Habeck takes the reader to the tundra in the Far North of the Russian Federation, describing and interpreting the practice of reindeer herding on the land. His vivid account of the everyday life of Komi reindeer herders and their family members as they interact with their bosses, the town, the market and oil companies, reveals both the reach of their agency and its limitations. Through a meticulous analysis of each of these domains, Habeck shows how public discourse about reindeer husbandry as a traditional life-style derives from outside the Komi reindeer-herding communities, yet it has powerful effects on the local actors' ability to frame their own existence. He argues that the concept of tradition, despite its many positive connotations, places Komi reindeer herders in a "golden cage" which leaves no space for acknowledging their drive to innovation and flexibility.
Joachim Otto Habeck works at the Max Plank Institute for Social Anthropology as a coordinator of the Siberian Studies Centre.
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Table of Contents
List of Illustrations
Preface by Piers Vitebsky
Acknowledgements
Notes on languages, transliterations, sources and fieldwork
Glossary of frequently used Russian terms
Main actors
Introduction
Tundra and forest
Small village, large village and town
The dynamics of Komi reindeer husbandry in space and time
Oil and land
Meat and Markets
Households, herders, tent workers
Image and the concept of tradition
Conclusion
Epilogue
Appendices
Bibliography
Index
272 pages, plus a separate map.
Paperback: 29.90 EUR, br., ISBN 3-8258-8045-1