Climate and Culture: Multidisciplinary Perspectives on a Warming World

Description

How does culture interact with the way societies understand, live with, and act in relation to climate change? While the importance of the exchanges between culture, society and climate in the context of global environmental change is increasingly recognised, the empirical evidence is fragmented and too often constrained by disciplinary boundaries. Written by an international team of experts, this book provides cutting-edge and critical perspectives on how culture both facilitates and inhibits our ability to address and make sense of climate change and the challenges it poses to societies globally. Through a set of case studies spanning the social sciences and humanities, it explores the role of culture in relation to climate and its changes at different temporal and spatial levels; illustrates how approaching climate change through the cultural dimension enriches the range and depth of societal engagements; and establishes connections between theory and practice, which can stimulate action-oriented initiatives.

Giuseppe Feola is Assistant Professor of Social Change for Sustainability at Universiteit Utrecht, The Netherlands, and a Visiting Fellow at the School of Archaeology, Geography and Environmental Science at the University of Reading. His research engages with issues of sustainability, resilience and transformation of agricultural systems, sustainability transitions and post-capitalist transformations, and social change theories. Feola is the recipient of a Starting Grant from the European Research Council and a VidiI Grant from the Netherlands Research Organization. Hilary Geoghegan is Associate Professor in Human Geography at the University of Reading. Geoghegan researches at the intersection of the social and natural sciences and explores the emotional and affective relations between people and the material world. Using the geographical concept of landscape, she has worked on the human geographies of climate change. Hilary is currently examining the social and more-than-human dimensions of forest management which result from climate change-induced movement of pests and diseases. Alex Arnall is Associate Professor in Environment and Development at the University of Reading. He specialises in the study of migration, movement and displacement of people and things. His work is characterised by an environmental theme, including climate change, agricultural development and food systems. Much of Alex's empirical research has taken place in the Maldives and Mozambique. Arnall's research has been funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, Department for International Development, British Academy, and Norwegian Research Council.

'Multidisciplinary studies by 23 contributing authors who explore how human cultures conceptualize and respond to climate ... Though the book does not downplay social, psychological, and economic factors that have slowed climate action at the societal level, its chapters collectively suggest a surprisingly optimistic view: namely, that human cultures throughout history have exhibited curiosity about and resilience to climate ... Clear writing and thoughtfully chosen images make this book accessible and engaging for broad audiences.' D. P. Genereux, Choice