Contemporary Hunters in an Archaic Context (Grisons, Switzerland): A Meta-Modern Attempt at Reconciliation

Abstract

Looking back to the ongoing and fluid process of identity formation of the contemporary hunter in Europe (the ‘becoming’ of hunters), this study explores self-chosen identities, motives and hunter–nature relations in a singularly archaic hunting context: the canton of Grisons, Switzerland. As a qualitative case study, this article investigates the becoming of hunters and their self-perception within a context where social attitudes towards hunting and the appreciation of the natural world remain deeply rooted in tradition, while being pulled into modernity. Based on 10 semi-structured interviews and ethnographic observation, the study examines how individuals make sense of hunting in relation to such broader cultural foundations as well as shifts. Our findings reveal a complex interaction between enduring modern and archaic hunting traditions, the influence of postmodern developments, and point to the emergence of what we call ‘metamodern’ oscillation of self-realisation for the hunters. This metamodern perspective, particularly given its archaic context, offers a conceptually original angle, positioning hunting as a practice where self-limitation, negotiation of identity and a reconsidered power structure between humans and nature play a key role. We submit that our case study of Grisons, where strong, even anachronistic traditions, coexist with contemporary trends including public scrutiny and shifting ethical standards, provides a particularly propitious context for the study of hunting subculture and hope that it will incite further exploration of metamodernism in similar or other contexts.