Towards plant-centred methodologies in anthropology

Abstract

This paper reflects on research on medicinal plants in the Matzikama Local Municipality, Western Cape, in order to elaborate on methodological possibilities and their problematic in such studies. Classical ethnographic research is usually conducted from an anthropocentric viewpoint, but our intimate engagement with plants compelled us to experiment with a range of methodological tools in order to gain deeper and wider insight into plant worlds. We paused, spent time to dwell with plants, drew on all our senses and learned new ways to be attentive to plants and their more-than-human sociality and entanglements. This expanded our perceptual skills as we reassessed how to study, engage plants with care and think about and with them afresh. The thrust of our efforts was to draw plants from the margin of research, without anthropomorphising them.