Kursinformation

The world is currently experiencing an emergent “space age” in a variety of sectors from military to tourism and telecommunications (Mars‘ Rovers; Space X; Starlink; Moon landings etc.), activities which appear out of touch and absurd next to Earthly concerns such as climate change, Covid or war. Still, anthropologists have been quick to soar out into orbit, above and looking down at Earth through the glorious “aerial view”, depicting new relativisms, new extremes, and bodily experiences of living off Earth. On the other hand, social studies of outer space have argued for a focus on those Earthly sites and institutions where Outer Space is made real, tangible and accessible—those organisations, technologies and expertise needed to reach into the universe and communities affected by space projects. Rather than polarizing these perspectives in terms of “off-Earth” or “on-Earth” transformations, this class will overview recent literature which highlights earthbound space cultures and practices in which Outer Space is produced, imagined, and mediated