Panel na Vienna Anthropology Days 2027

16-19. února 2027 plánujeme účast na Vienna Anthropology Days 2027, kde organizujeme panel The Other Way Round: Anthropology of pro-environmental life choices.

Sokolíčková, Zdenka (University of Hradec Králové, University of Groningen), Jaterková, Michaela (Czech Academy of Sciences) and Karlová, Jana (University of Hradec Králové)

In his last book, The Big Here and the Long Now, Thomas Hylland Eriksen writes: “Diversity and ecological responsibility can be achieved, but only if we turn the ship around and decide that progress is not a synonym for growth, control or increased consumption.
When more becomes less, we discover that less is more.” While dominant political narratives repeat the mantra that people never voluntarily give up on higher material standards and privilege, anthropology of pro-environmental life choices tells a different story.

Rather than focusing on techno-optimistic investments in technologies expected to solve climate change and environmental destruction,
we look at the current situation the other way round: We are intrigued by decisions that represent a deliberate move away from carbon-intensive lives. Such choices may include quitting environmentally harmful jobs (e.g. mining, oil industry, mass tourism, etc.), making radical choices in terms of transport means (e.g. no flying or driving) and housing (e.g. smaller / shared spaces), altering dietary habits (e.g. vegetarianism) and beyond.

Discussion on creative, mischievous, or DIY options that didn’t occur to us at all while writing this session proposal is particularly welcome. The session invites empirical contributions exploring lifeworlds of people who make environmentally motivated radical decisions. We also invite theoretical papers that illuminate the concept of environmental care as a practice (i.e. a doing with real life effects, thus beyond only expressing environmental concern).

Podrobněji o projektu Udržitelné světy: Odklon od neekologických způsobů života jako cesta k dekarbonizaci