Universität Wien
Warning! The directory is not yet complete and will be amended until the beginning of the term.

240042 SE BM7 FbSE Inter & transdisciplinary anthropology of climate change & (colonial) histories (2023W)

5.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 24 - Kultur- und Sozialanthropologie
Continuous assessment of course work

Participation at first session is obligatory!

The lecturer can invite students to a grade-relevant discussion about partial achievements. Partial achievements that are obtained by fraud or plagiarized result in the non-evaluation of the course (entry 'X' in certificate). The plagiarism software 'Turnitin' will be used.

The use of AI tools (e.g. ChatGPT) for the attainment of partial achievements is only allowed if explicitly requested by the course instructor.
Moodle

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Details

max. 25 participants
Language: English

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

UPDATE 13.09.2023: Changed dates

  • Monday 02.10. 15:00 - 16:30 Seminarraum D, NIG 4. Stock
  • Monday 09.10. 15:00 - 16:30 Seminarraum A, NIG 4. Stock
  • Monday 16.10. 15:00 - 16:30 Seminarraum A, NIG 4. Stock
  • Monday 23.10. 15:00 - 16:30 Hörsaal A, NIG 4.Stock
  • Monday 30.10. 15:00 - 16:30 Seminarraum A, NIG 4. Stock
  • Monday 06.11. 15:00 - 16:30 Seminarraum A, NIG 4. Stock
  • Monday 13.11. 15:00 - 16:30 Seminarraum A, NIG 4. Stock
  • Monday 20.11. 15:00 - 16:30 Hörsaal C, NIG 4. Stock
  • Monday 27.11. 15:00 - 18:15 Hörsaal C, NIG 4. Stock
  • Monday 04.12. 15:00 - 16:30 Seminarraum D, NIG 4. Stock
  • Monday 11.12. 15:00 - 16:30 Seminarraum D, NIG 4. Stock
  • Monday 15.01. 13:15 - 18:15 Seminarraum A, NIG 4. Stock

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

This seminar is an introduction to interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research approaches focusing on the interface between global warming and (colonial) histories especially, but not exclusively, in the Arctic and Subarctic. The course explores the ways in which colonial histories have shaped and how present-day societies are affected by environmental challenges. Students will gain a critical understanding of how social, cultural, and historical factors have influenced responses to global warming in these regions and how societies are adapting to environmental change.
Students will learn about the theoretical and methodological approaches of social and cultural anthropology in this particular field of study, as well as the historical and cultural contexts that have shaped current environmental issues. Students will engage with contemporary environmental issues and explore the social and cultural dimensions of climate change, such as the impact of global warming on the daily lives of local communities and the cultural practices and beliefs that underpin the relationship between people and the environment.
The course will also investigate the ways in which contemporary environmental challenges are connected to colonial histories of exploitation and extraction, as well as the contemporary legacies of these histories. Students will learn to think critically about the role of social and cultural anthropology in addressing global environmental challenges, and to consider the potential for inter- and transdisciplinary collaborations in addressing these challenges. To do so, students will draw on insights from a variety of fields such as philosophy, ecology, geography, history, and sociology. This interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary perspective will enable students to understand the complex relationships between physical processes, cultural practices, social identities, and colonial histories.

Assessment and permitted materials

A mandatory seminar paper will count for 40% (which equal 40 points) of the grade. The seminar paper will be a comprehensive research report and should include an introduction, literature review, methods/methodology, results, discussion, and a conclusion. Students can gain further points by active participation, individual presentations of reading material, answering general reading questions and the oral presentation of their research project at the end of the semester.

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

The overall grade is composed of:

Answering general reading questions: up to 2 pts x 10 = 20 pts
Presentation of individual reading material, up to 5 pts
Presentation of Research Plan (October 30th), up to 10 pts
Presentation of Progress Report (December 4th), up to 10 Pts
Presentation of thesis (January 15th), up to 15 pts
Seminar paper up to 40 pts
Achievable total score 100 points

Clef: 0 - 59 (5), 60 - 69 (4), 70 - 79 (3), 80 - 89 (2), 90 - 100 (1)

Examination topics

Throughout the course, students will be required to engage in critical thinking and analysis through discussion, group work, and written assignments. They will have the opportunity to analyze a wide range of sources, including academic literature, policy documents, and media reports. They will also be encouraged to develop their own research questions and projects. By the end of the course, students will have developed a critical understanding of the connections between global warming, (colonial) history, and social and cultural practices. They will have gained experience in applying interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches to the study of environmental challenges, and will be equipped to contribute to the development of solutions to these challenges. The course will enable students to develop skills in analyzing complex and multi-layered environmental issues, and to appreciate the importance of cultural and social factors in shaping responses to these issues.

Reading list

• Crate, S. 2011 Climate and Culture: Anthropology in the Era of Contemporary Climate Change. Annual Review of Anthropology, 40(1), 175–194. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.anthro.012809.104925
• Meyer A. Physical and feasible: Climate change adaptation in Longyearbyen, Svalbard. Polar Record 58(e29): 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0032247422000079
• Biswas, S. 2023 Potential Use of Chat GPT in Global Warming. Annals of Biomedical Engineering, 51 (6), 1126–1127. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10439-023-03171-8
• Martin, N. & Cometti, G. 2022 Indigenous Responses to Climate Change in Extreme Environments – The Cases of the Q’eros (Peruvian Andes) and the Gwich’in (Alaska). In: The Anthroposcene of Weather and Climate: Ethnographic Contributions to the Climate Change Debate, Paul Sillitoe (ed.) Berghahn Books, 71 – 86. https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv29sfz69.8
• Girvan, A. 2017 Trickster carbon- stories, science, and postcolonial interventions for climate justice. Journal of Political Ecology, 24(1), 1038–1054. https://doi.org/10.2458/v24i1.20981
• Jobson, R. C. 2020 The Case for Letting Anthropology Burn- Sociocultural Anthropology in 2019. American Anthropologist, 122(2), 259–271. https://doi.org/10.1111/aman.13398
• Schnegg, M. 2021 Ontologies of climate change – Reconciling indigenous and scientific explanations for the lack of rain in Namibia. American Ethnologist, 48(3), 260–273. https://doi.org/10.1111/amet.13028
• Robert D. Bullard, Ronda Lee Chapman, Chris M. Kabel, Nyiesha Mallett, and Jackie Qataliña Schaeffer, Climate Crisis, Environmental Justice, and Racial Justice In: Necessary Conversations. Edited by: Alonzo L. Plough, Oxford University Press. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. https://Doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780197641477.003.0011

There will be further literature available for the individual presentations of reading material. Students may also choose texts on their own, which fit their research projects best.

Association in the course directory

Last modified: Tu 03.10.2023 16:28