Roy Ellen Roy Frank Ellen Born 1947 Nationality British Fields Ethnobiology, Environmental Anthropology Institutions University

of Kent at Canterbury. Alma mater London School of Economics, Leiden University Known for Ethnobiology of Eastern Indonesia Notes 2001 Elected Fellow of the Linnean Society of London 2003 Elected Fellow of British Academy 2003-6 Vice President, Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Irel and 2007-9 President, Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland Part of a series on Anthropology of nature, science and technology Basic concepts[show]?Ecogovernmentality ??Nature culture divide Related articles[hide]?Cultural ecology ??Cyborg anthropology ??Digital anthropo logy ??Ecological anthropology ??Environmental anthropology ??Political ecology Major theorists[show]?Tom Boellstorff ??Gabriella Coleman ??Roy Ellen ??Donna Ha raway ??Mizuko Ito ??Daniel Miller ??Mike Wesch ??Leslie White Social and cultural anthropology ?v ??t ??e Roy Frank Ellen (born 1947) is a British Professor of Anthropology and Human Eco logy with a particular interest in ethnobiology and the cultural transmission of ethnobiological knowledge. Roy Ellen is a professor of environmental anthropology and ethnobiology at the U niversity of Kent at Canterbury. He studied anthropology at the London School of Economics and Leiden and is most known for his extensive fieldwork in East Indo nesia with the Nuaulu people of Seram. Ellen started his fieldwork in the early 1970s and has remained active in the field of environmental anthropology through publishing, teaching and field research. Throughout Ellen s career, especially in his published works there is a reoccurring theme and emphasis on the transmissi on of cultural knowledge as well as the importance of the history and knowledge of indigenous people.[1] The British Academy in a 2003 Review describes him, his work, and his contributi on to society as follows:[2] "His work is at the forefront of ecological anthropology. He has recently embark ed on a series of major studies of indigenous knowledge and of the consequences of deforestation in parts of Indonesia and in Brunei. He has also contributed no tably to work on anthropological history and method." Contents [hide] 1 Primary research area 2 Early Publishing 3 Recent publishing 4 Contributions to anthropology 5 Brief bibliography of works 5.1 Books published 5.2 Books edited 6 Distinctions 7 See also 8 References 9 External links 10 References

Primary research area[edit]Roy Ellen has been carrying out ethnobiological field work in eastern Indonesia since the early 1970s, working variously with the Nuau lu people of Seram (with whom he did his doctoral dissertation); on the islands of Sulawesi, Gorom, Seram Laut, Banda and Ambon-Lease; plus some addition fieldw ork into the social impacts of logging at Brunei (1991 1994).[1] Early Publishing[edit]Roy Ellen tackled the debate between nature and culture. S tating that the conception of nature has varied historically and ethnographicall y and as a result has become cultural. A popular environmental discourse in whic h the opposition is drawn between the holistic systemic vision of what is viewed as traditional or tribal and the dualism of the modern scientific Christian tra dition. In his view nature has become some topological grid dividing the civiliz ed and the uncivilized, which has led to the rejection of the very idea of natur e. This view and the different conceptions of nature have given rise to many pro blems and thus have given ways to assumptions and implications that it is our ta sk to locate and excavate nature (Ellen, 1996). Dr. Ellen proposes ways to deal with the categorical status of nature. The first of which is to acknowledge that any one population may generate their own conce ptions of nature, which may be inconsistent and contradictory from one another a nd some may have no concept of nature whatsoever, but it must be acknowledged. T he second is to bring down this trend and be able to identify the minimum number of underlying assumptions in which these conceptions are built so as to allevia te the contrasting points of views about nature and focus on the multi-faceted, but ultimately recognizable idea of nature (Ellen, 1988). Dr. Ellen also uses hi s extensive experience with the Nuaulu to draw on as an example to begin identif ying and cultivating cultural phenomena, which explores and permits us to the ex istence of nature as a domain (Ellen, 1993). He also emphasizes the indigenous knowledge of the rainforest in preserving the identity and culture of indigenous people whose ways of life are threatened. He had observed that historically the indigenous people have perceived and interact ed with the rainforest in many diverse ways. Diversity has been obscured with th e process of globalization and the undertaking of oversimplifying the relationsh ips, which the people have established with the forest. He implores conservation ists to take indigenous knowledge into account and form a judgment based on evid ence for that particular situation and not generalization (Ellen, 1993). Dr. Ell en recognizes that individual subsistence techniques differ among particular pop ulations and have different ecological profiles when it comes to energy transfer , limiting factors, and carrying capacity. The effect on the landscape is varied and is due to the degree of human effort that is required. Empirical knowledge of plants and animals and its broad understanding allows them to comfortably coexist together and gives way to claims of mutual causation that gives rise to a complex notion of nature He includes that although uncut forest is recognized by Nuaulu as a single entity, it contrasts in different ways with other land types depending on context. The Nuaulu s concept of their environment is not one of spa ce in which they traverse, but more like a series of fixed points to which parti cular clans and individuals are interconnected. These interconnections are pract ical implications between social and environmental and can be very important (El len, 1993). Dr. Ellen s main view, which is perhaps the most important, is that in digenous knowledge and practices must be understood contextually. Outsiders must begin to separate prejudices about our environment and we must apply formal kno wledge to different situations. Indigenous knowledge of the rainforest is always situational and varies and ever-changing depending on the situation at hand (El len, 1994). Recent publishing[edit]Roy Ellen focuses on the importance of indigenous ecologi cal knowledge and practices and collaborations between local and outside knowled ge effect and ultimately construct culture and how society functions. This paper will cover some of Roy Ellen s more recent publishing (ranging from 1997 2006) in S

eram, Eastern Indonesia and West Java. Ellen s article Local and Scientific Understanding of Forest Diversity on Seram, Ea stern Indonesia published in 2006, is an excellent literary example of the import ance and relevance local environmental knowledge has in scientific understanding . The article follows the process of how forest departments try to understand an d label the forested territory surrounding the Nuaulu people in linear, homogeno us terms. This proves to be problematic because of the extensive diversity and pa tchiness of the forest. Through collaboration of folk and scientific classificati ons Ellen believes that a conclusion can be found, stating that, Scientific and f olk classifications have coevolved in recent global history, and the relationshi p between folk knowledge and instituted scientific knowledge can be modeled as t wo interacting and mutually reinforcing streams (Ellen 2006:64). As seen through many of Ellen s works, the detailed emphasis on the emic view, and the local knowl edge are not only the most important but also give agency to the people utilizin g that environment. In this case, the Nuaulu, in light of the failure of the for est department to map the forest were given recognition of their ecological knowle dge and proved that top-down models are not always the most functional or correc t. Roy Ellen s article The Contribution of Paraserianthes (Albizia) falcataria to Sust ainable Swidden Management Practices among the Baduy of West Java published in 20 00, the Baduy, which maintain their cultural identity through swidden agricultur e, also understand in order to maintain their traditional way of life they must integrate cash crops to sustain themselves. This case is an example of how throu gh a successful collaboration between local and outside parties can bring about solutions to sustainability problems. The reason this hybridization was successful is because the Baduy ultimately decided for themselves that the Albizia was an acceptable addition to their traditional swidden farming. This integration was n ot forced upon or mandated by the government and the local population could consi der the advantages and disadvantages of the introduction and make the decision f or themselves (Ellen 2000:14). Through these two published works of professor Roy Ellen, it is obvious that he covers a wide array of ecological topics as well as political topics in his publ ishings. He focuses on the indigenous people and their contributions, knowledge and transmission of culture. Like most anthropologists, Ellen is focused on givi ng locals agency and highlighting areas in which this is and is not occurring. T hrough his extensive field work in Seram and with the Nuaulu the local environme ntal knowledge of a culture cannot be denied and is highlighted in many of his w orks as paramount. Contributions to anthropology[edit]Roy Ellen has influenced many fields of anthr opology including cultural ecology contributing to the knowledge base of ethno-b iology, and environmental anthropology among others. One of Ellen s strengths is h is ability to connect themes and theories to create a more holistic depiction of an issue. His work offers a unique synergistic perspective on human cultural ev olution and our relationship to the environment. He believes they co-exist but a re not static and can change according to circumstances overtime. His findings h ave informed the studies of subsistence behaviors, the social impact of deforest ation, inter- island trade and questions the relationship between nature and cul ture. Forest Knowledge, Forest Transformation: Political Contingency, Historical Ecology, and the Renegotiation of Nature in Central Seram (2008) is one of Ellen s m ost influential works. He applied a historical perspective in order to understan d the Nuaulu s current relationship with nature. He offered that nature co-evolves with humans. Changes that have accelerated in the last 20 years such as cash cr opping and forest extraction have renegotiated the Nuaulu s relationship with natu re. How people conceptualize nature depends on how they use it, how they transfor m it, and how in doing so they invest knowledge in a different part of it (2008: 326). He is influenced by Leslie White s energy capture theory. The technology ava

ilable has a great impact and changes people s perception of nature, as it is inst rumental in the evolution and advancement of our species. The work of Roy Ellen contributed to anthropologist s understanding of the interre lationship between nature and culture and helped anthropology contribute to prac tical debates that depend on definitions of nature such as sustainable developme nt. He focused on the evolution and transmission of ecological knowledge and env ironmental stress in the context of sustainable development. In response to envi ronmental stress, or instability such as political conflict or economic hazards he found that traditional knowledge enables local populations to cope. Ellen the orized that humans needed to adjust to new conditions, cope with dangers or impr ove existing conditions through modifications to their behavior. He found indivi duals adapt through their economic and social relationships. Roy Ellen s research helps us understand the ways in which culture and nature are synergistic and important to human evolution. Humans have utilized nature by liv ing in it and assimilating it into culture as we have evolved. Roy Ellen is one of the foremost British anthropologists associated with ethno-b iology and has made major contributions to field. Ellen helped renew interest in the study of classification with his book Categorical impulse: Essays on the Ant hropology of classifying behavior (2008). In the book he synthesized the studies o f cognitive and ethno-sciences with symbolic anthropology providing a holistic p erspective on classification. Roy Ellen s new approach attempted to bridge the gap between the two contradictory approaches of cultural and cognitive by utilizing a more processual approach and cross- fertilizing the two. He engaged both psycho logical and anthropological ideas to combine the two approaches effectively. He believed that the existing assumptions of cultural uniformity on the ethnographi c analysis of categories were not correct, as variation was evident. He utilized the animal classifications of the Nuaulu people to present his point. His point being that in regards to the classifications of animals made by the Nuaulu peop le, one must pay attention to different types and contexts of variation. Accordi ng to Ellen, In a single body of data there may be variation according to many cr iteria which are often cross-cutting and reinforce each other irregularly. (1979: 337) There are various reasons and ways people classify and categorize as a resu lt of both culture construction and the cognitive approach. Ellen states what he believes to be inevitable is the fact that the products of classifying behavior reflect the immediate social conditions of the situations in which they are used ( 1979: 337). In other words, factors such as environment, culture, society and th e state in which they exist are heavily influential on the way people classify t hings. Brief bibliography of works[edit]Books published[edit]Roy Ellen's published book s include: ELLEN, Roy (1978) Nuaulu settlement and ecology. The environmental relations of an eastern Indonesian community. No.83 Martinus Nijhoff: The Hague. ELLEN, Roy (1982) Environment, subsistence and system: the ecology of small-scal e social formations. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ELLEN, Roy (1993) The cultural relations of classification: an analysis of Nuaul u animal categories from central Seram. Cambridge : Cambridge University Press. ELLEN, Roy (1993) Nuaulu ethnozoology : a systematic inventory. Canterbury: Cent re for Social Anthropology and Computing, University of Kent at Canterbury in co -operation with the Centre of South-East Asian Studies. ELLEN, Roy (1993) On the edge of the Banda zone: past and present in the social organization of a Moluccan trading network. Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Pres s ELLEN, Roy (2006) The categorical impulse: essays in the anthropology of classif ying behaviour. Oxford: Berghahn. ELLEN, Roy (2012) Nuaulu religious practices: the frequency and reproduction of

rituals in a Moluccan society. Leiden: KITLV. Books edited[edit]ELLEN, Roy & BURNHAM, P.H (Eds) (1979) Social and ecological s ystems. Association of Social Anthropologists Monograph No.18. London: Academic Press. ELLEN, Roy & REASON, D (Eds) (1979) Classifications in their social context. Lon don: Academic Press ELLEN, Roy (Ed) (1984) Ethnographic research: a guide to general conduct. Associ ation of Social Anthropologists Research Methods Series No.1. London: Academic P ress. ELLEN, Roy, Gellner, E. et al (Ed) (1988) Malinowski between two worlds: the Pol ish roots of an anthropological tradition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press . ELLEN, Roy & WATSON, C.W. (Eds) (1993) Understanding witchcraft and sorcery in S outheast Asia. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press ELLEN, Roy & FUKUI, K. (Eds) (1996) Redefining nature: ecology, culture and dome stication. Oxford: Berg ELLEN, Roy; PARKES, P; & BICKER, A (Eds) (2000) Indigenous environmental knowled ge and its transformations. Amsterdam: Harwood ELLEN, Roy (Ed) (2006) Ethnobiology and the science of humankind. Journal Royal Anthropological Institute Special Issue. Oxford: Blackwell. Distinctions[edit]2001 Elected Fellow of the Linnean Society of London 2003 Elected Fellow of British Academy 2003-6 Vice President, Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Irel and 2004-6 President, Anthropology and Archaeology Section, British Association for the Advancement of Science 2007-9 President, Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland[3 ] See also[edit]Ethnobiology References[edit]Cultural Ecology. Website. 1998. http://www.indiana.edu/~wanthro /eco.htm Ellen, Roy 2008 Forest Knowledge, Forest Transformation: Political Contingency, Historical Ecology, and the Renegotiation of Nature in Central Seram. In Envionm ental Anthropology: A Historical Reader. Michael R. Dove and Carol Carpenter eds . pp. 321 338. Blackwell publishing Ellen, Roy. 2008 The Categorical Impulse. Berghahn Books Ellen, Roy. 2006. Local and Scientific Understandings of Forest Diversity on Sera m, Eastern Indonesia. Royal Anthropology Institute 1-22 Ellen, Roy. 2000. The Contribution of Paraserianthes (Albizia) falcataria to Sust ainable Swidden Management Practices among the Baduy of West Java. Human Ecology 28(1): 1-17. Ellen, Roy. 1979 Omniscience and Ignorance: Variation in Nuaulu Knowledge, Ident ification, and Classification of Animals. In Language in Society. pp. 337 359. Ca mbridge University Press Ellen, Roy and Katsuyoshi Fukui, eds. 1996 Redefining Nature: Ecology, Culture a nd Domestication. Berg publishers External links[edit]ELLEN, Roy (n.d) Rhetoric, Practice and Incentive in the Fac e of the Changing Times: A Case Study in the Nuaulu Attitudes to Conservation an d Deforestation Posted on University of Kent website. Retrieved 21 April 2008 Council of the Royal Anthropological Institute, September 2007 Retrieved 21 Apri l 2008 PODGER, Corrine (13 September 1999) Rice crop to fight rainforest destruction. B BC News. Retrieved 21 April 2008

University of Kent's webpage for "Professor Roy Ellen" Retrieved 21 April 2008 University of Kent (2003) "Kent academic elected to the British Academy" Newa Re trieved 21 April 2008 References[edit]1.^ a b University of Kent's webpage for "Professor Roy Ellen" 2.^ The British Academy (2003) The British Academy Review Issue 7. Page 11. PDF 3.^ Council of the Royal Anthropological Institute, September 2007