Summer 2014

In this graduate school we will discuss cultural, social, historic and philosophic dimensions of environmenta issues: the Environmental Humanities. This research field envisions effective, sustainable and equitable management of the planet's resources. The starting point will be the participants own ecological research: "What is the big picture for why you are doing this research?" "How will your research help resolve humanity's pressing issues?" We will reflect on explicit and implicit assumptions and underpinnings of ecological research, seeking answers to such questions as:

– How have relationships between nature vs. culture, nature vs. society, humans vs. non-humans been framed? What alternative views are possible?

– How is environmental change conceptualized as a scientific, political or social topic? How do notions of risk, resilience, vulnerability, degradation, threshold, extinction, collapse, recovery, stability, and naturalness differ?

– How do researchers position environmental problems in relation to public and private agencies, international bodies and civil society?

This summer school is part of an international symposium on Environmental Humanities, a research field that seeks to understand better ways to use and shape the planet through collaboration between natural scientists, social scientists, humanists and artists.

The graduate school is funded through SUK-Programm "Doktoratsprogramme" and kindly supported by the Graduate Campus UZH.