Dear POLLEN Members and Friends,
This month we are delighted to introduce a new POLLEN node based in Czechia. As always, we are also happy to share the latest publications, CfPs, and more from our lively community. If your node is keen to feature its work in the upcoming newsletters, please write to us at politicalecologynetwork@gmail.com. It’s a great way to share and get dialogue around your work. We also welcome proposals for blog posts on the POLLEN blog – please contact us at the same email address with any ideas!
Also please be reminded to check out the call for proposals for POLLEN Biannual Conference 2022 here:
https://politicalecologynetwork.org/pollen-biannual-conference/pollen-2022/
With regards from your POLLEN Secretariat:
Sango Mahanty | Sarah Milne | Ratchada Arpornsilp
Getting to know your fellow POLLEN members
Each monthly newsletter includes a brief introduction to one of our many POLLEN nodes, to build connections across our community. This month we would like to introduce you to a new node based in Czechia.
Czechia POLLEN Node
Overview
This recently established POLLEN node spans across universities and research institutes in Czechia, including the Czech Academy of Sciences (Global Change Research Institute, Institute of Sociology, Institute of Ethnology), Faculty of Humanities at Charles University in Prague, and Faculty of Social Studies at Masaryk University.
The umbrella themes of the node include societal transformations towards just and sustainable futures, interactions between environmental policies and societal movements, and the roles of environmental justice, protest, and activism in shaping governance systems. The node aims to build on the rich interdisciplinary expertise of its members, including environmental and sustainability studies, development studies, ethnology, environmental sociology, policy science, social and political anthropology, philosophy, and arts.
The node members are active in both global and Central/Eastern European research and strive to nurture the exchange of research insights across scales and contexts. They contribute to knowledge co-production initiatives and interfaces between science, policy, and practice.
Node members
Lenka Suchá is a postdoctoral researcher at Global Change Research Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences with a background in development studies. Her research is embedded in environmental justice, exploring how diverse power relations in society interact with each other and underpin access to land and to other social and ecological capital, thus contributing to numerous layers of inequalities. Lenka’s PhD was exploring the diversity of land access mechanisms of small-scale urban farmers in Soweto, South Africa. Her recent research focuses on the interplay between the practice of Czech official development assistance (ODA) and the social-ecological links of land tenure, governance, and well-being in rural Zambia. She has extensive experience in ethnography and builds on the principles of participatory action research.
Zuzana Harmáčková is a research associate in the Department of Human Dimensions of Global Change at CzechGlobe – Global Change Research Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences and Stockholm Resilience Centre. She focuses on scenarios of potential future development, looking particularly into which social-ecological futures do stakeholders, experts and policy-makers envision at different scales, from local to global. Zuzana has participatory scenario-building processes in a variety of contexts (Europe, Africa, Central Asia) and is involved in the work of science-policy interfaces, currently contributing to the assessment reports of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES).
Julia Leventon is the head of the Department of Human Dimensions of Global Change at CzechGlobe – Global Change Research Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences. She works broadly on topics of governance systems change for sustainability, engaging in topics of biodiversity loss and climate change (and their related symptoms). Julia takes a systems thinking approach, including understanding place-based social-ecological interactions, and how these are embedded within multilevel governance systems, including politics, polity, and policy. Her work has a strong focus on inter- and trans-disciplinarity, with a contribution to developing methodologies therein.
Petr Jehlička is Senior Researcher at the Institute of Ethnology and at the Institute of Sociology of the Czech Academy of Sciences in Prague. He has a long-standing interest in everyday environmentalism and sustainable food consumption at the intersection of formal and informal food economies. More recently, inspired by postcolonial and decolonial scholarship and responding to the exclusion of East European variants of environmentalism and sustainability from the circuits of cosmopolitan knowledge production Petr has explored these topics in relation to inequalities in the geography of knowledge production. His work has interrogated existing hierarchies in global knowledge production by examining the dominant research on post-1989 East European environmentalism and proposed its re-think, arguing for a more positive framing that extends it in the direction of ‘post-postmaterial’ environmentalism. One example of this work is the lessons from the East European inconspicuous but materially significant food self-provisioning and sharing practices as sustainable and caring behaviours that do not rely on intentionality and postmaterial value change but draw on the desire to produce healthy food for human Others.
Tereza Stöckelová is a researcher at the Institute of Sociology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, and an associate professor at the Department of Sociocultural Anthropology, Charles University. Her work is situated in-between sociology, social anthropology, and science and technology studies (STS), and draws upon actor-network theory and related material semiotic methodologies. She investigated academic practices in the context of current policy changes, science and society relations, environmental controversies, and the interfaces between biomedical and alternative therapeutic practices. Her current research is concerned with trajectories of human-microbial and – fungal coexistence in the Czech Republic. It builds on the concepts of microbiopolitics, (micro)biological citizenship, and situated biologies and it maps out how embodied subjectivities, biosocialities, and state governance are being (re)configured in relation to and through microbial and fungal agents. Since 2020 she is a member of the World Commission on the Ethics of Scientific Knowledge and Technology, an advisory body and forum of reflection set up by UNESCO.
Martin Vrba studied philosophy and theory of interactive media at the Faculty of Arts of Masaryk University and conceptual art at the Faculty of Fine Arts, Brno University of Technology. He is currently one of the coordinators of the Czech branch of the international movement Extinction Rebellion. He also works as a dramaturge and scriptwriter for CO2 Kolektiv, which focuses on ecopolitical theater, and is a co-founder of the Unconditional Basic Collective, where he is connecting the idea of unconditional basic income with environmental issues. He worked as an art editor in A2 and FlashArt magazines and is a contributor to periodicals such as A2larm, Artalk.cz, or art + antiques.
Arnošt Novák is a researcher at the Department of Social and Cultural Anthropology, Faculty of Humanities, Charles University in Prague. His expertise is in environmental sociology, social movements, and environmental policies, focusing (among others) on the themes of urban gardening, urban squatting, and radical ecological initiatives in Czechia.
Jan Vávra is an environmental sociologist focusing on informal food production, social aspects of agriculture, climate change, and household carbon footprints. He received his Ph.D. in Culturology in 2012 at the Faculty of Arts, Charles University in Prague. Currently, Jan is a researcher in the Department of Local and Regional Studies at the Institute of Sociology of the Czech Academy of Sciences. Jan has worked in many EU and Czech-funded research projects where he gained experience with quantitative and qualitative research in social science and multidisciplinary collaboration. Recently, Jan has served as a Management Committee member of the COST Action European Network for Environmental Citizenship and has become Co-chair of the Environmental and Rural Sociology Section of the Czech Sociological Association.
Lukáš Likavčan is a philosopher focusing on technology, ecology, and visual cultures. He received his degree in philosophy and PhD in environmental studies at Masaryk University in Brno, Czech Republic. Likavčan currently teaches at Center for Audiovisual Studies FAMU in Prague and Strelka Institute for Media, Architecture, and Design in Moscow, and he is a member of Prague-based collective Display – Association for Research and Collective Practice. As a researcher, he was based at Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and BAK, basis voor actuele kunst, Utrecht. Likavčan is an author of Introduction to Comparative Planetology, and a chief curator of Fotograf Festival #11: Earthlings.
Bohuslav (Bob) Kuřík is an assistant professor at the Department of Social and Cultural Anthropology, Faculty of Humanities, Charles University in Prague. His expertise is in political, digital and environmental anthropology, focusing on the themes of protest and resistance, in/dividuality, autonomy and post-politics.
David Stella is a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Human Dimensions of Global Change at Global Change Research Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences (CzechGlobe). David focuses on stakeholder-based processes related to the assessment and evaluation of ecosystem services, natural resource management, and climate change adaptation.
Thomas Smith is an assistant professor at the Department of Environmental Studies, Faculty of Social Studies, Masaryk University in Brno. His research interests relate to economic diversity and the social solidarity economy, geographies of sustainability transitions, and wellbeing and the ‘good life’ in post-growth economies.
Mikuláš Černík is a PhD student at the Department of Environmental Studies, Faculty of Social Studies, Masaryk University in Brno. He has a long track record of leading pro-sustainability advocacy initiatives which he also studies within his research focused on just and sustainable transformations.
PUBLICATIONS
Book
Marcatelli, M., 2021. Naturalizing Inequality: Water, Race, and Biopolitics in South African. Tucson: The University of Arizona Press, <https://uapress.arizona.edu/book/naturalizing-inequality>.
Journal articles
Carney, J.A., and Case, W. 2021. ‘Arroz, protagonismo africano e a transformação ecológica das Américas’,Boletim do Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi. Ciências Humanas, vol. 16, no. 2, <https://doi.org/10.1590/2178-2547-bgoeldi-2020-0089>.
Coleman, E., Schultz, W., Ramprasad, V., Fischer, H., Rana, P., Filippi, A.,Güneralp, B., Ma, A., Rodriguez, S., Guleria, V., Rana, R., Fleischman, F., 2021. ‘Limited effects of tree planting on forest canopy cover and rural livelihoods in Northern India’, Nature Sustainability, <https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-021-00761-z>.
Dawson, N. M., B. Coolsaet, E. J. Sterling, R. Loveridge, N. D. Gross-Camp, S. Wongbusarakum, K. K. Sangha, L. M. Scherl, H. Phuong Phan, N. Zafra-Calvo, W. G. Lavey, P. Byakagaba, C. J. Idrobo, A. Chenet, N. J. Bennett, S. Mansourian, and F. J. Rosado-May. 2021. ‘The role of indigenous peoples and local communities in effective and equitable conservation’, Ecology and Society, vol. 26, no. 3, <https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-12625-260319>.
Deutsch, S. 2021. ‘Populist authoritarian neoliberalism in Brazil: making sense of Bolsonaro’s anti-environmental agenda’, Journal of Political Ecology, vol. 28, no. 1, <https://doi.org/10.2458/jpe.2994>.
Dunlap, A. 2021. ‘More Wind Energy Colonialism(s) in Oaxaca? Reasonable Findings, Unacceptable Development’, Energy Research & Social Science, vol. 82, pp. 1-7, <https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1do1w7tZ6ZtdQu>.
Joslin, A. 2021, ‘Intersections of Conservation, Cattle, and Culture in Ecuador’s Paramo Grasslands’, Mountain Research and Development, vol. 41, no. 4, <https://doi.org/10.1659/MRD-JOURNAL-D-21-00015.1>.
Koot, S. 2021. ‘Enjoying extinction: Philanthrocapitalism, jouissance, and ‘excessive environmentourism’ in the South African rhino poaching crisis’, Journal of Political Ecology, vol. 28, no. 1, <https://doi.org/10.2458/jpe.2984>.
Lunstrum, E., Givá, N., Massé, F., Mate, F., & Jose, P. L. 2021, ‘The rhino horn trade and radical inequality as environmental conflict’, The Journal of Peasant Studies, pp. 1-21, <https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/03066150.2021.1961130?>.
Lynch, M. and Turner, S. 2021. ‘Rocking the boat: intersectional resistance to marine conservation policies in Wakatobi National Park, Indonesia’, Gender, Place & Culture,<https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0966369X.2021.1971630?journalCode=cgpc20>.
Pritchard, R. 2021, ‘Politics, power and planting trees’, Nature Sustainability, <https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-021-00769-5>.
Staddon, S. 2021, ‘Conservation’s all about having a blether and getting people on board: Exploring cooperation for conservation in the Cairngorms’, Conservation & Society, vol. 19, no. 3, pp. 161-171,
<https://conservationandsociety.org.in/article.asp?issn=0972-4923;year=2021;volume=19;issue=3;spage=161; epage=171;aulast=Staddon;type=3>.
Staddon, S., Byg, A., Chapman, M., Fish, R., Hague, A. & Horgan, K. 2021, ‘The Value of Listening and Listening for Values in Nature Conservation’, Journal of People and Nature, <https://doi.org/10.1002/pan3.10232>.
Toncheva, S. and Fletcher, R. 2021. ‘From Conflict to Conviviality? Transforming Human-Bear Relations in Bulgaria’, Frontiers in Conservation Science 2: special section on “Human-Wildlife Dynamics.”
<https://doi.org/10.3389/fcosc.2021.682835>.
Toncheva, S., Fletcher, R and Turnhout, E. 2021. ‘Convivial conservation from the bottom up: Human-bear cohabitation in the Rodopi mountains of Bulgaria’, Conservation and Society, <https://www.academia.edu/51283778/Convivial_Conservation_from_the_Bottom_Up_Human_Bear_Cohabitation_in_the_Rodopi_Mountains_of_Bulgaria_w_S_Toncheva_and_E_Turnhout_2021_>.
Invitation to workshop
CONVIVIALITY
Date: 4th-9th October 2021, online, asynchronous engagement, open access
Workshop Topic
The Political Ecology Research Centre at Massey University and the Centre for Space, Place & Society at Wageningen University are excited to share information about the upcoming virtual conference Conviviality. This conference draws together many early-career researchers as well as established scholars, including many from the Global South, to examine intersections of agriculture and the practices, values, and limits of diverse relations among humans, plants, animals, and soil. The conference content will be posted to the conference homepage.
There are no registration or costs associated with the conference, and the presentations and discussions will stay online as a resource. More information about the conference: https://perc.ac.nz/wordpress/conviviality/
Vacancies
Funded PhD Research Assistantship at Kansas State University
The Department of Geography and Geospatial Sciences at Kansas State University invites applications for a 3-year funded Doctoral Research Assistantship to support an interdisciplinary study on how wildfire risk interacts with conservation incentives in rural landscapes as part of the NSF-funded project, “Agri-environmental Conservation Incentives in the Extreme Wildfire Context of the U.S. Southern Plains.”
To apply: Priority Deadline for Application is December 15, 2021
A full application must be submitted through https://www.applyweb.com/kstateg/index.ftl
See https://www.k-state.edu/geography/academics/how_to_apply.html for details.
Send an email to Audrey Joslin (ajoslin@ksu.edu) and with a copy of the following materials: Personal statement, a detailed CV, contact information for at least 2 academic references
Questions? Contact Dr. Audrey Joslin (Lead PI) via email: ajoslin@ksu.edu
Research Assistant Professor
Geography and Geology – WVU Center for Resilient Communities, West Virginia University
The Eberly College of Arts and Sciences at West Virginia University invites applications for a Research Assistant Professor of Geography with a focus on the right to food, food justice, and/or food sovereignty in the Appalachian region beginning November 2021. This is a 9-month, non-tenure track position with full benefits and the opportunity for promotion. Research Assistant Professor appointments have renewable terms of up to three years, with no limit on the number of terms. Research faculty are expected to demonstrate excellence in research and make significant contributions to community outreach and education.
The successful candidate will have a PhD in Geography or related fields and a minimum of 2 years of experience conducting community-based research with partner organizations; will show evidence of the ability to publish peer-reviewed research articles; the ability to lead community-based action research projects; and the ability to propose an active independent research program supported by extramural funding focused on food policy and food systems change and its implication in the Appalachian region. Candidates with experience supervising undergraduate students in experiential learning projects are also welcome to apply.
To apply, visit https://careers.wvu.edu/career-opportunities and upload a single PDF file with a cover letter, curriculum vitae, statement of research philosophy, and a description of your potential to further our progress in advancing social justice and building a diverse and inclusive academic community. Also, please arrange to have three reference letters sent to Dr. Bradley Wilson at brwilson@mail.wvu.edu. The screening process will begin October 15 and continue until the position is filled.
For more information, please visit https://resilientcommunities.wvu.edu/ or contact Dr. Bradley Wilson.
Assistant Professor at University of Illinois Urbana
The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences in the College of ACES at the University of Illinois Urbana – Champaign seeks an Assistant Professor of Natural Resource Policy and Sustainable Landscapes, expected to begin August 16, 2022. In addition to conducting empirically based research related to natural resource management, the successful candidate will be expected to teach and advise at the undergraduate and graduate level as well as recruit and train graduate students. A Ph.D. in an appropriate field is required.
For full consideration all requested application information must be received by October 15, 2021; however, interviews may begin prior to the close date. Salary is commensurate with qualifications and experience.
Please visit https://jobs.illinois.edu to view the complete position announcement and application instructions.
Call for applications
M.Phil. in Geographies of Sustainable Development, University of Bergen, Norway.
The Department of Geography, University of Bergen (UiB) is pleased to invite applications for the M.Phil. programme in Geographies of Sustainable Development (2 years, 120 ECTS credits), offered in collaboration with the Bergen School of Global Studies. The programme is tuition-free, regardless of student citizenship (Norwegian/Nordic, EU/EEA, non-EU/EEA), with an intake of ca. 8 students each year. The language of instruction is English.
Application deadline for non-EU/EEA students: 01 December 2021. Application deadline for EU/EEA students: 01 March 2022.
More information about the programme and application process is available below: https://www.uib.no/en/studies/MASV-MEHA.
Supervision inquiries can be directed to relevant faculty in the Department of Geography (POLLEN node members include Professor Ragnhild Overå and Associate Professor Connor Cavanagh). Broader questions concerning UiB application practicalities can be directed to advice@geog.uib.no.
Other news items
Women Mind the Water Artivist Series
Women Mind the Water podcasts engage artists in conversation about their work to explore their connection with the ocean and how it influences their art. Hopefully, these stories will inspire you and move you to take action to protect the ocean.
New episodes will be released regularly here: https://womenmindthewater.com/featured-guests
POLLEN 