomylivingroom,Ihavebecomeapartofnaturetogetherwiththemushrooms,asDonnaHarawaywouldhavemeconstitutemyself.Infact,Ihavenotonlybecomeapartofnature,butconstructeda“nature”withthemushroomsandotherintra-actorswehaveencounteredtogether.Asaresult,AnnaTsing’sconceptionofmushroomsasacompanionspeciesisnotonlystillvalidinthetrendofDIYgrowth,andapplicableintheconsiderationofpollutionandhumandestruction,butnecessaryformetoconceiveofmyplaceinnaturetogetherwiththesemushrooms.Throughmyconsiderationofthisthirdquestion,Ihavebeenabletothinkabouttheplaceofhumans,oratleastonehuman,in“nature”broadly.
Thecombinationoftheanswerstothesethreequestions(WhatdoDIY
mushroomkitstellusabouthumans?Aretheconceptsofmushroomsontheedgesandmushroomsinlivingroomsmutuallyexclusive?DoDIYkitsmeanthatAnnaTsing’sthoughtsarenolongerapplicableorhelpful?)createsahuman-naturerelationshipthatisneitherrigidlyseparationist,norreifying.ItseemstemptingtosayDIYkitsareaperpetuationofpatriarchalandcapitalistsystemsinthemodernage,butIhaveshowntheyallowustoberebelswithinthesystem.Itwouldbeeasytoclaimthatthesekitsmeanmushroomsattheedgesarenolongeraconceptwecanconsider,butIhaveshownthattheedgesarestillpopulatedbymushroomsof
thehighestvalueandthatany“domestication”ofmushroomshasresultedinareciprocal“domestication”ofhumansthatprovedthefungitobeagenticandundomesticated.Finally,itmayseemthatthesekitswouldeliminatethevalueAnnaTsing’sanalysisofmushroomsascompanionspecies,butIhaveshownthatherideasringtrueandhumanintra-actionwithDIYmushroomshascreatedanatureuniqueandlocal,composedoftheintra-actionsofthesurroundingspecies.Firminmyknowledgeofmyplaceinthisnature,andsatisfiedwithmyanswerstothesequestions,Iamhappytoattachbelow:picturesofmycompanionsduringthisthoughtprocess.
SourcesCited:DonnaHaraway,“WhenSpeciesMeet:Introduction.”inWhenSpeciesMeet.Minneapolis:UniversityofMinnesotaPress,2008.AnnaTsing,“UnrulyEdges:MushroomsAsACompanionSpecies”inEnvironmentalHumanitiesVolume1.November2012.SandorKatz,“LocalandSeasonalFood”inTheRevolutionWillNotBeMicrowaved:InsideAmerica’sUndergroundFoodMovements.WhiteRiverJunction:ChelseaGreenPublishing,2006.SimoneDeBeauvoir.“TheMother,”inTheSecondSex.NewYork:AlfredA.KnopfIncorporated,1952.MinoruMatsutani.“Japan’sLongLoveAffairWith‘Matsutake’.”Tokyo:JapanTimes,2010.Web.http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2010/11/09/news/japans-long-love-affair-with-matsutake/#.VlyQVYRDmp4CarlaHustakandNatashaMyers.“InvolutionaryMomentum:AffectiveEcologiesandtheSciencesofPlant/InsectEncounters,”inDifferences:AJournalofFeministCulturalStudiesVolume23.Durham:DukeUniversityPress,2012.CaitlinBerrigan.“LifeCycleofaCommonWeed,”inTheMultispeciesSalon.EditedbyEbenKirksey.Durham:DukeUniversityPress,2014.HughRaffles.“Chernobyl,”inInsectopedia.NewYork:VintageBooks,2010.MelissaCaldwell,“NaturalFoods”fromDachaIdylls.Oakland:UniversityofCaliforniaPress,2011.
