At the Edges of the Map: The Chronotope of Informatics and Maps of Human Terrain
Authors
Riley Collins
University of Calgary -- Center for Military and Strategic Studies
Sabrina Peric
University of Calgary department of Anthropology and Archaeology
Abstract
Cultural data gathered by researchers has provided militaries across the globe with intelligence and a unique insight into a category of analysis that is not normally given primacy in military strategic planning. Such data has been used in the past; it was used during World War Two to gain insight into the Japanese mind; it was used during British Colonial pacification efforts in Northern Africa; and it is again used today by the U.S. armed forces’ Human Terrain Teams to understand and relay cultural expectations and needs of occupied communities. This paper examines how the U.S. forces relate to an idea of culture for consumption as intelligence through an analysis of the Human Terrain Teams Handbook. Through this lens, we show how the U.S. armed forces condition members of Human Terrain Teams to interact with and think about local cultures in certain ways that are operationally relevant to military activities.
Author Biographies
Riley Collins, University of Calgary -- Center for Military and Strategic Studies
Riley Collins is a Master's thesis candidate at the Center for Military and Strategic Studies. His areas of research interest include the anthropology and history of science. Currently, he is focusing on scientific practice and communication among defense industry scientists and engineers.
Sabrina Peric, University of Calgary department of Anthropology and Archaeology
Sabrina Peric is an Assistant Professor in Anthropology and Archaeology, and the CDFAI Chair in Civil-Military Relations at the University of Calgary. She is an environmental and historical anthropologist who studies how natural resources and the methods of their extraction interact with political, economic and military systems over time.
