Property, culture and technology: The case of marine aquaculture development in Hawai`i

University Of Hawaii, Honolulu

Investigators

Abstract

This inter-disciplinary research examines a growing controversy in Hawai'i over the introduction of marine aquaculture (mariculture) technology, which involves both a new technology and a new system of property. Hawai' i is a multicultural society in which there is no racial or cultural majority, and where a strong indigenous cultural and political movement brings to the fore a clear cultural and epistemic dimension to technology policy controversies. The nature of open ocean mariculture technology that depends on a common resource demands a level of consensus among the broader community. These two conditions make the case of mariculture in Hawaii highly instructive for understanding the role of culture in mediating the interplay between technology and society. The main research questions are: How does culture influence the mutual interplay of technology and society in a multicultural plurality? How do cultural differences complicate conflicts, in this case those surrounding property changes brought by mariculture technology? What are the implications of the findings for the technological development, the evolution of property regimes, and cultural transformation? This investigation of the introduction of mariculture uses the qualitative method of event analysis; it follows the actors from different standpoint epistemologies to solicit their framing of the events, interactions and surrounding controversies. Key actors include mariculture entrepreneurs, scientists, Native Hawaiian advocates and cultural practitioners, fishers, state agency personnel, land-based aquaculture farmers and state legislators. Operational questions are organized along four areas of inquiry including: a) substance, character and dynamics of controversies; b) property claims; c) social contests, techno-scientific choices and evolving property regimes; and d) cultural norms and practices.