We will turn to the ground itself, to the soil and the ways in which we have been blind to all the life that lives underground that we are intricately related to and depend upon.

The ground beneath our feet is shifting. The underground is coming to the fore. We might have always known we are dependent on the internet cables that connect us to the rest of the world, the cobalt; lithium and other rare earth minerals that our technologies requires, the oil and gas pipelines that still provide the main source of energy, of the worms, bacteria and fungi that make up the soil, but live as if (and perhaps also feel as if) we are independent of all of that. However, while we descend ever deeper and deeper into the climate crisis, we find we are not standing on solid ground and what once seemed like an unchanging background is in constant movement, acting up, making itself heard and felt.

We will turn to the geological earth, to the layers that teach us about the history of the earth and that we dig up, turn into products to be consumed and that end up as waste – future fossils. We will also explore the underground as counterculture, resistance and violence – should we learn to “blow up pipelines” as Andreas Malm suggests?

Finally we ask what all these undergrounds share and what they tell us about the times and culture we live in. What do we see and what do we learn when we bring all these different undergrounds to the fore?

Timetable

All lectures will take place on-campus and we assume you can be physically present during the scheduled hours. You can find the timetable on Datanose.

Registration

Registration is possible students participating in an Honours programme. The registration for the Honours courses will start on June 5, 10 am -  June 11, 11.59 pm. You can register through the online registration form that will appear on Honoursmodules IIS. (registration is NOT through SIS)

Please note: There is no guarantee for placement if you register after June 11, so make sure you register on time. You will hear which course(s) you are registered for before June 30. 

For questions about registration, please contact us at: Honours-iis@uva.nl

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