Arts and humanities inquiry in the Long-Term Ecological Research Network: empathy, relationships, and interdisciplinary collaborations

Lissy Goralnik (), Michael Paul Nelson, Hannah Gosnell and Mary Beth Leigh
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Lissy Goralnik: Michigan State University
Michael Paul Nelson: Oregon State University
Hannah Gosnell: Oregon State University
Mary Beth Leigh: University of Alaska Fairbanks

Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, 2017, vol. 7, issue 2, No 19, 373 pages

Abstract: Abstract The Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) Network is a collection of 25 National Science Foundation-funded sites committed to long-term, place-based investigation of the natural world. While activities primarily focus on ecological research, arts and humanities inquiry emerged in 2002 and since then, a substantial body of creative work has been produced at LTER-affiliated sites. These art-humanities-science collaborations parallel a wider trend in universities and non-profits. However, there is little empirical work on the value and effectiveness of this work. After launching a survey in 2013 to assess the values and challenges associated with arts and humanities in the LTER Network (Goralnik et al. 2015), which identified empathy as a meaningful potential outcome of this creative work, we conducted a follow-up analysis to understand the following: the relevance of empathy in the LTER Network; the role of empathy in bridging arts, humanities, and science collaborations; and the capacity of empathy to connect wider audiences both to LTER science and to the natural world. Our research included phone interviews with representatives from 15 LTER sites and an audience perception survey at an LTER-hosted art show. We found that arts-humanities-science collaborations have great potential to catalyze relationships between scholars, the public, and the natural world; cultivate inspiration and empathy for the natural world; and spark awareness shifts that can enable pro-environmental behavior. Our research demonstrates the potential for art-humanities-science collaborations to facilitate conservation attitudes and action in the Network and beyond.

Keywords: Environmental arts and humanities; Empathy; Interdisciplinary; Place-based; Conservation; Awe; Relationships (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
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DOI: 10.1007/s13412-016-0415-4

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