Myth, management of the unknown

Abstract:

© 2015 Taylor & Francis. Since centuries, myth, progress, and technology have been interwoven in ways that explain the past and anticipate the future. The relevance of myths is not in being true or false, but in contributing to orienting social praxes, and thus in acting as a regulator of human behaviour in front of unknown consequences of today's decisions and actions. This is particularly evident in settings where the desire for progress is imported with technologies. The argument is developed by relying on qualitative research based on extensive fieldwork in Peru and India.