Dance with a fish? Sensory human-nonhuman encounters in the waterscape of match fishing

ABSTRACT

This study sets out to explore human–nonhuman encounters in the leisure activity of match fishing. Informed by practice theory, studies on the body and the senses, and the human–animal literature, it focuses on analysing the practice-specific, embodied and sensory doings and sayings of both humans and nonhumans during match fishing. The findings from three-year sensory ethnographic fieldwork conducted in Finnish Lapland suggest that human–nonhuman encounters can be characterised as partner dancing. That is, this phenomenon is tantamount to a dance between a fish and an angler taking place in a dancehall of water, in which the weather acts as an orchestra framing the rhythm and tempo of the dance. Considering both fish and anglers, the study emphasises the agential and embodied quality of human–nonhuman encounters. It challenges the dominant position of the human, suggesting a move from anthropomorphism to zoomorphism – animalising the angler in a dance with a fish. The study also provides novel insights into the dynamic nature of a waterscape, highlighting its dual nature consisting of the underwater world and the above-water world. In summary, this study offers a detailed account of the dynamic interactions between humans, nonhumans and the natural environment.

KEYWORDS:

• Human–nonhuman encounter
• body
• practice
• senses
• waterscape
• sensory ethnography
• fishing

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

The authors have not received no funds for the completion of this work.

Notes on contributors

Vesa Markuksela

Vesa Markuksela is a Senior lecturer at University of Lapland. His research interests include: social theory of practice, sensory turn, affect, leisure studies, organizational research, service design and ethnographic research methods. His long-term grounding concern is the bodily and sensory encounters with human and non-human actors in the leisure Servicescape settings. He received a Phd from University of Lapland for the thesis ‘Sense like a fish – an ethnography of troll fishing brotherhoods competition practice’.

Anu Valtonen

Anu Valtonen is Professor of Cultural Economy at University of Lapland. Her research interests relate to cultural theories and qualitative methodologies in marketing and organizational research. Her current research projects explore embodiment, sleep and senses in today’s economy and society. She is also intrigued about aspects of Anthropocene and non-anthropocentric.