Mapping, visualizing, and aesthetics

Discussion notes

Mapping

• Visualization-as-mapping ideas (interactive GIS).
• Goal: “Represent information about dried fish value chains through static or interactive maps, depicting significant sites as well as flows of commodities and people between those sites.”
• Inspiration: Information System on Small-scale Fisheries (ISSF)
• Proposed design criteria for marker maps and flow maps – Note the challenges of coding qualitative geographic data in a standardized way, but also the challenges of generating “manual” maps that are technically sophisticated.
  • Cambodia scoping geographic data and mapping analysis
  • Proposed mapping / GIS design criteria (2021)
• Questions for discussion: What information have we gathered about the spatial arrangement of dried fish value chains? Can we turn our data into coordinates and flow estimates? What simple maps can we produce across the different research sites?
• Data: What information do we already have, that can be quantified or put into "bucket" categories (e.g., "small", "medium", and "large" markets or trade flows)?
  • source and destination place name
  • approximate volume of trade
  • commodity type (name, form, etc.)
  • other?

Visualizing and aesthetics

• Notes from our early discussion about tastes, smells, and stories, with a link to the “storyboard” video prepared in 2021: Visualizing social economies. See also the chapter with Nireka in the e-book, and our additional contributions (stories, recipes, etc.)
• Earlier lists of WG1 research priorities:
  • DFM WG1 Country team priorities
  • Grouped list of themes and outputs
• Questions for discussion: Which of these themes can we address in our synthesis work? What outputs do we want to prioritize? How can we visually represent the research themes?
• Data for visual representation, by theme:
  • How dried fish processing contributes to the livelihoods of poor and vulnerable people
  • Political economy
  • Social relations (gender and kinship) in changing dried fish economies
  • Consumption: food and nutrition security and food preferences
  • Work and exploitation
  • Adaptation to change and disruption (including COVID-19)
  • Taste and cultural heritage

Dried fish exhibition

Hosted by University of Winnipeg Anthropology Museum

Theme: "Mapping tastes and smells" or similar

Funded by SSHRC Connection Grant: $50,000 SSHRC funding, $25,000 in-kind partner contributions

Suggested format

• travelling exhibition in turnkey format. physical objects and displays that fit in a small number of boxes, and can be set up in a variety of spaces without special fixtures or equipment. Visits each of the partner institutions.
• includes physical objects (fish, nets, drying racks), sounds, smells, photographs, stories, videos -- engaging the senses. Building on our work on "stories" and "tastes and smells". (MARE conference, e-book, ...)
• setup: digital plug-in displays, portable signage, objects that can be laid out on tables. If wall/hanging fixtures are required, we might use modular aluminum pipe (can be assembled as needed with only an allen key) and tables. We can handle this at the University of Winnipeg.
• Objects supplied by participating researchers: maybe 50-100 images, videos, objects? All to be catalogued online, with full descriptions and metadata.
• Physical objects may become part of of UW Anthropology Museum collections, or be on loan (temporary or permanent)
• Catalogue essays (building on the object descriptions and ebook) -- basically a book to go along with the exhibition, about ~160 pages
• An official opening event with speeches and tour at each of the institutions; possibly recorded or streamed

Funding

SSHRC Connection Grants:  https://www.sshrc-crsh.gc.ca/funding-financement/programs-programmes/connection_grants-subventions_connexion-eng.aspx

• 12-month implementation; 4 application intakes per year
• up to $50K funding from SSHRC (more if justified); 50% matching contributions required (i.e., $50K SSHRC + $25K matching)
• require letters of support from partner institutions, from someone with signing authority from that institution. NB organizations cannot be both sponsors and contractors.
• DFM or other SSHRC funds do not count towards matching funds
• expectation of concrete deliverables
• under the "outreach activities" category: "proposed outreach activities must be designed to engage a broader public in social sciences and humanities knowledge through one or a combination of the following: knowledge dissemination, transfer, brokering, translation, synthesis, exchange, networking or co-creation beyond what would typically be achieved through an event".
• need to show knowledge mobilization in Canada, as well as justification for doing so internationally
• co-applicant eligibility is the same as for Partnership Grants (i.e., affiliation with postsecondary institution). "Collaborators" can be more broad, but do not receive funding.
• the funds cannot be used to pay for research activities.
• evaluation considers knowledge mobilization impacts and "training and mentoring" ("quality of training and mentoring to be provided to students, emerging scholars and other highly qualified personnel, and opportunities for them to contribute")

Participants or audiences, in Canada and abroad, for both events and outreach activities, can include, among others:

• academic researchers;
• non-academic researchers;
• policy makers;
• professional practitioners;
• representatives from public, private or not-for-profit organizations;
• representatives from community-based, local or regional non-academic organizations; and/or
• students at all levels.