12. October 2023

Workshop "Beyond Environmentalism: Ecosocialism and Dependency in Anthropological Perspective" Workshop "Beyond Environmentalism: Ecosocialism and Dependency in Anthropological Perspective"

With a Public Lecture by Brazilian Sociologist Sabrina Fernandes

A preoccupation with the environment is en vogue due to the acceleration of climate change in the twenty-first century, yet, it is not recent in social sciences. As a result, "environmental" and "ecological" have gained attention in public, political and academic debates, but the distinction between them in terms of praxis is not widely addressed. Ecosocialists argue that ecological concern was already present in Marx's writings and that there is a long tradition of leftist scholars addressing the topic. Thus, in this workshop we aim at having in-depth discussions on this Marxist legacy under a framework provided by the field of Anthropology. In this sense, we address contrasting and contesting notions of ecology, in particular regarding non-Western and indigenous ontologies.

Workshop "Beyond Environmentalism" Poster
Workshop "Beyond Environmentalism" Poster © BCDSS
Download all images in original size The impression in connection with the service is free, while the image specified author is mentioned.

 

This workshop will take place over two consecutive days (November 8-9) and will open with a public lecture by Brazilian sociologist Sabrina Fernandes. For the reading list, see the link below. Credit points for PhDs will be assigned.

 

Program:

November 8

17:00 CET: Public talk: "Ecological Transition and the Dependency Trap: Challenging Old Approaches to Sovereignty" by Sabrina Fernandes (Alameda Institute). Moderated by Jenny Leetsch (BCDSS)

Abstract: The climate emergency is unequal in terms of historical liabilities, impacted by colonialism, imperialism and the dynamics of dependent capitalism. Because of this, poorer countries have urged the Global North to take on the bulk of the tasks of transition while the rest of the world struggles to catch up, due to limited resources. The problem, however, is that although the recognition of historical liabilities is fundamental to acknowledge the different material conditions across the globe, it is sometimes used to justify even more decades of fossil development in the Global South. In Latin America, oil is key to the nexus of development discourses across different political spectrum and arguments for fossil fuel phase-out are faced with criticism from national-developmentalists and from the neoliberal markets. The purpose of this talk is to evaluate these discourses and to examine how a reparations framework, built from ecological anti-imperialism, helps to overcome the fossil fuel trap and to ready marginalised countries to transition faster and in better conditions to use their own strategic resources to do so.

18:30 CET: Dinner

 

November 9

9:30 - 10:00 CET: Reception 

10:00 - 12:00 CET: Session1: Introduction & Foundation

12:00 - 13:00 CET: Lunch Break

13:00 - 14:30 CET: Session 2: Indigenous Societies

14:30 - 14:45 CET: Coffee Break

14:45 - 16:15 CET: Session 3: Practical Approaches

16:15 - 16:30 CET: Coffee Break

16:30 - 17:30 CET: Final Discussion

Workshop led by Sabrina Fernandes

 
The event is organized and financed by the Bonn Center for Dependency and Slavery Studies, however, a limited number of places will be available for PhD candidates and master students of other departments. In this case, please, inform us about your area of research and briefly explain the reasons for taking this workshop. It is hosted by the History and Theory Working Group.

 
If you are interested please send an e-mail to Taynã Tagliati (tagliati@uni-bonn.de) and Joseph Biggerstaff (jbiggers@uni-bonn.de).

Download the reading list here.