Welcome to Christina Research Seminar and the intriguing public talk by Dr. Richard Twine: "Anthropocene, Androcene, or ‘Anthropo’cene? From Scientism to Intersectionality"

ABSTRACT:
"This paper critically engages with the discourse of the Anthropocene, which has now achieved a degree of cultural normalisation in the context of debates around climate change. I argue that the critique of the Anthropocene from a political economy and anti-capitalist perspective, is a necessary, yet insufficient corrective.

With a focus on the gender and species dimensions of climate change, I argue that climate change constitutes a multi-faceted crisis. All framings are crucial for how the emergences, responses to, and impacts of climate change are understood and represented. I argue that the sort of intersectional approach favoured by feminist, ecofeminist, and critical animal studies scholars potentially offers the most accurate account of the emergences and impacts of climate change and affords specific and radical proposals for responses. Finally, I argue that, whilst the discourse of the Anthropocene has become institutionalised, its scientism can be resisted, and an intersectional approach popularised, via the alternative writing of the epoch, as the ‘Anthropo’cene."

BIO:
Dr Richard Twine is a Senior Lecturer in Social Sciences and Co-Director of the Centre for Human Animal Studies at Edge Hill University, UK. His research interests take place at the nexus of gender studies, human/animal relations, science studies and environmental sociology. Much current research focuses upon the issue of sustainable food transitions in the context of climate change.

Richard is the author of the book "Animals as Biotechnology – Ethics, Sustainability and Critical Animal Studies" (Routledge, 2010), and co-editor, with Nik Taylor of Flinders University, Australia, of "The Rise of Critical Animal Studies – From the Margins to the Centre" (Routledge Advances in Sociology, 2014). He has published many articles and chapters on issues as diverse as veganism, antibiotics, ecofeminism, masculinities, intersectionality, posthumanism, bioethics and physiognomy. His own website can be found at http://www.richardtwine.com

CHRISTINA RESEARCH SEMINAR:
Christina Research Seminar is an open advanced seminar focused around interdisciplinary gender studies chaired by Professor Tuija Pulkkinen. The seminar is organized by Gender Studies (University of Helsinki) and is currently a part of the doctoral programme of Gender, Culture and Society (SKY). For the future programme and more information, please see: https://www.helsinki.fi/en/research/doctoral-education/doctoral-schools-and-programmes/doctoral-school-in-humanities-and-social-sciences/doctoral-programme-in-gender-culture-and-society/courses-and-events