Journal article
The Anthropocene Obscene: Poetic inquiry and evocativeevidence of inequality
The Geographical journal, Vol.190(3), pp.1-16
09/2024
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Abstract
Poetic inquiry is used to highlight contrasting lived experiences of vulnerability and worsening socio‐ecological outcomes among Australia's fastest growing coastal communities. Our approach interweaves multiple participant voices across local and national scales to juxtapose the contrasts of inequality, enmesh social and ecological experiences, and ask reflexive questions of audiences. We offer an evocative portrayal of inequality to the growing body of work demonstrating that unequal and intensifying vulnerabilities are created and sustained through complicated, non‐adaptive and hierarchical social systems. We demonstrate that poetic inquiry can interrogate complex system phenomena and broad concepts, such as the Anthropocene, to distil critical and systemic issues while retaining undeniable connections with the deeply personal implications of socio‐ecological change. Hence, poetic inquiry can serve analytical and descriptive purposes towards an emotional and political aesthetic providing a compelling reorientation from more conventional modes of inquiry and representation. In this study, the misuse of power and privilege in the Anthropocene is reduced and revealed as the Obscene. Short Poetic inquiry offers an evocative portrayal of inequality among Australia's fastest growing coastal communities. Poetic inquiry can interrogate complex system phenomena and broad concepts, such as the Anthropocene, to distil critical and systemic issues while retaining undeniable connections with the deeply personal implications of socio‐ecological change. In this study, the misuse of power and privilege in the Anthropocene is reduced and revealed as the Obscene.
Details
- Title
- The Anthropocene Obscene: Poetic inquiry and evocativeevidence of inequality
- Creators
- Dana C. Thomsen - University of the Sunshine CoastTimothy F. Smith - University of the Sunshine CoastCarmen E. Elrick-Barr - University of the Sunshine Coast
- Publication Details
- The Geographical journal, Vol.190(3), pp.1-16
- Publisher
- Royal Geographical Society
- Number of pages
- 16
- Grant note
- This work was supported by the Australian Government through the Australian Research Council's Discovery Projects funding scheme (grant number FT180100652). Open access publishing facilitated by University of the Sunshine Coast, as part of the Wiley - University of the Sunshine Coast agreement via the Council of Australian University Librarians.
- Identifiers
- 991013386628602368
- Copyright
- © 2023 The Authors.
- Academic Unit
- Office of Senior Deputy Vice Chancellor, Research
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article