British Academy: The UK's National Academy for the Humanities and Social Sciences
The Inhabited Arctic: Humanities and Social Science Research in the Circumpolar North
Tuesday, 4 March 2008
Daytime Workshop: 10.00 – 17.00 and
Evening Panel Discussion 19.00-20.30, followed by a drinks reception
The British Academy, 10 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1
Convenors: Tim Ingold, FBA, University of Aberdeen, and Michael Bravo, University of Cambridge
Speakers: David Anderson, University of Aberdeen, Robin Boast, University of Cambridge,
Michael Bradshaw, University of Leicester, Klaus Dodds, University of London, Jonathan King, British Museum,
Igor Krupnik, Smithsonian Institution, Michèle Therrien, Institut National des Langues
et Civilizations Orientales, Paris, Piers Vitebsky, University of Cambridge,
Nancy Wachowich, University of Aberdeen, Kathryn Yusoff, University of Exeter
Daytime workshop: 10.00 – 17.00
The current International Polar Year (IPY 2007-08) has seen a massive concentration of scientific research in the arctic and sub-arctic regions of the globe. Largely driven by concerns over climate change, this research effort has been overwhelmingly in the natural sciences. Despite paying lip service to the ‘human dimension’, the contribution of research by scholars in the humanities and social sciences to understanding past, present and future developments in the circumpolar North has been overlooked. Moreover in the establishment of agendas for research in the polar regions, little regard has been shown for the interests of the people who live there, including both its indigenous and non-indigenous populations. In fact, however, research on and with the peoples of the North, in such fields as social and cultural anthropology, human geography, archaeology, linguistics and the history of science, has advanced considerably over the last twenty years. By its nature, this research has entailed extensive international collaboration, involving scholars and representative organizations from the Russian Federation, the Nordic countries, the UK, Canada and the United States. In these collaborations, scholars in the humanities and social sciences based in UK departments and institutes have made especially prominent contributions. Thanks to their efforts, a significant body of work has been assembled that not only foregrounds the creative ways in which northern peoples are responding to the challenges of environmental change but also casts a critical light on the policies and practices of polar science itself. The purpose of the workshop is to showcase this work, to consider how it might be more effectively engaged with dominant scientific discourses and agendas, and to enhance awareness of the intellectual contribution that humanities and social science research in the circumpolar North can make to human understanding.
Evening discussion: 19.00-20.30, followed by a drinks reception
In this 90-minute evening discussion (19.00-20.30), three distinguished panellists will be invited to address the following questions:
- What are the main ways in which research in the social sciences and humanities is advancing our understanding of the circumpolar North?
- What can new cross-disciplinary dialogues bring to polar research?
- How can this research enable inhabitants of the North to formulate better public policies around issues of global environmental change?
Following their contributions, there will be time for questions from the audience, comment and debate.
Please note our registration and seating policy:
- Attendance is free but registration is essential.
- Please register using the online booking form and indicate whether you wish to attend the daytime workshop, the evening discussion, or both.
- No tickets will be issued for this event
For the evening discussion the first 100 audience members arriving at the Academy will be offered a seat in our Lecture Room where this event will take place. The next 50 people to arrive will be offered a seat in our Overflow Room which has a video and audio link to the Lecture Room.