PhD course at the University of Agder, Kristiansand, Norway, 26–28 November 2025
Ecocriticism, that is, research focusing on the relation between literature, culture, and the environment, is a rapidly growing field both internationally and within Norway. As an environmental humanities discipline, ecocriticism contributes to interdisciplinary environmental research from the perspective of literary and cultural studies.
Ecocriticism is, however, a very diverse field that draws upon theoretical approaches from many different directions. This course will introduce participants to a variety of theories that relate nature and the environment to literature and culture and ask how these theories can be utilized for ecocritical research. The lectures included in the course will both provide a general overview of ecocritical theory and insights into many of the most recent developments within ecocriticism, such as econarratology, decolonial ecocriticism, material ecocriticism, critical plant studies, blue ecocriticism, as well as ecocritical pedagogy and literature education. The course also includes a discussion of the place of ecocriticism within the environmental humanities and of how multi-, inter-, or transdisciplinary ecocritical research can (or should) be.
The thematic lectures will be held by internationally established researchers in ecocriticism and related fields. The course will generally have a strong focus on the combination of ecocritical theory and practice, and thus on the applicability of the theoretical approaches presented and discussed to the practical analysis of literary and filmic texts and genres. It will also provide a platform for participants to discuss and receive feedback on the theoretical aspects of their own projects.
https://www.uia.no/om-uia/fakultet/humaniora-og-pedagogikk/forskning/lit609-lit606.html
