Strengthening Environmental Anthropology Research and Education Through Interdisciplinary Methods and Collaborations

The UiO Department of Social Anthropology (SAI) has in recent years emerged as a world-leader in environmental social science research and education. It has developed novel approaches for environmental anthropology that combine and expand anthropological scholarship through creative interdisciplinary engagements. The project will further develop collaborations between top researchers and education programs in Norway, South Africa (UCT and UCT), Japan (University of Tokyo) and USA (UC Santa Cruz) to strengthen the long-term capabilities of SAI. Through PhD student and staff exchange, designing collaborative PhD courses, and developing a methods handbook, we want to expand SAIs long term research capabilities and integration with the educational programs of UiO and network partners. Overall, the project addresses multiple strategic goals (including SDGs) and generates substantial impacts by advancing approaches that show how the qualitative social sciences and humanities can be better mobilised within interdisciplinary environmental research and teaching, ultimately leading to better practices and policies for tackling environmental challenges.

The UiO Department of Social Anthropology (SAI) has in recent years emerged as a world-leader in environmental social science research and education. It has developed novel approaches for environmental anthropology that combine and expand anthropological scholarship through creative interdisciplinary engagements. The most recent project of this kind is the qualifying project ‘Global Trout: Investigating environmental change through more-than-human world systems,’ (RCN Frihumsam, no 287438) which brings together anthropologists, biologists, sociologists, and a historian/literary scholar to study global connections between divers ecologies. The project will build on the Global Trout initiative to further develop collaboration between top researchers and education programs in Norway, South Africa (UCT and UCT), Japan (University of Tokyo) and USA (UC Santa Cruz) to strengthen the long-term capabilities of SAI. It will enhance the original project by: 1) deepening collaboration and creating stronger commitments through the ability to continue work for an extended period of time; 2) consolidating its unique method for use in other cases; and 3) adding an educational element that extends its impacts and better integrates research and teaching. The educational component of this network is especially important because the original Global Trout project is largely an assemblage of senior researchers, with only one PhD student. Through PhD student exchange and staff exchange, designing collaborative PhD courses, and developing a methods handbook, we want to expand its impacts via integration with the educational programs of UiO and network partners. Overall, the project addresses multiple strategic goals (including SDGs) and generates substantial impacts by advancing approaches that show how the qualitative social sciences and humanities can be better mobilized within interdisciplinary environmental research/teaching, ultimately leading to management/policy improvements.