کورس بارے معلومات

© K.R. Sunil

This seminar is part of the module 'Climate Affect and Planetary Futures'. This module will engage with affects, resistance, and repair in the face of environmental damage. Drawing on texts and other media from South Asia and beyond, it invites students to think about questions of planetary loss, ecological distress, uncertainties of living with eroding landscapes, extreme weather events and rising sea levels. We will also discuss imaginaries and practices of care, repair or even healing in times of planetary unraveling, and what this means for ethnographic writing. Students must attend and participate in both seminars. The final examination will be written in one of the two seminars.

This seminar "Ecological distress and planetary repair" focuses on entangled environmental, societal and emotional wounds. It introduces students into key anthropological debates on ecological distress, affects, and repair amid planetary unraveling. We read and discuss key texts at the intersection of medical, psychological and environmental anthropology.  We will pay particular attention to social experiences, ethics, and politics of ecological distress and planetary care within wounded and wounding environments. How is ecological distress shaped by socio-cultural ideas of mind, wellbeing and environments? How is it distributed? How can shared climate affects become generative or transformative?

Expectations & Examination (Prüfungsleistung) Students are expected to carefully prepare the assigned readings and participate actively in class. Every session, one or two students will prepare a short introductory comment (Impulsreferat) to illustrate the theoretical ideas from the text to an example, video, image, piece of art, poem, etc. of their choice. To prepare for the final essay, we will include experimental free writings in the classes.

The Prüfungsleistung (exam) is an essay (Hausarbeit), due date: 20 August, 2026, word length: 5000 words (BA), 6000 words (MA). Essays can be written in English or German. Prüfungsvorleistung: a short oral presentation/introductory comment (10 min).

Student conference: Students from both courses pitch their essay ideas.

 

Introductory session

17 April: 15:00-17:00

Block 1

Fr 15 May: 11-12:30, 13:30-15:00, 15:30-17:00

17:30-19:30: Film and discussion

Sat 16 May: 9:00-10:30, 11:00-12:30, 13:30-15:00 

Block 2

Fr 19 June: 11-12:30,13:30-15:00, 15:30-17:00

17:30-19:30: Film and discussion

Sat 20 June: 9:00-10:30, 11:00-12:30

13:30-15:00, 15:30-17:00: Student conference