Learning Pathways

Thinking with Islands

Theme
Target Group
  • Researchers,
  • Community workers,
  • Teachers,
  • Students,
  • Artists
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This Learning Pathway invites us to think about, or better yet, to think with the islands and island communities, the inherent uniqueness of their environments and cultures, as well as their vulnerabilities and remarkable resilience.

Pathway Description

Peculiarities are inherent to island environments. The oddities islands foster, from endemism of species to idiosyncrasies in human cultures, is also often shaped by their exposure to weather extremes. This means, on the one hand, that islands have historically been regarded as ideal sites for studying climate. On the other hand, this prodigious exposure to extreme weather also makes them the most vulnerable frontiers of our world today. Small island nations will be the first to bear the full brunt of climate change and other less predictable environmental shifts shaped by our current era of Capitalocene, which we also covered in the Learning Pathway on Blue Humanities.

This Learning Pathway invites us to think about, or better yet, to think with the islands
and island communities, the inherent uniqueness of their environments and cultures,
as well as their vulnerabilities and remarkable resilience.

Time required for the completion of the full pathway: 1.5 hours

NOTE that you need not complete the entire learning pathway in one session.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this learning pathway, you will:

  • Be able to define the notions of islandness, insularity and archipelagic thinking
  • Be able to discuss the challenges and threats faced by the islands and the small island nations within the triple planetary crisis.
  • Have engaged with materials such as blogs, scientific articles, book chapters, and videos that discuss the resilience of islands and island communities.

This learning pathway was written by Dr Milica Prokic, One Ocean Hub Knowledge Exchange Associate.

Pathway Content

Module 1 Module 1: Islands and Island Communities on their Own Terms

This module approaches islands as an important category of analysis in their own right. Going beyond the mainland perspective of islands as peripheral, this module highlights the importance of what islands and their communities can teach us about environment and culture alike.

Module 2 Module 2: Islands as ‘Laboratories' of Environment and Society

This Module focuses on the concept of islands as perfect spaces for examining natural and cultural uniqueness, and the ways to approach them sustainably.

Module 3 Module 3: Islands’ Vulnerability and Resilience

Module 3: Islands’ Vulnerability and Resilience, This module looks at islands in the current era in the context of the triple planetary crisis. It looks at their environmental predicament, as well as the extraordinary resilience of their communities.

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