Please consider submitting an abstract to our panel on caring for corals and the role of anthropology (and affiliated disciplines), for the upcoming ICRS in Bremen (see below):
14th International Coral Reef Symposium 5-10 July 2020 in Bremen, Germany
Annet Pauwelussen1, Aída Sofía Rivera Sotelo2
1 Wageningen University, Environmental Policy: annet.pauwelussen@wur.nl
2 University of California, Anthropology: ariverasotelo@ucdavis.edu
Abstract:
In recent years people from a range of disciplines and societal backgrounds have joined discussions and practices of coral protection and rehabilitation. The precarious state of coral reefs is becoming a matter of
concern not only to natural scientists and conservationists but also anthropologists, artists, fishers, and entrepreneurs, among others. Increasingly, inter- and transdisciplinary alliances are built to aim for forms of coral care that is effective, socially just and receptive to diverse ways of knowing and relating to corals. As a consequence, coral protection and rehabilitation programs bring together different ways in which people know, define, value and imagine corals and care. How can we understand and make sense of such complexity? How may alliances be built that allow for dialogues on how to care for corals in collaboration? The social sciences could engage theoretically and empirically with concepts, theories, methods and storytelling helping to establish dialogues across difference.
Taking inspiration from recent currents in anthropology, Science and Technology Studies and social geography, among others, possible questions to explore are: What and how are the corals we care for? How do we think
and imagine their pasts and futures? How is this informed by the conditions of our disciplines, our field sites, or our basic notions of reality and ethics? And how does this affect the kinds of care, management, conservation and rehabilitation measures that are elicited into future reefs? Who gets to care for corals and at expense of what other forms of caring? This panel calls for proposals that think about these questions, through theoretical contribution, methodological reflection and case studies.
Theme 8: Human Relations to Reefs:
http://www.icrs2020.de/program
Abstract can be submitted until 1 September through the conference website:
https://mb.abstracts-online.de
Please feel free to contact us for more information.