Rettig’s interest is not primarily in the success of the instruction, but more in interspecies re... more Rettig’s interest is not primarily in the success of the instruction, but more in interspecies relationality, in this case the forms of embodied empathy that develop as two bodies synchronize with one another in action. The third and final section, “Empathie und ihre Relevanz in exemplarischen gesellschaftlichen Kommunikationsbereichen,” features case studies of communicative contexts in which empathy plays a key role: the justice system (Ekkehard Felder and coauthors), doctor-patient relationships (Pavla Schäfer), academic communication (Michael Bender and Nina Janich), the political arena (Josef Klein), public relations (Helmut Ebert and Edith Münch), education (Jörg Killian and Konstanze Marx), reading fictional texts (Berbeli Wanning and Anna Mattfeldt), lay linguistic discourses (Kristin Kuck and Kersten Sven Roth), and the professional art world (Paul Reszke). This wide array of studies also comes with a broad spectrum of understandings of language. The first contribution from Felder et al. is representative of this; this one chapter offers twelve different ways of thinking about language in juridical contexts, each authored by a different co-author. Sprache und Empathie offers a fairly comprehensive overview of the range of issues and perspectives related to this field. Because of the breadth of the collection in terms of scope and disciplinary positioning and the lack of editorial commentary or guidance beyond the introduction, Sprache und Empathie has an encyclopedic structure. Many readers would likely be interested in select chapters, rather than the volume as a whole. At the same time, there are some focal areas that are absent or mentioned only in passing, which might be missed by scholars in German Studies. For example, with the exception of a few brief references, questions of race, gender, and sexuality are not taken into account, in spite of the recurring focus on selective empathy and the understanding that it is socially and culturally constituted. Overall, though, the volume is a useful resource for scholars working in or just starting to think about language and empathy.
Ecozon@: European Journal of Literature, Culture and Environment
Gardening as an activity characterised by attentiveness to nature and willingness to adapt to and... more Gardening as an activity characterised by attentiveness to nature and willingness to adapt to and care for it, and the idea of gardening the planet are attracting growing interest in the context of debates on the Anthropocene. Garden writing exists in forms ranging from autobiographically framed essays describing plants and their care to prose fiction and even poetry. This article is concerned with its contribution to reimagining human/nature relations in a way which is particularly relevant in the Anthropocene: homo hortensis is a conception of humanity as an integral part of nature, dwelling actively in it and enhancing it rather than consuming or destroying it. Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s Julie or the New Heloise (1761) and Adalbert Stifter’s Indian Summer (1857–9) are examined as Early Anthropocene novels which anticipate through the gardens they depict aspects of Anthropocene thinking which find more explicit formulation in Michael Pollan’s work of nonfiction garden writing, Second...
One of the more frequently lodged, serious, and justifiable complaints about ecocritical work is ... more One of the more frequently lodged, serious, and justifiable complaints about ecocritical work is that it is insufficiently theorized. Ecocritical Theory puts such claims decisively to rest by offering readers a comprehensive collection of sophisticated but accessible essays that productively investigate the relationship between European theory and ecocritique. With its international roster of contributors and subjects, it also militates against the parochialism of ecocritics who work within the limited canon of the American West. Bringing together approaches and orientations based on the work of European philosophers and cultural theorists, this volume is designed to open new pathways for ecocritical theory and practice in the twenty-first century
En una era de movilidad y arraigo multilocal el sentido de arraigo en un lugar y sus adaptaciones... more En una era de movilidad y arraigo multilocal el sentido de arraigo en un lugar y sus adaptaciones son relevantes para temas medioambientales. El libro recoge articulos de investigadores en Espana y los Estados Unidos sobre las representaciones literarias y artisticas de lugares y nuestras relaciones con ellas en un mundo cambiante. Los investigadores se preguntan que nos aportan la literatura y el arte, el cine y museos acerca de los cambios en el sentido de arraigo o, por el contrario, en la alienacion y, por otra parte, que papel desempenan las artes en cuestionar presuposiciones y abrir nuevas perspectivas en la busqueda de una educacion basada en un sentido de lugar, ecologicamente informado.
Rettig’s interest is not primarily in the success of the instruction, but more in interspecies re... more Rettig’s interest is not primarily in the success of the instruction, but more in interspecies relationality, in this case the forms of embodied empathy that develop as two bodies synchronize with one another in action. The third and final section, “Empathie und ihre Relevanz in exemplarischen gesellschaftlichen Kommunikationsbereichen,” features case studies of communicative contexts in which empathy plays a key role: the justice system (Ekkehard Felder and coauthors), doctor-patient relationships (Pavla Schäfer), academic communication (Michael Bender and Nina Janich), the political arena (Josef Klein), public relations (Helmut Ebert and Edith Münch), education (Jörg Killian and Konstanze Marx), reading fictional texts (Berbeli Wanning and Anna Mattfeldt), lay linguistic discourses (Kristin Kuck and Kersten Sven Roth), and the professional art world (Paul Reszke). This wide array of studies also comes with a broad spectrum of understandings of language. The first contribution from Felder et al. is representative of this; this one chapter offers twelve different ways of thinking about language in juridical contexts, each authored by a different co-author. Sprache und Empathie offers a fairly comprehensive overview of the range of issues and perspectives related to this field. Because of the breadth of the collection in terms of scope and disciplinary positioning and the lack of editorial commentary or guidance beyond the introduction, Sprache und Empathie has an encyclopedic structure. Many readers would likely be interested in select chapters, rather than the volume as a whole. At the same time, there are some focal areas that are absent or mentioned only in passing, which might be missed by scholars in German Studies. For example, with the exception of a few brief references, questions of race, gender, and sexuality are not taken into account, in spite of the recurring focus on selective empathy and the understanding that it is socially and culturally constituted. Overall, though, the volume is a useful resource for scholars working in or just starting to think about language and empathy.
Ecozon@: European Journal of Literature, Culture and Environment
Gardening as an activity characterised by attentiveness to nature and willingness to adapt to and... more Gardening as an activity characterised by attentiveness to nature and willingness to adapt to and care for it, and the idea of gardening the planet are attracting growing interest in the context of debates on the Anthropocene. Garden writing exists in forms ranging from autobiographically framed essays describing plants and their care to prose fiction and even poetry. This article is concerned with its contribution to reimagining human/nature relations in a way which is particularly relevant in the Anthropocene: homo hortensis is a conception of humanity as an integral part of nature, dwelling actively in it and enhancing it rather than consuming or destroying it. Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s Julie or the New Heloise (1761) and Adalbert Stifter’s Indian Summer (1857–9) are examined as Early Anthropocene novels which anticipate through the gardens they depict aspects of Anthropocene thinking which find more explicit formulation in Michael Pollan’s work of nonfiction garden writing, Second...
One of the more frequently lodged, serious, and justifiable complaints about ecocritical work is ... more One of the more frequently lodged, serious, and justifiable complaints about ecocritical work is that it is insufficiently theorized. Ecocritical Theory puts such claims decisively to rest by offering readers a comprehensive collection of sophisticated but accessible essays that productively investigate the relationship between European theory and ecocritique. With its international roster of contributors and subjects, it also militates against the parochialism of ecocritics who work within the limited canon of the American West. Bringing together approaches and orientations based on the work of European philosophers and cultural theorists, this volume is designed to open new pathways for ecocritical theory and practice in the twenty-first century
En una era de movilidad y arraigo multilocal el sentido de arraigo en un lugar y sus adaptaciones... more En una era de movilidad y arraigo multilocal el sentido de arraigo en un lugar y sus adaptaciones son relevantes para temas medioambientales. El libro recoge articulos de investigadores en Espana y los Estados Unidos sobre las representaciones literarias y artisticas de lugares y nuestras relaciones con ellas en un mundo cambiante. Los investigadores se preguntan que nos aportan la literatura y el arte, el cine y museos acerca de los cambios en el sentido de arraigo o, por el contrario, en la alienacion y, por otra parte, que papel desempenan las artes en cuestionar presuposiciones y abrir nuevas perspectivas en la busqueda de una educacion basada en un sentido de lugar, ecologicamente informado.
Uploads
Book chapters by Axel Goodbody
Papers by Axel Goodbody