Another pastoralist imaginary

I hope to see in the future a peer-reviewed article whose abstract runs something like the following:

This article traces the evolution of Pastoralist Studies from its nascent stages in the 1950s anthropological literature to its current status as a recognized and integral part of global academic discourse. It highlights the field’s vital role in dissecting the multifaceted structures and functions of settler colonialism (Arab, European, domestic agriculture) and standing firm amidst well-funded and systematic counter-efforts to delegitimize it, principally by global or national techno-managerial and urban elites. The ensuing discussion foregrounds pastoralist scholarly achievements in advancing their narrative and countering marginalization, particularly within the academic institutions of both the Global North and the Global (principally urban) South. By examining the political dynamics shaping research methodologies in Pastoralist Studies, this article elucidates how the field has emerged as a legitimate academic discipline, offering new pathways in graduate education centered around Anthropocene uncertainties and complexities. In asserting that Pastoralist Studies is inherently linked to activism, aiming for transformative change, decolonization, and liberation, this article underlines the contribution of the field to challenging dominant colonial epistemologies and methodologies and reshaping power dynamics. Thus, Pastoralist Studies not only elucidates the realities faced by indigenous herder populations but also vocalizes their struggles and aspirations, positioning itself as a critical lens to understand, and engage with, Pastoralist scholarship and its broader anti-colonial implications.

Source: The above replaces “Palestinian” with “Pastoralist” (along with slight edits) in the abstract of Ilan Pappé, Tariq Dana & Nadia Naser–Najjab (12 May 2024). “Palestine Studies, Knowledge Production, and the Struggle for Decolonisation,” Middle East Critique, (accessed online at DOI: 10.1080/19436149.2024.2342189)