I was privileged to facilitate a “Learn shop” at the 14th annual conference of the Great Lakes Bioneers Detroit, targeted primarily at regional leaders working toward environmental sustainability. My own contribution centered on helping learnshop participants use communication theory to engage multiple stakeholders amid the “wicked problems” of environmental sustainability. Drawing from my research, I proposed a Tensions Model centered on recognizing how tensions can be more than just headaches, but can be used constructively once we take the time to appreciate the situation holistically from multiple perspectives. Specifically, the learnshop used four “tension areas” as the starting point to help analyze different problems in small groups.
Continue reading “Learnshop on Tensions Model to Negotiate with Environmental Stakeholders at GLBD 2018 Conference”Tag: Alaska
Whirlwind successfully completed: Sustainability symposium, Journal Special Issue 1st reviews, Alaska research trip
It has been an eventful time since my last post, mostly dominated by organizing the “Social Institutions and Sustainability” symposium on campus at Wayne State University, first level of reviewing submissions for a special issue of Critical Sociology journal, and my recently concluded research trip to Fairbanks, Alaska.
Continue reading “Whirlwind successfully completed: Sustainability symposium, Journal Special Issue 1st reviews, Alaska research trip”Presented on Communicative Complexities of Resource Management in Alaska – Humanities Center Conference
I was thrilled this week to present some emerging vignettes from my research in Alaska at the “Survival”-themed conference organized by Wayne State University’s Humanities Center, as part of its Faculty Fellowships Program. Having received a fellowship for 2014-2015 that helped fund my work in Alaska on resource management policy, I looked forward to sharing some stories encountered on the field, and witnessing the great work by the other awardees.
Continue reading “Presented on Communicative Complexities of Resource Management in Alaska – Humanities Center Conference”Climate change response in Alaska: “Do, but don’t talk”?
The other day, I read a news report about how Siberian policymakers are “lukewarm” about the impacts of global warming — or, more accurately, Russian policymakers are lukewarm, whereas local Siberian scientists are sounding the alarm — and it reminded me of the interesting rhetorical response to the same issue in Alaska, a U.S. state that is similarly dependent on fossil fuel extraction, and similarly hungry for infrastructure development.
Continue reading “Climate change response in Alaska: “Do, but don’t talk”?”
Rahul Mitra 