Fenomenología del conocimiento corpóreo: Vínculos tecno-afectivos entre criadores y vacas en el este de Santiago del Estero

Abstract

This article takes as its empirical focus the relationships between cattle ranchers and their cows in extensive pastoral systems in the northeastern part of the Argentine province of Santiago del Estero. The objective is to understand and conceptualize the human-cow bond through categories of analysis drawn from the work of philosopher Maurice Merleau-Ponty. This French phenomenologist offers a repertoire of concepts that emphasize intercorporeal perception as a fundamental aspect in the construction of relationships with the world and others. The scope of this approach extends beyond human relationships and makes it virtually possible to conceive of the construction of interspecific bonds. The text argues that the perception of cows reveals an ambiguous interspecific relationship in which affective and individualized bonds coexist alongside asymmetrical, technical, and commercial ones.