Research group leader Dennis Eversberg writes for the Archive of the Workers’ Youth Movement about the social-ecological transformation conflict, the mentalities of the young generation and perspectives for the Socialist Youth of Germany.
Abstract:
My topic is the social-ecological transformation conflict and the question what role the young generation and especially the socialist youth plays in it today. To this end, I will first clarify what I mean by “socio-ecological crisis” and “socio-ecological transformation conflict.” Then, on the basis of my own research on socio-ecological mentalities, I will outline how the balance of power in the disputes about whether and how socio-ecological transformation has looked in the German population, especially among the young generation, in the recent past, and shed light on the different dimensions of the socio-ecological conflict. Finally, I will try to reflect on these research results against the background of recent political developments and derive some conclusions on the political situation in which the Socialist Youth of Germany (SJD) – Die Falken operates today.
Eversberg, D., 2022. Der sozial-ökologische Transformationskonflikt und die sozialistische Jugend in Deutschland 2022, Mitteilungen 1/2022. Archiv der Arbeiterjugendbewegung, Oer-Erkenschwick.
Research group leader Dennis Eversberg is a guest in the kulturWelt on Bayern on 2 August 2022. He reports from the bioenergy villages studied by flumen, talks about renewable energies and how a change in mentality can succeed.
“It always takes people who are trusted and who say, “Let’s do this together!”. For the following reasons and with the following partners. This could be the farmer who already has a biogas plant at his farm, that can be the mayor.”
In his article published by the Institute for Democracy and Civil Society (IDZ), Dennis Eversberg, head of the research group, develops three theses on climate racism as (1) a political ideology, (2) a mentality, and (3) a structural relationship of domination.
Abstract
This article proposes to use the term climate racism more systematically in order to understand more precisely the entanglement of climate change and climate policy with racist ideologies and relations of domination. Three levels of the term’s use can be distinguished: “climate racism” can refer to a) an overtly held ideology, b) socially shared basic attitudes or mentalities, or c) a structural relationship of domination. While the first two levels describe discriminatory attitudes and actions of certain political actors and segments of the population, the third refers to the shared deep entrenchment of climate disruption and racialized global inequalities in the logic of modern capitalist socialization and the “imperial way of life” it enables.
Eversberg, Dennis (2022). Klimarassismus – neue Polarisierung oder ,innerimperiale Kämpfe reloa- ded’? In: Institut für Demokratie und Zivilgesellschaft (ed.). Wissen schafft Demokratie. Tagungsband zur Online-Fachtagung „Gesellschaftlicher Zusammenhalt & Rassismus”, Band 11. Jena, 70-79, DOI: 10.19222/202211/06.
Dennis Eversberg, Philip Koch, Jana Holz, Lilian Pungas & Anne Stein (2022): Social relationships with nature: elements of a framework for socio-ecological structure analysis, Innovation: The European Journal of Social Science Research, DOI: 10.1080/13511610.2022.2095989
Abstract
This primarily conceptual contribution introduces a sociological framework for tracing the effects and the sources of stability or instability of societal nature relations to the thoughts, feelings and doings of actually existing people. Drawing on critical debates on societal nature relations, we argue that modern capitalist societalization is inherently expansionary, that the rapid expansion of human economic activity over the past two centuries was only possible based on fossil resources, and that therefore, moving to a post-fossil world will require reinventing the very essence of what “society” is. To investigate the implications of such a fundamental overhaul at the level of how socialized people relate to socialized nature, we build on the relational sociology of Pierre Bourdieu to suggest the framework of a space of social relationships with nature. We describe the iterative process in which we arrived at this conception, moving back and forth between theoretical considerations and hermeneutic analysis of qualitative material from case studies of bio-based economic activities in four European regions. From the iterative process, we synthesize four elementary forms of social relationship with nature (“natural capital”, “nature as partner”, “natural heritage” and nature as “the environment”) and provide an illustrative corner case for each. From the systematic differences that emerge, we then draw out two principal axes of a spatial representation partly homologous with Bourdieu’s social space: a vertical axis indicating the degree of active involvement in and access to the means of abstract-expansionary societalization, and a horizontal representing the form of that involvement, along a continuum from dualist, instrumental and appropriative to holist, mutual or caring relationships with nature. In conclusion, we propose further research to apply and develop this relational framework across local or national contexts and scales as a means to analyze tensions and conflicts around transformations of the societal nature relations.
In her article published on July 12, 2022, our colleague Lilian Pungas examines the nature relations of allotment gardeners in East Estonian dachas.
Abstract
This article contributes to the understanding of the complexity of human-nature relationships. Through hermeneutic analysis of more than 60 semi-structured in-depth interviews (2019-2021), I identify five prevalent human-nature relationship models within the Food Self-Provisioning (FSP) practice in Eastern Estonia (‘master‘, ‘user‘ and ‘steward of nature‘ as well as ‘partner with’ and ‘participant in nature‘). As an ambiguous model, the ‘stewardship of nature’ merits my particular attention when exploring how gardeners perceive, relate to and act upon nature in general and their own gardening practice in particular. Using a relational sociological approach, I locate the observed relationship models within the so-called ‘space of social relationships with nature’ (see Eversberg et al. 2022 in this Special Issue) which allows me to capture the various ways in which humans mentally and practically relate to nature. The analysis reveals seemingly contrary yet concurrent manifestations of human-nature relationships that can only be explained by exploring their embeddedness in both social power relations and societal nature relations that constitute the individually observed human-nature relationships. Furthermore, I demonstrate how ‘immediate’ engagement with nature results in rather caring and partner-like relationships whereas ‘abstract’ and alienated experiences often feature instrumental logic with implicit or explicit hierarchy.
Lilian Pungas (2022): Who stewards whom? A paradox spectrum of human–nature relationships of Estonian dacha gardeners, Innovation: The European Journal of Social Science Research, DOI: 10.1080/13511610.2022.2095990
Our flumen-colleagues Lilian Pungas and Martin Fritz presented their work at the ESEE-Conference. Furthermore, Martin moderated the Special Track “From an aspirational policy framework to a real agent of change?”
Lilian Pungas gave the following two lectures:
Who stewards whom? A paradox spectrum of human-nature relationships when working with the soil
This contribution is of empirical nature and based on more than 60 semi-structured in-depth interviews with people that ‘work with the soil’ and practice Food Self-Provisioning (FSP) in Eastern Estonia. The ‘space of social relationships with nature’ is used here as a relational approach to locate various manifestations of care and stewardship to each other and to explore their embeddedness in social relations of power and in specific societal nature relations. Directly perceived experiences and challenges towards nature (be it soil, insects or weather) within the FSP practice bring about manifestations towards nature that can seem paradox at the first sight, that are diverse, dynamic and context-dependent. This relational complexity needs to be considered if we want to overcome destructive human-nature relation(ship)s, in general, and cultivate more sustainable and caring agri-food systems, in particular.
Invisible bioeconomies. A framework to assess the ‘blind spots’ of hegemonic bioeconomy models
As one of the latest buzzwords in agri-food system transformation bioeconomy promises jobs, economic growth and decreased environmental pressure. I will explore the hegemonic narratives and political goals articulated within respective bioeconomy strategy papers of EU (2018) and Estonia (2022) with a specific focus on agriculture and agri-food systems. Doing so I will draw on the Bielefeld subsistence approach and on its three-dimensional colonialism-capitalism-patriarchy nexus. I will demonstrate how 1) different geographical regions, 2) environmental externalities, and 3) widespread BE practices that all contribute to, and constitute the very basis of the hegemonic bioeconomy model, remain unrecognised or devalued as ‚blind spots‘. In fact, current BE models are all built on the prerequisite of the exploitation and devaluation of specific spheres of the BE. As such, the currently proposed bioeconomy models serve as just another label for a ‚green growth‘ program, and will additionally perpetuate the very same power relations while avoiding a ‘genuine’ socio-ecological transformation.
Dr. Martin Fritz presented findings from the representative survey of flumen:
Eco-social mentalities and ways of living in the transformation to an eco-social policy – Empirical findings from a representative survey in Germany 2021/22
An important aspect in eco-social transformations are mentalities and practices. While, for example, mentalities oriented at the growth paradigm and fossil practices like frequent flying are obstacles to the political implementation of an eco-social policy, other more ecological mentalities and caring practices may function as drivers. Based on Bourdieu’s theory of practice and concept of habitus this paper investigates the links between people’s social positions, their eco-social mentalities and practices. In the paper the results of a representative multi-mode survey conducted in Germany 2021/22 are presented. We asked people about social and ecological attitudes, preferences and values, collected data about their everyday practices and their social status and position. Applying dimension reduction methods such factor-, correspondence- and cluster analysis we discover the eco-social mentalities and ways of living that currently exist in Germany and plot them into the space of social positions. Implications for social conflicts and inequalities are discussed.
Input: Maija Halonen (University of Eastern Finland) Socio-economic forest relations in Northern peripheries
Maija Halonen is human geographer with background in social policy. Currently she is working as postdoctoral researcher in the University of Eastern Finland and her research interests focus on the socio-economic development of Northern forest peripheries. In her project founded by the Kone Foundation, she approaches the development in the frames of global sustainability transition and through the case studies from the East and North Finland.
In her presentation, she scrutinises discursive scenarios and frames which analysis is based on the documents and interviews with regional development actors. First, she describes the alternative scenarios for expected development paths and identifies which factors are related to forests. Then she presents the findings of the hegemonic and alternative discourses on forest-related development and constructs the frames which describe the regional forest relations. Based on the results, aspirations and good will describe different phases of the relations than the current reality and therefore forest relations seem to be transforming but very slowly in Northern peripheries. The most striking note call for understanding, appreciation and acknowledgement of forest relations which people in the middle of the specific forests have and have had for generations.
Zoom-link:
https://uni-jena-de.zoom.us/j/61027392103
Meeting-ID: 610 2739 2103 Kenncode: 513063
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The “Scientific Coffee” sessions continue our cooperation and exchange on the relations between society, humans and forests that we started with the workshop “Contested Society-Nature-Relations. Forest related Emotions, Practices & Conflicts in Times of Societal Change” in May 2021. They give room for open and relaxed discussions on current research subjects related to human and society relations to forests. The Scientific Coffee sessions take place as often as we find the time to organise another session – but at least one session per semester is planned.
If you are interested in contributing to the next “Scientific Coffee HFR”, please contact judith.kiss@uni-jena.de with info on your subject (title and short abstract) and a preferred Wednesday (13-15 CET / 14-16 EEST).
In April 2022, our doctoral candidate Philip Koch has spent several weeks in Jaén, Andalusia, in order to gain data for his research. He is investigating the (bioeconomic) olive sector of the province: It dominates Jaén aesthetically, economically and culturally. After a first, explorative stay in August of 2021, the focus of this research trip was on interviewing producers of olives.
Among many other aspects, the history, current state and possible future of olive cultivation were central to the investigation. Philip Koch spoke to the farmers about them being part of a bio-based economy and the significance of the olive sector’s domination of the region’s economy. People’s stances of olive cultivation depend on many factors, mostly due to differences in cultivation methods and exploitation size. Therefore, a preliminary result of the field trip is that there are, in fact, possibly conflictive relations among farmers – which will be further elaborated in the context of socio-ecological mentalities during this year.
Energy, work, and power are intertwined, both in the scientific definition of energy (the ability to do work), and in the political manifestation of human-fuel practices. Fossil fuel advocates rely upon the threat of job loss and energy dependency to mobilize affection for oil, coal or gas, but many renewable energy advocates also adopt this framework in calls for a just energy transition. Doing so helps keep modern energy cultures yoked to extractivism. Cara Daggett traced the historical emergence of the relationship between energy and work, focusing upon how work came to be understood and valued as a site of energy transformation. The energy-work ethos informed the emergent fossil fuel culture, wherein technical categories of work and waste intersect with racialized, and gendered, judgments of productivity and sloth. Thinking about energy historically suggests that shifting our fuel cultures will require a corresponding shift in (post)-industrial cultures of work and Western understandings of freedom.
From April 30 to May 14, 2022, Dr. Martin Fritz will be working as a visiting researcher at the School of Social Work at Lund University. During his stay he will work with Prof. Max Koch and other colleagues on various articles on the topic of sustainable welfare without growth and will contribute his expertise in statistical analyses of relational mentalities. Among other things, he will hold a workshop on how correspondence analyses can be used to evaluate social science survey data.
Lund University is one of the most important centers for research on socio-ecological transformation in Europe. Connections to German institutes and projects like our junior research group “flumen” have a long tradition and are important for the international networking of sustainability research.
