The wires crossed: What dowsing reveals about environmental knowledge in Britain
Dados Bibliográficos
| AUTOR(ES) | |
|---|---|
| AFILIAÇÃO(ÕES) | Affiliated researcher in the University of Cambridge's Department of Social Anthropology. His research focuses on how people engage with their environment –particularly the relationship between landscape and knowledge. He was awarded his PhD in March 2018. |
| ANO | 2018 |
| TIPO | Artigo |
| PERIÓDICO | Anthropology Today |
| ISSN | 0268-540X |
| E-ISSN | 1467-8322 |
| EDITORA | Wiley-Blackwell |
| DOI | 10.1111/1467-8322.12436 |
| ADICIONADO EM | 2025-08-18 |
| MD5 |
66cb688b59b047e3fa5492835cea86fb
|
Resumo
Dowsing is a customary means of finding hidden things – especially water and minerals – and is found across northern Europe and the Americas. It recently became the subject of some controversy after a scientist revealed that 10 out of the 12 British water companies stated on Twitter that they used the practice, despite a lack of scientific evidence for its efficacy. In this article, the author analyzes the contours of this controversy in order to identify underlying cultural attitudes towards knowledge and the landscape it reveals. He concludes by sounding two notes of caution regarding the critical posture adopted by scientists who are rushing to condemn this customary practice, stressing the importance of understanding the nature of dowsing as a cultural form regardless of its efficacy and the need for scientists to be mindful of their own biases and preconceptions.
Referências Citadas
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