ArticleJournal of ethnobiology and ethnomedicine2024
Are we romanticizing traditional knowledge? A plea for more experimental studies in ethnobiology.
Article in Journal of ethnobiology and ethnomedicine, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Wild bird captivity in the Brazilian semiarid region: practices, conflicts, and species richness in a protected area buffer zone.Journal of ethnobiology and ethnomedicine · 2026Article
- Towards a forward-looking ethnobiology: envisioning and co-creating biocultural futures.Journal of ethnobiology and ethnomedicine · 2025Article
- What are the most significant challenges that ethnobiology and ethnomedicine have faced so far, and how were they dealt with?Journal of ethnobiology and ethnomedicine · 2025Article
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Authors and funding
1 author.
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Abstract
In answer to the debate question "Is ethnobiology romanticizing traditional practices, posing an urgent need for more experimental studies evaluating local knowledge systems?" I suggest to follow-up on field study results adopting an inclusive research agenda, and challenge descriptive data, theories, and hypotheses by means of experiments. Traditional and local knowledge are generally associated with positive societal values by ethnobiologists and, increasingly also by stakeholders. They are seen as a way for improving local livelihoods, biocultural diversity conservation and for promoting sustainable development. Therefore, it is argued that such knowledge needs to be documented, protected, conserved in situ, and investigated by hypothesis testing. Here I argue that a critical mindset is needed when assessing any kind of knowledge, whether it is modern, local, indigenous, or traditional.
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Registered trials
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