Two ethnographies of holobiontic intelligences in Hong Kong

Abstract

This paper explores ‘holobiontic intelligences’ – human-nature interactions that are often overlooked in human-only, technology-based, or structured frameworks. It presents a design ethnography that studies eco-social interdependencies across habitats, households, logistics, habits, and life forms, while also integrating the creation of a community that emerges in the course of this research. By studying the collectivized fermentation of organic wastes, ethnographers participate in and described symbiosis or dysbiosis to improve nonhuman, human, and technological ecologies. By evidencing human-microbe dynamics and their applicability in small-scale food production, the study contributes empirical insights and methods that support the development of equitable relationships between humans and nonhumans. This novel perspective has practical relevance for education, professional development, and non-profit initiatives.