More-than-human feminisms across arts and sciences
Feminist theories have long been concerned with the violent impact of (normative) Universal Man on society and nature, aconsequence of a modern phantasy divide between Nature and Culture. In this planetary era some call the Anthropocene, it isclearer to us how the environment is in us, and we humans are fully in the environment. The modern Nature/Culture divideimplodes violently on itself. For too long those regarded as less cultured, less-than-human and particularly nonhumans,like the very ecologies that sustains us, have been approached as mere resours or background for Universal Man. What canbe done - in practice, in thinking and in scholarship in such a situation?The present postnatural situation disrupts modern figurations of thought and scholarly practice, and begs new ones. Withclimate change, oceanic disturbance, habitat loss and rampant species extinction on the one hand, and new syntheticbiologies, technobodies and algorithms we live by on the other, it asks feminist sciences and arts for extradisciplinaryresponses, for new designs of practice.No longer can a division of academic labour be sustained, where technoscience does naked facts, use/abuse nonhumans andextract raw nature while artistic research, humanities and social science does culture, ethics and politics. Spurred by morethan-human feminisms, thicker forms of situated knowing have already emerged, for instance as practices of critical, creativeand feminist posthumanities.Such more-than-human humanities come in response to the pressing need to a) alter and decolonize such dividing knowledgeforms and to b) change the very ways we think, eat, and live with nonhumans in society. Sharing a Darwinian feeling forhow everything is connected, critically and creatively, with a relational ethics of care and concern, more-than-humanfeminisms and postdisciplinary disciplines, have paved way for environmental humanities and other more-than-human formsof the posthumanities. What are the stakes and challenges in these transformations? Why do we need them? And whatfeminist genealogies gets recognized?
G22 Round-table panel, convened by Cecilia Åsberg and The Posthumanities Hub.
Participants:
Cecilia Åsberg1 , Marietta Radomska2 , Christina Fredengren3 , Jesse Peterson4 , Janna Holmstedt5 , Caroline KlingborgElgh 6 and Martin Avila7
1)Professor, Docent, Professor, Tema: Tema Genus, Linköpings Universitet
2) Fil Dr, Biträdande Lektor, Tema: Tema Genus, Linköpings Universitet
3) Professor Konstvetenskapliga Institutionen: Kulturvård, Uppsala Universitet
4) Fil Dr, Postdoktor, Tema Genus, Linköpings universitet and postdok Ekologi, Statens Lantbruksuniversitet
5) Fil Dr, Forskare, Forskningsavdelningen, Statens Historiska Muséer
6) MA, Doktorand, Tema: Tema Genus, Linköpings Universitet
7) Professor, Dr, Professor, Design, Konstfack
Karlstad: Karlstads universitet, 2022. Vol. 5
Shaping Hopeful Futures In Times Of Uncertainty: The Challenges And Possibilities Of Gender Studies The 5th national conference for gender studies in Sweden, 26-28 October 2022, Karlstad.