The Centre for Sustainability Transitions at Stellenbosch University, the SARChI in Science Communication at the Department of Journalism at Stellenbosch University, and the University of Groningen in The Netherlands invite applications to its summer school taking place from 19 – 24 January 2025 and hosted at Stellenbosch University in Stellenbosch, South Africa.
Over the course of this winter/summer school, participants will study the relationship between discourse, worldview, ontology and ethics, particularly in regard to questions of just sustainability transitions (in particular just water/food/energy nexus transitions). How are arguments for more sustainable ways to live on this planet being mediated to audiences? Who is doing the mediating, and how does the message change, depending on the speaker and audience?
The goal of this week is to learn the impact that discourse has on material culture and then put this into practice by working with societal stakeholders to develop powerful communicative platforms using rhetoric that is both effective and aligns with their underlying values. For example, how can an organic farmer, committed to decolonial ecological values, win agricultural grants from the government without resorting to capitalistic rhetoric?
We will also introduce the practice of agile design thinking, which participants will use with their community partners as they conceptualise and execute their projects.
Click here to apply or for more information.
