To refresh your memory, chapter 3 concerns the prehistory of the major breakthrough of environmental issues in Sweden in the fall of 1967. The chapter begins in the late 1940s. At this time, a new understanding was established with regard to how humanity, nature, the world and the future related to each other. The very term environment was given a new meaning. Previously, this term had designated external circumstances affecting people. Now, on the may other hand, it started to be used to indicate how human activities were transforming the world. Humankind was seen as a force of nature and as a danger to itself.
How this change in terms of the history of ideas, concepts and science transpired and its consequences are the focus of Paul Warde, Libby Robin and Sverker Sörlin’s The Environment: A History of the Idea (2018). This book was published last fall but emerged over a long period of time. Parts have been published in the form of journal articles and book chapters that have been very important to me. They have shaped the way I approach my subject. These three authors are among the most prominent academics globally in my field. It should here be added that not only Sverker Sörlin but also Paul Warde read Swedish.
It is difficult to write about – and hopefully also for – people whose research and ideas you greatly respect. For me, it initially had a paralyzing effect. I was unable to jot down any words at all. My writing units resulted in absolutely zilch. I was, however, able to talk about what I wanted to write. Basically an entire working day was spent on discussing my thoughts with some of my colleagues: Martin Ericsson, Malin Arvidsson, Lars Edgren, Svante Norrhem. Nevertheless, I was unable to write anything. The breakthrough only came at night when I talked the whole thing through with my wife. She asked the right questions, listened to what I said, confirmed and challenged my ideas. The next day, I completed four units and when I was done, I had a couple of pages of text.
This approach is not altogether uncommon for me. Many academics think by writing. So do I to some extent. But above all, I think by engaging in conversations. That is where I try out and develop my ideas. I suspect that this may be quite tiring for the people around me. In my defense, however, I also truly enjoy discussing other people’s problems and ideas. Be that as it may, there is a time and place for everything. I’m not the best person in the world when it comes to sensing this.
The relationship between conversations, free-roaming thoughts and actual writing is rarely discussed in the literature on academic writing. One exception, however, is sociologist Howard S. Becker’s classic Writing for Social Scientists (1986). Here, he describes how many of his books begin by him lecturing and talking to his students about different issues. In other words, Becker uses his teaching as part of the writing process. In fact, Writing for Social Scientists emerged from writing courses he organized for young academics. It even contains a chapter written by a previous participant.
Becker’s book deserves a blog post of its own, but that will have to wait. The spring semester is about to end and there are not all that many posts left until the blog goes on vacation. During summers, you should obviously take time off and read entirely different things from what you read during semesters (or not read at all!). But then August comes around and thoughts about the fall start to enter your mind. Read or reread Writing for Social Scientists. You won’t regret it.
---------
Do you want to sign up for the blogs mailing-list? Send an e-mail to david.larsson_heidenblad@hist.lu.se
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.