Hell is a place where nothing connects with nothing.
(T.S. Eliot)
(T.S. Eliot)
It's these small hells we experience when we start exploring new territory in any field of research. The new knowledge we acquire seems like a landscape in the mist: a few trees here, a rock there, the surface of a lake over there, but no connected whole. To create connections is fundamental, then.
My aim in teaching is to convey the interconnectedness of historical processes that are still often studied separately. I try to do this on the one hand by mixing conceptual/theoretical approaches with empirical studies and primary source materials, and on the other hand, by looking at a given theme (e.g. resources, agriculture, migration etc.) from different perspectives, that is, from an environmental-, economic-, social-, and cultural historical point of view. To my mind, the most important skills that historical studies in general and environmental history in particular can convey to students today is networked (even strategic) and critical thinking, and a sound footing in source critique - an indispensable tool in the age of "fake news"...
To teach networked and interdisciplinary thinking is one of the most important issues that higher education needs to tackle in order to deal with the current and future global challenges, and that environmental history together with other environmental humanities is in a unique position to offer. They are in this position not least through their openness for truly interdisciplinary approaches that bridge "the great divide" to the natural sciences. A further fundamental objective of my teaching is to encourage students to discover the creativity, fun, and fascination involved in the historical research and writing process.
My aim in teaching is to convey the interconnectedness of historical processes that are still often studied separately. I try to do this on the one hand by mixing conceptual/theoretical approaches with empirical studies and primary source materials, and on the other hand, by looking at a given theme (e.g. resources, agriculture, migration etc.) from different perspectives, that is, from an environmental-, economic-, social-, and cultural historical point of view. To my mind, the most important skills that historical studies in general and environmental history in particular can convey to students today is networked (even strategic) and critical thinking, and a sound footing in source critique - an indispensable tool in the age of "fake news"...
To teach networked and interdisciplinary thinking is one of the most important issues that higher education needs to tackle in order to deal with the current and future global challenges, and that environmental history together with other environmental humanities is in a unique position to offer. They are in this position not least through their openness for truly interdisciplinary approaches that bridge "the great divide" to the natural sciences. A further fundamental objective of my teaching is to encourage students to discover the creativity, fun, and fascination involved in the historical research and writing process.
Example Courses and Syllabi
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