HUMAN BEINGS AND NATURE THROUGH THE HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

Title: "Re-storying our socio-ecological worlds A storytelling webinar for dissemination, engagement & unlearning purposes"
Optional teaching for BA and MA students of the International College.

The aim of this teaching is to provide students with basic theoretical and methodological tools to grasp the value of storytelling in bridging and strengthening the relation between science and society. Special attention is given to the role of storytelling in sustainability science, a field where researchers take a proactive stance, and thus not just explore, but also guide, virtuous processes of transformations towards sustainability.

To attend this class you are required to be a student of the International College. Please communicate your intention to join to the College staff. You are going to receive instructions about a set of mandatory assignments to be completed before class.

This teaching Is structured into two parts.
In the first part, examples are be given of the use of storytelling in different contexts and for different purposes: namely, to communicate scientific findings to wider audiences; to engage various stakeholders in participatory work; to challenge the dominant narratives around certain issues, and unlearn habituated patterns of thinking to embrace new ways of being and relating. Interactive exercises and multimedia resources will support this part.
In the second part, students are guided through a series of creative writing exercises, to practice the basics of story-creation with a hands-on approach.

MANDATORY READINGS

De Wit, A. E., & Van Est, D. M. E. (2000). “Storytelling for people and nature. Reflections on a potential tool for dialogue about local and supra-local environmental views.” In K. F. Wiersum (Ed.), Tropical forest resource dynamics and conservation. From local to global issues (pp. 37–51).

Kathleen Dean Moore (2007). “The truth of the barnacles: Rachel Carson and the moral significance of wonder.” Connotations.

Maria Popova (2015). “Susan Sontag on Storytelling, What It Means to Be a Moral Human Being, and Her Advice to Writers.” Brainpickings. https://www.brainpickings.org/2015/03/30/susan-sontag-writing-storytelling-at-the-same-time/

Maria Popova (2015). ”Walter Benjamin on Information vs. Wisdom and Storytelling as the Antidote to Death by News.” Brainpickings. https://www.brainpickings.org/2015/03/09/walter-benjamin-illuminations-the-storyteller/


OPTIONAL READINGS

Christopher Vogler. (1998) “The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers”.

Galafassi, D., T. M. Daw, M. Thyresson, S. Rosendo, T. Chaigneau, S. Bandeira, L. Munyi, I. Gabrielsson, and K. Brown. 2018. Stories in social-ecological knowledge cocreation. Ecology and Society 23(1):23. http://dx.doi.org/10.5751/ES-09932-230123

Frittaion C.M., Duinker P. N., Grant J.L. 2010. ”Narratives of the future: suspending disbelief in forest-sector scenarios. Futures, 42, pp. 1156-1165.
Alexandre Christoyannopoulos (2020).” Stop calling coronavirus pandemic a ‘war’”. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/stop-calling-coronavirus-pandemic-a-war-135486

Interactive exercises in class and short written assignment.

Interactive webinar, held on April 27, 2020.
The webinar combines a traditional presentation by the teacher and interactive co-creative sessions.
Platform used: Zoom, Flinga.

written

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Human capital, health, education" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development