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Sustainability: Concepts and Materials

18th May 2012 Download programme pdf here.

1 day workshop held on sustainability, Friday 18th May 2012

The Anthropology Sustainability Reading and Research Group at UCL held a one day interdisciplinary workshop on the theoretical and analytical perspectives of Sustainability. This was in conjunction with the Cultures of Sustainability theme of the UCL Environment Institute.

We invited PhD level paper, presentation and poster submissions from all departments across the university.

The aim of the workshop was to draw people together who are working on sustainability and encourage interdisciplinary exploration and networking across UCL's faculties. IDifferent departments brought their understandings and theorisation of sustainability and the panels were diverse in their approaches and subject matter. Sessions were innovative in format.

Each 60 minute session was followed by 30 minute break-out discussions in smaller groups with feedback.


The theme and sessions:

As Latour argues, this is a historical moment, not only when material engagements are more frequent but also more intimate, and this intimacy has given us detailed (scientific) knowledges about changes to the climate of the earth. This has resulted in a redefinition of the term 'sustainability' which implies a reordering of the material and moral. Now it feels like the entire material world is being redefined in terms of sustainability.

The definition of sustainability, however, is still highly contested, ranging from Rayner (2009) and Giddens (2009) who like the usefulness of the term, to Beckerman, who calls it an all-embracing concept “with no clear analytical bite” (2008:1). This, despite so much time, energy and money going into its implementation at almost every level of society. It is time to further clarify and to ask: What are the ideas that constitute sustainability? And what possible futures are these producing? How is sustainability made material and what does this mean? How can we work together to make sure that the best ideas surface, constructively critique developing concepts of sustainability and how it is being materialised.

The day will be structured around 2 paper sessions, a number of 5 minute summaries of PhD projects and Open Space networking sessions. We also hope to include a poster session.

The Paper Sessions

Concepts of Sustainability

Papers might like to consider the history, archeology or philosophy of sustainability, or what these new conditions may mean for politics, policy-making or business contexts.

The Materiality of Sustainability

Papers might like to consider how the concept of sustainability is made material, contained in the material world or whether this can or should be attempted. Papers from the material sciences which reflect on these issues are welcome as well as from architectural, design and planning departments.

Submissions to this session category should not submit to the 5 minute abstract category, but can apply to display a poster. In other words, you can do one paper or one 5 minute presentation, but not both because we would like to feature as many people's work as possible.

5 minute abstract of PhD project

This was an opportunity for students of all departments to present a brief but informative summary of their projects on the theme of sustainability along with 5 slides.

Poster Session


The workshop was sponsored by:

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