Misunderstandings

Communication breakdowns have deservedly been attracting the interest of researchers, as they constitute important factors influencing the process of linguistic interaction and language acquisition. Not only do they affect the process of communication per se, but also have other, often serious, consequences. Particular interest should be accorded to the process of achieving—and failing to achieve—understanding when English is spoken as a vehicular language.
We present the results of the first comprehensive analysis of the complete conversations subcomponent of the Vienna-Oxford International Corpus of English (VOICE), focusing on the i) possible causes of communication breakdowns, and ii) strategies employed by speakers in order to both prevent and overcome such failures. We categorise and show the distribution of the sources of 122 detected breakdowns as well as the compensatory strategies employed by interlocutors to successfully avert and solve communication problems.
All of the material was examined in search of characteristic features and communication breakdowns. These were then analysed in detail with regard to what caused the failures and how they were resolved, or at least how the speakers attempted to resolve them. Finally, the remaining data were again scrutinised in search of preventative strategies.
The chapter concludes with pedagogical recommendations.

In this contribution we seek to enrich the theoretical and methodological approaches of ethnobiology. The essay takes elements of Amerindian anthropology, classical ethnobiological studies and the freedoms provided by feminist philosophers to open up reflection. The central background of the essay is the method of "controlled equivocation" proposed by Viveiros de Castro (2004). We present a series of five ethnobiological equivocations ranging from the subtle equivocal, to the categorical equivocal, to the strictly ontological ones. The cases occurred in different territories of Argentina, including a case in an academic context. Through the fieldwork cases, we give an account of the origin of equivocations, the context for their emergence, which are the disciplinary nuances that cause them and even some academics' preconceptions. To inhabit the equivocation allows opening the possibilities of coexistence among people-and their respective worlds-, especially if these people are in different power positions. We propose the method of controlled equivocation as a theoretical-discursive tool, which permits us to rethink the current concepts of ethnobiology. Thus, we want to broaden the current definition of ethnobiology understood as a dialogue from different scientific points of view.

Resumen: a través de una recuperación de las reflexiones metodológicas de Favret-Saada sobre la afectación, en este artículo realizaré una descripción analítica de las prácticas de colectivización en la comunidad aborigen de San Miguel de Colorados (Noroeste de Argentina) y su relación con otras formas de gestión colectiva. Los registros que voy a comentar están basados en mi experiencia etnográfica como investigador y corresponsable de un proyecto comunitario de edición de un libro con la historia de Colorados. Esta situación nos llevó a mí y a las familias de la comunidad a articular modos de organizar el trabajo y las decisiones por momentos muy diferentes, lo que dio lugar a una serie de quejas, reclamos y desencuentros que han impactado de múltiples formas en el desarrollo del proyecto.

Siguiendo las conceptualizaciones de Favret-Saada sobre la importancia de la comunicación involuntaria y no representacional en la praxis social —o lo que Stengers llama su dimensión pragmática—, describo cómo los coloradeños y yo nos afectamos mutua, pero diferencialmente, a raíz del proyecto del libro. La intención es explicitar las posiciones relacionales que movilizan estas afectaciones, para mostrar que en el origen de esta comunicación involuntaria se aloja un malentendido pragmático; una equivocación entre una definición de la acción colectiva como resultado del consenso representativo y otra en que las decisiones comunitarias se forman por medio del alineamiento temporal —y muchas veces conflictivo— de las familias y sus puntos de vista. Este análisis busca hacer un aporte a la reflexión antropológica en contextos colaborativos, a partir de considerar la implicancia de las teorías y prácticas nativas de la organización colectiva.

Palabras clave: afectación, conflictos indígenas y territoriales, equivocación, estudios andinos, proyectos comunitarios.

Affecting One Another. Ethnographic Considerations on Collaborative Relations and Misunderstandings in an Indigenous Community in the Puna of Jujuy, Argentina

Abstract: Using Favret-Saada’s methodological reflections on affectation, in this article, I will provide an analytical description of collectivization practices in the aboriginal community of San Miguel de Colorados (Northwest Argentina) and their relationship with other forms of collective management. The records I am going to comment on are based on my ethnographic experience as a researcher and co-director of a community project to publish a book on the history of Colorados. This led me and the families of the community to organize the work and decisions in very different ways, giving rise to a series of complaints, claims, and disagreements that have impacted the development of the project in many different ways.

Following Favret-Saada’s conceptualizations of the importance of involuntary and non-representational communication in social praxis —or what Stengers calls the pragmatic dimension—, I describe how Coloradans and I are mutually, but differentially, affected by the book project. The idea is to explain the relational positions that mobilize these affectations, to demonstrate that this involuntary communication is rooted in a pragmatic misunderstanding; a misunderstanding between a definition of collective action as the result of representative consensus and another in which community decisions are formed through the temporary —and often conflictive— alignment of families and their points of view. This analysis is intended to contribute to anthropological reflection in collaborative contexts by considering the implications of native theories and practices of collective organization.

Keywords: Affecting, Andean studies, community projects, indigenous and territorial conflicts, misunderstanding.

Afetar-se mutuamente. Considerações etnográficas sobre afetos e mal-entendidos colaborativos numa comunidade indígena da puna de Jujuy, Argentina

Resumo: a partir de uma recuperação das reflexões metodológicas de Favret-Saada sobre a afetação, neste artigo, realizo uma descrição analítica das práticas de coletivização na comunidade aborígine de San Miguel de Colorados (noroeste da Argentina) e sua relação com outras formas de gestão coletiva. Os registros que comento estão baseados em minha experiência etnográfica como pesquisador e corresponsável de um projeto comunitário de edição de um livro com a história de Colorados. Essa situação levou a mim e às famílias da comunidade a articular modos de organizar o trabalho e as decisões por momentos muito diferentes, o que abriu espaço a reclamações e desencontros que vêm impactando de diversas formas o desenvolvimento do projeto. Seguindo as conceituações de Favret-Saada sobre a importância da comunicação involuntária e não representacional na práxis social — ou que Stengers chama sua dimensão pragmática —, descrevo como a população de Colorados e eu nos afetamos mútua, mas diferencialmente, como consequência do projeto do livro. O objetivo é explicitar as posições relacionais que mobilizam essas afetações, para mostrar que, na origem dessa comunicação involuntária, está um mal-entendido pragmático; um equívoco entre uma definição da ação coletiva como resultado do consenso representativo e outra em que as decisões comunitárias se formam por meio do alinhamento temporal — e muitas vezes conflitivo — das famílias e seus pontos de vista. Esta análise busca contribuir para a reflexão antropológica em contextos colaborativos a partir de considerar a implicação das teorias e práticas nativas da organização coletiva.

Palavras-chave: afetação, conflitos indígenas e territoriais, equívoco, estudos andinos, projetos comunitários.