Francis Commerçon

Distinctions between indigenous and scientific expertise are central in negotiations of power and epistemic authority in sustainable development projects in Menglun Township, Xishuangbanna Prefecture. Although abundant literature troubles this distinction, it is unclear how these labels may be constructed separately from but related to socio-cultural identities such as ethnicity, language, class, and gender. Through an ethnography of collaborative knowledge building and economic development between scientists and rural ethnic minority villagers in Menglun, this research will show how identity and social power are constituted in tandem with the scale of epistemic authority (scientific/universal vs indigenous/local), highlighting potential consequences for socially uneven development outcomes.