Tallinn, Estonia; 22-24 October 2009
The first international conference the Centre of
Excellence in Cultural Theory (CECT) organises aims at critical
reappraisal in light of recent humanist perspectives, which refuse the
ontological separations of culture and nature. The conceptualisation of
nature and culture, or natural and human processes, as distinct and
separate entities is entrenched in humanities, social and physical
sciences. In highlighting the role of space and location and
subscribing to the view that the terrain is sentient and that
subjectivity, in the form of consciousness, agency, morality and law,
is part of all forms and sites of life, we invite contributions that
challenge this binary. Two key concepts in the analysis of long-term
human/ environment relations have been ‘human impacts’ and ‘cultural
landscapes’. Each have been crucial in contributing to our
understanding of the long-term human role in earth processes but
paradoxically have reinforced the view of humans as external to the
natural system and advanced human- and euro-centred reductions to
culture that is the equal and opposite to the natural sciences
reduction of explanation to nature. In combining the approaches of the
various disciplines of anthropology, archaeology, geography; folklore,
literature, media studies, and semiotics the objective is to open up
the discussion of
substantiveness of culture in nature at specific locations and time.
We invite papers that address the conceptual,
ontological and epistemological problems of culture/nature
relationships. A focus on people’s engagement with the land constituted
through temporal and spatial practices that leave a visual mark or a
memory opens up for both a range of empirical presentations and for
contributions that address theoretical and methodological challenges.
19.00 Informal reception/ ice-breaker at the Centre for Landscape and
Culture (5 Uus-Sadama St, room M642) (registered participants only)
(Narva mnt 29, S316)
Registration starts in the lobby of
the Silva
building (previously known as Keeltemaja) at 9.45 on Thursday 22
October
For orientation around the buildings, see the
campus
map.
Chair:
Tiina Peil
10.15-10.30 Opening of the conference:
Valter Lang
10.30-11.00
Roland Posner:
Eight historical paradigms of the
human sciences (
see paper)
11.00-11.30
Tõnu Viik:
Spatial horizons of meaning-formation:
a cultural phenomenology of spaces and landscapes
11.30-12.00
Alfred K. Siewers:
Early ecosemiotics: the Green World as
literary ecology (see
slides)
12.00-12.30
Kalevi Kull, Timo Maran:
Ecosemiotics: main ideas and current
developments (see
slides)
12.30-13.30 lunch (registered participants only)
Chair:
Hannes Palang
13.30-14.00
Eric Clark:
Challenging the culture/nature rift –
island biocultural geographies and historical-political ecologies
(see
slides)
14.00-14.30
Kirsi Laurén:
Environmental narratives as indicators
of a cultural relationships to nature (see
slides)
14.30-15.00
Anne Kull:
Is nature capable of meaning and
transcendence? (see
slides)
15.00-15.30
Mats Widgren:
A world of domesticated landscapes
(see
slides)
15.30-16.00 coffee break
16.00-18.00
poster
presentations (Aatrium, Uus-Sadama 5)
See
timetable
(Tallinna saal, M218)
Chair:
Valter Lang
9.15-9.45
Ernest Hess-Lüttich:
The concept of space in geography and
literary theory
9.45-10.15
Kati Lindström:
The role of internal perception and
external images in the visualisation of home landscapes
(see
slides)
10.15-10.45 coffee break
10.45-11.15
Heiki Valk:
Archaeological monuments as memory
places on landscape: temporal dimension of place-related memory
(see
slides)
11.15-11.45
Junzo Uchiyama:
Jomon style and Yayoi style: the
worldview transition in the Central Japanese Archipelago with
Neolithisation and its modern influence (see
slides)
11.45-12.15
Urve Miller:
Precondition and changes of
environment with focus on the Stockholm region (see
slides)
12.15-13.15 lunch (registered participants only)
Chair:
Kalevi Kull
13.15-13.45
Ester Võsu, Helen Sooväli-Sepping, Maarja Kaaristo:
Images
and experiences of regional identity: landscapes, heritage and tourism
in Võrumaa (South-East Estonia) (see
slides)
13.45-14.15
Leo Aoi Hosoya:
What did agriculture bring to life?:
the 'routine-scape' and social structurarisation in the formation of
agricultural society (see
slides)
14.15-14.45
Madis Arukask:
Holy places, nature spirits and dead
ancestors in Vepsian traditional culture (see
slides)
14.45-15.15 coffee break
15.15-15.45
Simo Laakkonen:
Environmental history and future of a
Nordic City (see
slides)
15.45-16.15
Tiina Peil:
Spatiality and visualisation of the
every-day: nature-culture in Tallinn suburbia (see
slides)
16.15- 16.30 Summing up: conclusions, plans for the future: Hannes
Palang
19.00 CECT Reception at the restaurant Kaerajaan, at 17 Town Hall
Square (registered participants only)
(start from the Reval Park Hotel, 23 Kreutzwaldi St)
Registered participants only
9.00-16.00
Excursion to
the Muuksi-Rebala area / 'Visualising culture in nature' Valter
Lang, Helen Sooväli-Sepping, Urve Miller, Tiina Peil
Sturdy footwear and rain- and windproof clothing
recommended.
Program (PDF)
Abstracts (PDF)
Valter Lang
Kalevi Kull
Tiina Peil
Information: Monika Tasa (monika_tasa@hotmail.com)
