Papers by Rafaela H . Ludwinsky
Ethnoscientia, Dec 5, 2023
This report of an experience focuses on developing a book aimed at elementary school teachers and... more This report of an experience focuses on developing a book aimed at elementary school teachers and a training course based on this material. The book and the course, titled "Biocultural Diversity in Schools-Reflections and Practices for Teachers," were organized based on the experiences of a research group focused on ethnobiology and human ecology, with both direct and indirect collaboration from representatives of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities. The goal was to bridge discussions present in higher education with those in elementary education. The book consists of six chapters and includes contributions from 21 authors. An online course held during the pandemic period was organized with synchronous classes and asynchronous remote activities from October to December 2021, totaling 30 hours. Approximately 70 people completed the course with a 75% attendance rate in both synchronous and asynchronous activities. Another 250 participants watched certified activities, and some sessions had over 1000 views just during the course period. The richness of the final projects created by the participants of this course will enable the organization of additional educational material with suggested activities related to biocultural diversity for various teaching and learning situations. We hope that this initiative inspires new connections and pathways between ethnobiology and elementary education, contributing to a more sensitive and inclusive education that values traditional knowledge and practices, as well as the communities that hold them.
Sustainable Earth Reviews
Human movements via migrations facilitate the transport of plants and knowledge. Migrations were ... more Human movements via migrations facilitate the transport of plants and knowledge. Migrations were always present in our human history, but conflicts and environmental changes are contributing to the increase in people’s movements to and from different parts of the world. In this literature review, our focus is on the ethnobotany of food plants and migrations, and the adaptations following this process. We analyzed 58 studies dealing with human migrations and food plants, including both internal migrations and international ones, over a wide period from several centuries to the present but with the predominance of migrations since the second half of the twentieth century. Most studies reported migrations between countries or regions (80%) in which people search for better economic opportunities. Other reasons for migrations were refugees, mandatory displacements, and slavery. The studies included cultivated plants, gathered plants (foraged), and food plants purchased on markets or obt...
Protocols and Ethical Considerations in Ethnobiological Research
Springer Protocols Handbooks, 2018
In this chapter, we present and clarify the main protocols and ethical considerations for the dev... more In this chapter, we present and clarify the main protocols and ethical considerations for the development of ethnobiological research. We present the context in which such guidelines emerged, the operational aspects that should be observed, and the future challenges related to this issue.
This report of an experience focuses on developing a book aimed at elementary school teachers and... more This report of an experience focuses on developing a book aimed at elementary school teachers and a training course based on this material. The book and the course, titled "Biocultural Diversity in Schools-Reflections and Practices for Teachers," were organized based on the experiences of a research group focused on ethnobiology and human ecology, with both direct and indirect collaboration from representatives of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities. The goal was to bridge discussions present in higher education with those in elementary education. The book consists of six chapters and includes contributions from 21 authors. An online course held during the pandemic period was organized with synchronous classes and asynchronous remote activities from October to December 2021, totaling 30 hours. Approximately 70 people completed the course with a 75% attendance rate in both synchronous and asynchronous activities. Another 250 participants watched certified activities, and some sessions had over 1000 views just during the course period. The richness of the final projects created by the participants of this course will enable the organization of additional educational material with suggested activities related to biocultural diversity for various teaching and learning situations. We hope that this initiative inspires new connections and pathways between ethnobiology and elementary education, contributing to a more sensitive and inclusive education that values traditional knowledge and practices, as well as the communities that hold them.
Sustainable Earth Reviews, 2023
Human movements via migrations facilitate the transport of plants and knowledge. Migrations were ... more Human movements via migrations facilitate the transport of plants and knowledge. Migrations were always present in our human history, but conflicts and environmental changes are contributing to the increase in people's movements to and from different parts of the world. In this literature review, our focus is on the ethnobotany of food plants and migrations, and the adaptations following this process. We analyzed 58 studies dealing with human migrations and food plants, including both internal migrations and international ones, over a wide period from several centuries to the present but with the predominance of migrations since the second half of the twentieth century. Most studies reported migrations between countries or regions (80%) in which people search for better economic opportunities. Other reasons for migrations were refugees, mandatory displacements, and slavery. The studies included cultivated plants, gathered plants (foraged), and food plants purchased on markets or obtained via exchanges or importation. We discuss the identitarian role of food plants in the processes of maintenance, abandonment, replacement, and incorporation of plants; although the evidences of abandonment are the most difficult to track. After the migration, the maintenance of a food identity will depend on several variables, including how important it is to keep a distinct identity, the plant resources available, the people's agency of the plant resources, and also the reasons for each migratory movement. Finally, we discuss the implications of this ethnobotanical knowledge and practices related to food plants for sustainability.
Food is a cultural marker investigated by several fields of knowledge. The ecological approach to... more Food is a cultural marker investigated by several fields of knowledge. The ecological approach to food plants used in human societies can give us insights into food biodiversity and its connection to cultural identity. In our work, we investigate plant knowledge as part of an imagined culinary community among Polish and German descendants in Santa Catarina, Brazil. We interviewed Polish and German descendants and used an ecological analytical approach to discuss patterns of known plants mediated by culture. One hundred years after immigration, we found that ethnic food-centered memories remain. Polish and German descendants share most resources cited, while the difference between plants' use lies in the ethnic memories and food preparation. There is a tendency to acculturate ingredients and tastes by immigrants descendants, using native species to recreate dishes. This scenario, which joins native plants' knowledge and ethnic memories, provides an excellent opportunity to maintain local biocultural diversity in urbanized environments.
People and Plants Through Generations of Polish Descendants in Brazil
Journal of Economic Botany, 2020
Exploring the dynamics of knowledge through generations of immigrants and their descendants can e... more Exploring the dynamics of knowledge through generations of immigrants and their descendants can elucidate different variables that contribute to the transformation of traditional ecological knowledge. In this study, we present a quantitative investigation of intergenerational plant knowledge among Polish descendants in Brazil. We seek to answer the following questions: 1) Would plant knowledge vary with age? 2) Does the composition of species vary in accordance with the descendant’s generation? 3) Does the strengthening of identity act as a homogenizer of plant knowledge? We interviewed 150 Brazilian descendants of Polish immigrants from three generational groups (second, third, and fourth generations). We classified them into two groups based on their participation in cultural associations. We found that the fourth generational group cited significantly fewer plants than the second and third groups. However, the composition of plant knowledge was similar throughout the generations. The involvement in cultural associations did not play a role in homogenizing plant knowledge. We discuss and reflect on the differences in knowledge between generations and groups that do and do not participate in cultural organizations.
Acta Botanica Brasilica, 2019
For at least 30 years researchers have called for a deeper reflection on the paths we desire for ... more For at least 30 years researchers have called for a deeper reflection on the paths we desire for ethnobotanical research. Although the discipline of ethnobotany is growing, as measured by the number of publications in the area, there is still work to be done regarding the homogeneity of theoretical and methodological approaches and the implications of ethnobotanical research findings for society as a whole. In this article we present 10 questions/issues that we believe can guide the research and actions of ethnobotanists for the coming years.
Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine, 2018
Background
We investigated local knowledge of plants in terms of plant use shifts and losses, in ... more Background
We investigated local knowledge of plants in terms of plant use shifts and losses, in two coastal communities within a protected area in southern Brazil. Our hypothesis is that people’s livelihoods are associated with different ethnobotanical knowledge, and changes in these activities can reflect shifts in ethnobotanical knowledge such as stopping using some plants.
Methods
We interviewed 125 inhabitants after prior informed consent, asking her/him about their socioeconomic profile and to free list the plants they know. The free lists were analyzed by frequency of cited plants. To compare averages of cited plants and age in both communities, we used the Wilcoxon test with a significance of 5%. Spearman correlation was tested with number of plants cited in the past and the interviewees’ age. Permanence and change in economic activities in each community were represented using a graph and compared through a chi-squared test with a significance of 5%. Qualitative analyses of the interviews and a field diary were used to analyze driving forces for the abandonment of used plants.
Results
We identified 231 plant species that were currently used mainly for food and medicine. Despite being in a protected area, most of the cited plants were exotic and cultivated in home gardens. We do not confirm the hypothesis that changes in livelihoods are reflected in the plants used; however, qualitative analyses showed potential drivers for shifts and losses of plant use. “Environmental law” and “protected area” were the drivers most related to the abandonment of plant use.
Conclusions
While recognizing the importance of the protected area to maintain local people and their traditions, we documented a shift in plant use that is mainly correlated to construction activities that disappeared from daily practices.
Books by Rafaela H . Ludwinsky
Ecologia de Campo: Serra e Litoral Catarinense., 2017
ISBN 978-85-64093-61-4
In book: Métodos de pesquisa qualitativa para etnobiologia
Capítulo 2., do livro Diversidade Biocultural na Escola: Reflexões práticas para professoras e pr... more Capítulo 2., do livro Diversidade Biocultural na Escola: Reflexões práticas para professoras e professores
Capítulo 4., do livro Diversidade Biocultural na Escola: Reflexções práticas para professoras e p... more Capítulo 4., do livro Diversidade Biocultural na Escola: Reflexções práticas para professoras e professores.
Protocols and Ethical Considerations in Ethnobiological Research
Springer Protocols Handbooks , 2018
In this chapter, we present and clarify the main protocols and ethical considerations for the dev... more In this chapter, we present and clarify the main protocols and ethical considerations for the development of ethnobiological research. We present the context in which such guidelines emerged, the operational aspects that should be observed, and the future challenges related to this issue.
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Papers by Rafaela H . Ludwinsky
We investigated local knowledge of plants in terms of plant use shifts and losses, in two coastal communities within a protected area in southern Brazil. Our hypothesis is that people’s livelihoods are associated with different ethnobotanical knowledge, and changes in these activities can reflect shifts in ethnobotanical knowledge such as stopping using some plants.
Methods
We interviewed 125 inhabitants after prior informed consent, asking her/him about their socioeconomic profile and to free list the plants they know. The free lists were analyzed by frequency of cited plants. To compare averages of cited plants and age in both communities, we used the Wilcoxon test with a significance of 5%. Spearman correlation was tested with number of plants cited in the past and the interviewees’ age. Permanence and change in economic activities in each community were represented using a graph and compared through a chi-squared test with a significance of 5%. Qualitative analyses of the interviews and a field diary were used to analyze driving forces for the abandonment of used plants.
Results
We identified 231 plant species that were currently used mainly for food and medicine. Despite being in a protected area, most of the cited plants were exotic and cultivated in home gardens. We do not confirm the hypothesis that changes in livelihoods are reflected in the plants used; however, qualitative analyses showed potential drivers for shifts and losses of plant use. “Environmental law” and “protected area” were the drivers most related to the abandonment of plant use.
Conclusions
While recognizing the importance of the protected area to maintain local people and their traditions, we documented a shift in plant use that is mainly correlated to construction activities that disappeared from daily practices.
Books by Rafaela H . Ludwinsky