Scale, Latency, Entanglement

Wege zur Klimakompetenz durch kreative Kommunikationen

Abstract

International publications and curricula indicate that concepts of sustainability literacy are mainly concerned with facts provided by climate science as well as attitudes and patterns of behavior supporting climate protection. At the same time, research in climate communication has repeatedly shown the necessity to invest in more creative forms of engaging with climate change. The paper addresses this necessity and discusses it with regard to the teaching of literature. It aims at pointing out the role of literature beyond a merely instrumental approach. Focussing on the concepts of narrative and metaphor, the paper develops an educational perspective that allows for the integration of creative forms of narration into the context of sustainability. At its center lie narrative and cognitive-analytical challenges of climate change that can be identified as challenges of scale, latency and entanglements, i.e., the complex interplays of human and non-human life.