Interrogating the Anthropocene PDF
Preview Interrogating the Anthropocene
EDITED BY jan jagodzinski EDPalg Ura Cve A S Ttu IOdie Ns in A L F U T U R E S INTERROGATING THE ANTHROPOCENE Ecology, Aesthetics, Pedagogy, and the Future in Question Palgrave Studies in Educational Futures Series Editor jan jagodzinski Department of Secondary Education University of Alberta Edmonton, AB, Canada The series Educational Futures would be a call on all aspects of education, not only specific subject specialist, but policy makers, religious education leaders, curriculum theorists, and those involved in shaping the educational imagination through its foundations and both psychoanalytical and psychological invest- ments with youth to address this extraordinary precarity and anxiety that is continually rising as things do not get better but worsen. A global de-territori- alization is taking place, and new voices and visions need to be seen and heard. The series would address the following questions and concerns. The three key signifiers of the book series title address this state of risk and emergency: 1. The Anthropocene: The ‘human world,’ the world-for-us is drifting toward a global situation where human extinction is not out of the question due to economic industrialization and over- development, as well as the exponential growth of global popu- lation. How do we address this ecologically and educationally to still make a difference? 2. Ecology: What might be ways of re-thinking our relationships with the non-human forms of existence and in-human forms of artificial intelligence that have emerged? Are there possibilities to rework the ecological imagination educationally from its over-ro- manticized view of Nature, as many have argued? Nature and culture are no longer tenable separate signifiers. Can teachers and professors address the ideas that surround differentiated subjec- tivity where agency is no long attributed to the ‘human’ alone? 3. Aesthetic Imaginaries: What are the creative responses that can fabulate aesthetic imaginaries, which are viable in specific contexts where the emergent ideas, and which are able to gather hetero- geneous elements together to present projects that address the two former descriptors: the Anthropocene and the every chang- ing modulating ecologies. Can educators draw on these aesthetic imaginaries to offer exploratory hope for what is a changing globe that is in constant crisis? The series Educational Futures: Anthropocene, Ecology, and Aesthetic Imaginaries attempts to secure manuscripts that are aware of the precarity that reverberates throughout all life, and attempts to explore and exper- iment to develop an educational imagination which, at the very least, makes conscious what is a dire situation. More information about this series at http://www.palgrave.com/gp/series/15418 jan jagodzinski Editor Interrogating the Anthropocene Ecology, Aesthetics, Pedagogy, and the Future in Question Editor jan jagodzinski Department of Secondary Education University of Alberta Edmonton, AB, Canada Palgrave Studies in Educational Futures ISBN 978-3-319-78746-6 ISBN 978-3-319-78747-3 (eBook) https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-78747-3 Library of Congress Control Number: 2018938340 © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2018 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are solely and exclusively licensed by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Cover image: © Mia Feuer, “Totems of the Anthropocene,” photograph courtesy of Beatriz Escobar Printed on acid-free paper This Palgrave Macmillan imprint is published by the registered company Springer International Publishing AG part of Springer Nature The registered company address is: Gewerbestrasse 11, 6330 Cham, Switzerland This book is dedicated to Jessie and Jason friends A cknowledgements This book emerged from a series of fifteen lectures entitled Anthropocene, Ecology, Pedagogy: The Future in Question, which concluded with a ‘Sounding the Anthropocene’ symposium with special keynote guests Hanjo Berressem (University of Koln, Department of American Studies) and Bernd Herzogenrath (Goethe University, Department of English and American Studies) in 2015–2016. The lecture series was presented at the University of Alberta, with support from the Faculty of Education, curated by myself, with the energetic and impassioned assistance of Jessie Beier, as well as a number of dedicated graduate students: Ron Wigglesworth who presented an art exhibition of photographs in rela- tion to the Anthropocene, and the consistent help and support of Adriana Boffa and Cathryn van Kessel. Many thanks to Diane Conrad who ena- bled the lecture series to take place in her theatre space where many presentations concerning Arts Based Research take place. Thanks also to the video recording work by ‘Eb’ (Ebenezer Militsala) who was diligent in editing and positing the lectures. The lecture series can be viewed on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiYpb7adp3lvjdi-F8RktrQ. I also want to thank other members of the support staff who made sure rooms and flights were booked (Scott Mayo) and payments received and reimbursed (Debra Mallett), so important for events such as this. However, again, without Jessie’s help the series would not have vii viii ACKNoWLEDGEMENTS been so successful, and running so smoothly. Her series of p osters that she did for the event appear both on the front cover and in this acknowledgment. There are many contributors to thank, beginning with Bradley Necyk. Bradley was brave enough to start the series and, along with Daniel Harvey contributed to this collection. I very much appreciate Andony Melanthropolus’ efforts to make the trip from Calgary on what is a busy schedule, to both present, and together with Alexander Stoner contrib- ute to this volume. Many thanks to Matthew Tiessen whose work I very much admire. Matthew’s clear-headed grasp of the circulation of money and his profound grasp of Deleuze is greatly appreciated. I am also so appreciative of Nick Dyer-Witheford contribution to this collection. Nick, for me, has never lost sight of the worker’s plight in capitalism. He has written seminal books in this area; his chapter simply confirms his strength in social Marxist theory, history, and in recognizing the impor- tance of “species becoming.” My thanks to Janae Sholtz, a remarkable philosopher whose grasp of Heidegger and Deleuze is well-know. Few can offer a comprehensive projection as to “what needs to be done” given the precarity of the world order. Mickey Vallee is another one of those rare individuals who plays with “sound” imaginaries. one can- not easily pinpoint Mickey’s disciplinary activities as he is a sociologist, musician, sound theoretician, pedagogue, all rolled into one. In brief, I admire Mickey for his interdisciplinary theorizing. Thanks to Michael Trucello whom I had the pleasure of meeting at Brock University in the context of a Deleuze conference. Despite an extreme schedule of dead- lines, Michael managed to develop a superb chapter on environmental- ist documentary film, which he presented for the lecture series. Thank you, Michael, for sticking with it and seeing the chapter through. I met Nathan Snaza for the first time at the “Bergamo conference,” a year prior to the lecture series. Nathan is a consummate teacher and theo- retician who is acutely aware of the Anthropocene issues and with their consequences for education. I thank him for providing a unique perspec- tive on this position. His was one of the earliest chapters finished, and I appreciate his patience as this collection finally came to fruition. The collection also includes authors who did not participate in the lecture series. I personally approached a number of these authors and was pleased that they accepted my invitation. I have never met Ted Stolze in ACKNoWLEDGEMENTS ix person, but he has an amazing reputation as a teacher and p hilosopher who constantly challenges his students and his readership. I am so happy he accepted the invitation to address the Anthropocene in such a way few can. Unfortunately, I have not met David Fancy as we seem to have just missed crossing path at Brock University, and there was no way to meet at a Deleuze conference in Toronto. David’s reputation as a Deleuze-Guattarian scholar is well known as he has written widely in this area, drawing on his theatre-drama background. I so appreciate his contribution on a particularly interesting topic on human-non-human relations. A special thanks to my good artist friend, Mia Feuer for allowing me to generously utilize her images throughout this collection. Mia’s eco- logical consciousness holds no bounds, as she thinks deeply and ethically when it comes to developing her projects, choosing her materials, and staging her installations. I so appreciate her coming to Edmonton to talk about her ecological undertakings. An expectant mother at the time, it was a joy to host her, Constantine and Galileo who came into the world later. An image of her sculpture appears on the front cover. I close with many thanks to colleagues who have contributed to this collection. First, to Patti Pente, my colleague in art education, who has written such an interesting chapter to rethink landscape within the parameters of the Anthropocene. An especially warm thank you to two friends and colleagues whom this book is dedicated to: Jessie Beier and Jason Wallin. Both are artists and experimenters, both push the limits of the imagination to make you think, Jessie with an intriguing chapter that addresses the near future, and Jason exploring Pokemon in a way few could envision. Last but not least, I want to thank our former Dean of the Faculty of Education, Fern Snart. Without her the lecture series event would have never happened. This collection is the culminating point of that initiative. x ACKNoWLEDGEMENTS Three Posters by Jessie Beier Poster 1 Future in question
The list of books you might like
