New issues of the SIEF Journals
Forthcoming: Cultural Analysis, 21:2 (2023): Approaching climate change adaptation: knowledge, power, communication; Ethnologia Europaea, 53:2 (2023): Digital Truth-Making: Anthropological Perspectives on Right-Wing Politics and Social Media in 'Post-Truth' Societies
Cultural Analysis
Forthcoming: Volume 21:2 (2023) | Approaching climate change adaptation: knowledge, power, communication.
The consequences of human-induced climate change are diverse as the adaptation strategies people have started to develop. Approaches to climate change are reaching from local initiatives to national and global programs and are embedded in various knowledge systems and partially contesting world views. This special issue aims to improve an understanding of those dynamics that are linked to knowledge, power, and communication when adapting to the diverse repercussions of climate change. The communication and integration of these situated knowledges are considered crucial for the success of sustainable climate change adaptation. However, this integration is also described as problematic highlighting different epistemologies, competing political agendas, societal and economic inequalities, and clashing ontologies into view. At present the impact of climate change on society is mostly discussed in terms of adaptation, resilience, and vulnerability. Ideas of adaptation are often regarded as “neutral” drivers of action and seem to be “the only viable option for survival” (de Wit 2014: 57). However, the rationalities which characterize current adaptation concepts are criticized because they have been shaped predominantly by the natural sciences and have ignored aspects of climate justice as well as social, cultural, political and economic conditions on the ground (Nightingale et al. 2020).
In their ethnographic case studies, the authors focus on the producing, distributing, communicating and contesting of knowledge in different geo-political and social contexts reaching from dealing with the spreading of algae at Mexican beaches to the increase of ticks in Finland, and from participatory energy practices in Italy to the unexpected results of climate change adaptation workshops in Vanuatu.
The issue is co-edited with guest editors Sophie Elpers (Amsterdam), Arnika Peselmann (Würzburg), Silja Klepp (Kiel) and Domenica Farinella (Messina).
Cultural Analysis 2023 (berkeley.edu).
Ethnologia Europaea
Volume 53:2 (2023) | Digital Truth-Making: Anthropological Perspectives on Right-Wing Politics and Social Media in ‘Post-Truth’ Societies.
We are excited to announce the forthcoming special issue of Ethnologia Europaea, titled “Digital Truth-Making: Anthropological Perspectives on Right-Wing Politics and Social Media in ‘Post-Truth’ Societies.” This issue will be guest-edited by Christoph Bareither, Dennis Eckhardt, and Alexander Harder, and it promises to be a timely and thought-provoking exploration of the intricate relationship between digital technologies and the construction of truth in contemporary societies.
As the guest editors write, digital infrastructures have become ubiquitous in recent decades, leading to profound changes in our globalized world. Among the most pressing issues today is the impact of digitization on how truths are established in everyday life, particularly in political contexts. Scholars have noted the “elective affinity” (Gerbaudo 2018) between social media platforms and populist politics, with terms like “post-truth” and “fake news” influencing political events and discussions around the world. The consequences of these phenomena, including the events at the US Capitol, have sparked intense debates about the politics of digital truth-making in our society. Additionally, the role of social media in disseminating information about government policies, particularly during a global pandemic, has further emphasized the role of digital platforms in shaping public beliefs.
This special issue of Ethnologia Europaea delves into the intricate practices that contribute to the formation of truths in the digitally saturated landscape of everyday life. The articles in this issue will explore complex digital infrastructures, networked algorithms, and emerging digital policies that shape the creation, communication, and circulation of truths. The topics covered are diverse, including Euroscepticism, nationalism, anti-feminism, far-right activism, memory politics, and vaccination hesitancy. The aim is not to establish a single, unified concept of “digital truth-making” but to demonstrate how ethnographic approaches can provide insights into the power of digital practices in shaping political beliefs.
The articles in this special issue cover a wide range of topics and approaches, including narratology, alternative facts, post memory, ritualized politics, populism, and the digital landscape in China, among others. Each piece provides a unique perspective on the intricate dynamics of digital truth-making and its impact on contemporary political discourse.
Alexandra Schwell and Laura Stark, co-editors-in-chief
More information about the journal.
