Big Questions in the Anthropocene

Taught by AUC lecturers Sjoerd Kluiving, Alexandra Brown, Lisa Ausic, Marjo de Theije and Anco Lankreijer, Big Questions in the Anthropocene (this time taught in Autumn 2021) is one of the courses offered at AUC as part of the Academic Core in which students critically evaluate their relationship with the planet and the cultures and practices that it sustains. The time period from which the impact of humans on Earth can be measured and experienced is commonly referred to as the Anthropocene. The Anthropocene has been used not only to designate a geological epoch but also as a means of framing a number of significant environmental, social and cultural challenges that this period has brought with it. In this Big Questions course, these challenges are examined from perspectives in the social sciences (e.g. international relations, economics, cognitive psychology, sociology, anthropology), humanities (e.g. ethics, visual arts, film, history, communication, journalism, critical theory) and the sciences (e.g. earth systems science, environmental science, ecology, engineering). The course challenges students by asking questions such as: how and to what extent has human impact surpassed that of natural forces? How do we imagine and envision the Anthropocene? What are the problems relating to the Anthropocene, and the experiential and felt elements of life within it? What is required to survive in a context in which multiple scales of “violence” affect humans and non-humans alike?

Real-world excursions to examine the Anthropocene

The final assignment of the Autumn 2022 edition was to gather and assemble content that students had studied throughout the class surrounding the themes of nature, humans and Anthropocene divided over the subject areas of sciences, humanities and social sciences. Setting the tone for what was expected from the field visits, faculty members led students through Anna’s Tuin & Ruigte at Science Park, and the Rokin metro station in the centre of the city.

Groups of students then took the lead to consider the dynamic changes to the local environment (both physically and culturally) in the neighbourhoods of Flevopark, Amsterdam-Overhoeks, Oosterpark, NDSM wharf and De Pijp. Each of the five excursions lasted one hour and under the guidance of fellow students, participants were able to learn about diverse subjects at these sites spread over three multidisciplinary categories: (1) park histories, their entanglements with art, nature and humans, contested spaces, colonial and slave heritage, and the issues surrounding (loss of) biodiversity; (2) the history and future of an oil company, influence of industry on architecture, and the ‘erasing’ of a history of unsustainable practices; and (3) the long history of shipbuilding as a force for defining space in a riverine area and the (devastating) processes of gentrification influencing prices, shops and general outlook of neighbourhoods in the modern era.

Intellectual tools for the future

With the excursions, students have concluded a semester-long exploration through the Anthropocene while developing a set of intellectual tools and a broad understanding of the context and situations in which to apply them. This is in addition to better recognising the potential of these tools to facilitate discussion and effect change as it relates to challenges presented by the Anthropocene both now and in the future.