News and Perspectives: Words matter in primatology
Issued Date
2023-01-01
Resource Type
ISSN
00328332
eISSN
16107365
Scopus ID
2-s2.0-85178224704
Journal Title
Primates
Rights Holder(s)
SCOPUS
Bibliographic Citation
Primates (2023)
Suggested Citation
Bezanson M., Cortés-Ortiz L., Bicca-Marques J.C., Boonratana R., Carvalho S., Cords M., de la Torre S., Hobaiter C., Humle T., Izar P., Lynch J.W., Matsuzawa T., Setchell J.M., Zikusoka G.K., Strier K.B. News and Perspectives: Words matter in primatology. Primates (2023). doi:10.1007/s10329-023-01104-6 Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/20.500.14594/91491
Title
News and Perspectives: Words matter in primatology
Author's Affiliation
Faculty of Social Sciences & Health
Universidad San Francisco de Quito
University of Wisconsin-Madison
California Institute of Technology
Columbia University
University of California, Los Angeles
University of Oxford
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
University of St Andrews
Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul
Mahidol University
University of Kent
Santa Clara University
Universidade de São Paulo
Chubu Gakuin University & College
Northwest University
Gorongosa National Park
Conservation Through Public Health
Universidad San Francisco de Quito
University of Wisconsin-Madison
California Institute of Technology
Columbia University
University of California, Los Angeles
University of Oxford
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
University of St Andrews
Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul
Mahidol University
University of Kent
Santa Clara University
Universidade de São Paulo
Chubu Gakuin University & College
Northwest University
Gorongosa National Park
Conservation Through Public Health
Other Contributor(s)
Abstract
Postings on social media on Twitter (now X), BioAnthropology News (Facebook), and other venues, as well as recent publications in prominent journals, show that primatologists, ecologists, and other researchers are questioning the terms “Old World” and “New World” due to their colonial implications and history. The terms are offensive if they result in erasing Indigenous voices and history, ignoring the fact that Indigenous peoples were in the Americas long before European colonization. Language use is not without context, but alternative terminology is not always obvious and available. In this perspective, we share opinions expressed by an international group of primatologists who considered questions about the use of these terms, whether primatologists should adjust language use, and how to move forward. The diversity of opinions provides insight into how conventional terms used in primatological research and conservation may impact our effectiveness in these domains.