Cult I: Social Trauma, Ecology, and Identity

Currently, the world is fractured with multiple forms of crises such as ecological, physical, psychological, emotional, economic, and various others, triggered by catastrophes, wars, etc. On the one side, these catastrophes evolved in separate cultural, social, economic, and geopolitical concepts. Conversely, their inter-relationalities regarding their traumatic impacts on societies, environments, cultures, human-more-than-human assemblages, and general well-being cannot be ignored. The realities of hatred, destruction, fear, displacements, incarcerations, and trauma remain unchanged. As such, identity in its multiplicities has become of great interest as we try to make sense of ourselves, where we are situated, and the afterlives of catastrophes and war. In our reflections, we explore our location and the different catastrophes and wars we face, and how they continue to shape our identity and transmit trauma over time. Over six lectures, this short course looks forward to engaging with ideas, methodologies, and praxis that look at national identities, COVID-19 reflections, trauma, modernity and politics, wastocene, and citizens and garbage.