FS 3.213: New imaginaries and narratives about the living in mountain territories

In the context of poly-crisis and the need for deep transition towards sustainability, a rising number of researchers consider that one of the major challenges which capitalist (post)industrial societies are facing is a profound change in their relation to “nature” – thus overcoming the idea of domination, extractivism and/or just admiring its beauty. As mountain regions are already highly affected by changes of the “natural” environment (e.g. melting of glaciers, landslides, droughts, floods, changing ecosystems) they constitute real labs for exploring potential changes in the relationships between humans and other than human. This session proposes to explore narratives, imaginaries and “nature”-based experiences in mountain regions which might indicate a paradigmatic shift. This also means taking into account the sensitive world and how humans can connect with it in mountain territories. We are also interested in communications illustrating how participatory research methods (eventually mobilising mediation processes and sociotechnic disposals, such as fictional texts) can contribute to change and foster links between humans and other than humans, mixing nature-based experiences. This session thus invites presentations of empirical case studies on changing relations with the living or of participatory research projects which are directly aiming to foster changes towards more symbiotic relations.