Presidential Session - Scholar Activists and Activist Scholars?: The Promise and Challenges of Connecting the Ivory Tower and the Trenches

Session Submission Type: Experimental Session

Abstract

Historians have long struggled with the question of objectivity and our relationships to the political issues of the day. As environmental historians, we have had a special relationship to this conflict. The environmental movement of the mid-twentieth century partly prompted the formation of what we call environmental history and our association. Today, and especially in the age of climate change, many environmental historians remain untroubled by their role informing contemporary issues and many are actively involved in bridging the gap between the academy and activism. As they do, they bring historical perspective to this important work. But, how does their work as activists inform their work as historians? And how does their work as “scholar activists” influence how they consider about history and its relationship and perhaps obligation to the present and the future. This roundtable, which features experienced environmental scholar activists Brian Donahue, Julianne Lutz Warren, Paul Hirt, Nancy Langston, and Cody Ferguson, will explore these questions through what we hope to be a lively discussion.

Sub Unit

• ASEH Annual Conference

Participants

• Brian Donahue, Brandeis University

• Cody Ferguson, Northern Plains Resource Council

• Paul Hirt, Arizona State University

• Nancy Langston, Michigan Technological University

• Julianne Lutz Warren, Independent Scholar