The Anthropology of Landscape as Reflexive Theory

Abstract

In the cultural process of landscape, the anthropologist still has an exceptional position of outsider who observes this process as he would a picture. In geog-raphy, the word itself was, up to now, a static concept and was understood as a figurative description of the environment surrounding us. Landscape was considered to be a part of the earth’s surface. According to Hirsch, a single pole, i.e. the abstract coordinate system of space as opposed to the concrete place is, hereby, separated in order to portray landscape as a whole (1995: 9). Relationality and process-like character are obviously thus ignored (cf. Cosgrove 1984). To overcome this drawback, Hirsch wishes to develop an anthropological perspective in debates on landscape which to date have been, if anything, central themes in disciplines such as geography and history of art. In addition, he wishes to create a framework within which cross-cultural studies on landscape could be carried out. Such a framework is, according to Hirsch, lacking in anthropology and also in related disciplines (1995: 6).