SCAR XXXIV WP16: Report from the Humanities and Social Sciences Expert Group (HASSEG) Popular

SCAR XXXIV SCAR XXXIV WP16: Report from the Humanities and Social Sciences Expert Group (HASSEG)

Presentation: pdf Agenda Item 4.3.1 (413 KB)

Executive Summary:

Authors: Daniela Liggett, Elizabeth Leane

Important Issues or Factors:

Biennial conferences are held jointly with the History EG, as well as sessions in alternate years at the SCAR OSC. The executive committee was reviewed and streamlined. A commitment to capacity building and outreach are shown by the inclusion of an early-career researcher and IT/communications officer on the executive committee. Members of the group were involved in the SCAR Horizon Scan process and the Antarctic Roadmap Challenges (ARC) workshop.

The focus of the group expanded from its original ‘values’ project to look at questions around wilderness, culture and nationalism in relation to Antarctica, and to embrace a diverse range of projects among its membership. The group also launched a deliberate strategy to become more inclusive of the humanities, changing its name to include this field and appointing a new co-chair from within the humanities.

The group intends to continue working to achieve its aims through promotion of the polar social sciences and humanities network, the group’s own workshops and symposia, website and other channels, publishing research papers, collaboration with other groups, both inside and outside SCAR, and targeted research efforts addressing those questions generated by the first SCAR Antarctic and Southern Ocean Horizon Scan that require social sciences and/or humanities input.

Recommendations/Actions and Justification:

1. We recommend that the Delegates agree to the establishment of a Humanities and Social Sciences SSG.
2. We also request that the Delegates continue to support HASSEG activities as proposed in this report to ensure the continued incorporation of a wide range of social sciences and humanities disciplines under the umbrella of SCAR, to further consolidate research activities in these fields as well as to foster collaborations across these disciplines and with the physical and biological sciences.

Budget Implications: For 2017/18, $4000 (plus funds carried over from 2016) for the HASSEG conference, plus $1000 for website development and maintenance.;