The Anthropocene Working Group and the Global Debate Around a New Geological Epoch

Abstract

This book examines the role of the Anthropocene Working Group (AWG) in public and scholarly discussions of the meaning of the Anthropocene proposal. The status of the Anthropocene, both as a geoscientific concept and as a cultural concept becoming increasingly familiar in the public sphere, has been highly controversial. While geoscientists focus on possible geological markers and periodisation, the social sciences, environmental humanities, and creative arts have taken up the Anthropocene as a cultural concept to make sense of the planetary environmental crisis and contemporary society. This book documents intra-, inter-, and transdisciplinary debates, particularly, although not limited to, how different scholarly disciplines have responded to the Anthropocene proposal. The authors analyse how the AWG has become the focal point of a debate that straddles the boundaries between academic disciplines and public perceptions of science. The AWG thus serves as a case of the globalisation of science in terms of the global interconnectedness of scientific disciplines and the cultural significance of the Anthropocene proposal.