The interrelation between human identities and the landscapes and environments they inhabit is recognised in many disciplines throughout the Arts and Humanities and Social Sciences. With different disciplinary histories, backgrounds, research traditions, and paradigms, all these disciplines employ their own theories, approaches, and methods to study the link between landscapes, environments, and human identities across time and space. However, they all share common interests as well.

On the occasion of the establishment of Durham University’s interdisciplinary Landscape, Environment, and Identity Research Network, this workshop aims to provide a platform for cross-disciplinary conversations and collaborations aimed at the integration of different theories on, approaches to, and research methods for exploring the interrelations between landscape, environment, and identity. For how are the terms landscape and identity used and problematised across disciplines, and what issues arise from these ideas? 

This workshop will therefore offer an opportunity for PhD students and Early Career Researchers from a range of disciplines to come together and share their research on landscape and identity beyond their own discipline. We aim to investigate challenges to such interdisciplinary studies (e.g. due to different research traditions) and to discuss solutions to these issues. Our discussions are intended to form the basis of a collective output and to encourage future collaborations. 

By bringing together researchers from various disciplinary backgrounds, including but not limited to Anthropology, Archaeology, Classics and Ancient History, English Literature and Geography, we are hoping to consider questions that all disciplines have been asking individually, such as:

  • How are different identities established through human interaction with landscape or environment? 
  • What (combination of) methods and approaches may we employ to analyse and interpret this interrelation between identity, landscapes and environments, whether real or imagined, urban, industrial, or natural? 
  • How is human identity or sense of self affected when a landscape or environment changes, for instance due to war or conflict, political developments, natural disasters, tourism, climate change, etc.? 
  • How does this in turn affect their interactions and/or relations with other peoples?
  • How can our academic research into different landscapes, environments and identities help address current issues in wider society, such as the dynamics between local and global identities, and our relation to a changing world that is subject to climate change?

We invite abstracts for 20 minute papers that address these questions from any perspective. Potential topics could include (but are not limited to): identity in relation to (changing) political, built and natural environments or landscapes; the shaping of the self and the environment; and the intersection between landscape, identity and topics such as memory, emotion, gender, and sensory experiences (e.g. sound, smell, or taste).

Following the workshop, we will seek to produce one or more collective outputs, both academic and non-academic, based on the contents of the workshop. The exact form will depend on the ambitions and contributions of participants, but could include the following:

  • An edited book
  • A special issue of an interdisciplinary journal
  • An online blog
  • A piece for The Conversation 

If you would like to join the discussion and present a paper at this workshop, please send an abstract of up to 250 words to [email protected] before 5pm (GMT) on Friday 15 November 2019. Thanks to a generous contribution from our sponsor, Durham University’s Institute of Advanced Study, there will be no conference fee. Lunch and refreshments will be provided. Applicants will be selected and notified by mid December 2019.

For more information, please visit our website: landscapeidentitydurham.wordpress.com or email us at the above email address. You can also follow us on Twitter: @LandscapeDurham 

NB. We are committed to making the event as inclusive as possible, so please do get in touch directly with the organisers via [email protected] if you have any enquiries regarding access, and for any further information.