IDENTIFICATION THROUGH ORANGUTANS: DESTABILIZING THE NATURE/CULTURE DUALISM

摘要

The nature/culture dualism has long been criticized for constructing social beliefs, altitudes, and behaviors that fail to respect and value the natural world. One possible way to bridge the divide between the human and non-human worlds is the process of identification. Orangutans, an endangered species found in Indonesia and Malaysia, enable individuals to bridge, connect, and identify with a seemingly separate natural world. Through identification with orangutans, humans come to reevaluate their own perspectives and dichotomous ways of thinking about their relationships with nature.