The topic of the course
Contemporary societies seem to be shaped by the instrumentalisation of disagreement, as political divergences are used to gain power rather than to constructively address shared problems. Societal polarisation and disinformation appear to be symptomatic of this, while in some contexts we, conversely, witness depoliticisation and the suppression of disagreement. Environmental and sustainability challenges are at the core of these struggles.
In this course, we approach environmental communication as the joint construction of meaning concerned with the environment. We engage with three central and interrelated aspects of environmental communication, reflecting meanings (ideas), processes (interaction) and technologies (infrastructures) of meaning-making, exploring these with concepts, methodologies and insights from (i) discourse theory, (ii) symbolic interactionism and (iii) scholarship on the role of information infrastructures (including digitalisation, datafication, and algorithms). Together, we examine disagreement, conflict and environmental communication in the political sphere – i.e., in the space between governing and its challenges. In particular, we investigate how disagreement in contemporary societies is both politicised and depoliticised in and through communication, and how contestation of meaning is employed in political struggles over power. We also examine the constructive potential of such struggles, and the conditions under which disagreement can foster democratic processes.
Find out more:
- Link to syllabus – see also the description of the assignments
- Link to course description on the SLU research school webpage
Course format and organisation
In short:
The core of the course will be the week of the summer school, 17-21 August 2026: We will spend five days packed with engaging learning activities at Wik Castle near Uppsala. The remainder of this 5-credit course will take place online.
The longer version:
The course will consist of three blocks:
- 1 June -15 August 2026: We kick off the course with an online meeting, where teachers and participants get to know each other and key concepts as well as the course plan will be introduced. Small reading groups are formed that meet online 2-3 times over the summer and facilitate engagement with relevant literature provided in the format of a thematically structured reading list. In their own time, participants reflect on the literature with the help of guiding questions, identify questions they want to discuss in the literature seminars, and prepare a presentation of a part of their work they want to discuss during the week of the summer school.
- 17-21 August 2026: Summer school at Wiks slott, Uppsala. Teachers and PhD students meet for five days of joint, interactive learning. Sessions provide ample opportunity to engage in-depth with the focal perspectives of the course, the participants’ PhD projects, and with questions around conflict and political struggles related to environmental and wider sustainability issues. Field visits related to forestry and agricultural issues invite participants to discuss concrete cases in light of the approaches covered in the course.
- A final online seminar in September (date to be agreed) serves to share reflections and lessons learned.
Learning activities during the summer school will include presentations by both teachers and PhD students, workshops, discussions and field visits.
The summer school location
We will meet in a lovely location – Wik castle (Wiks slott) on Lake Mälaren, near Uppsala. Wiks slott is a hotel and a conference venue run by Uppsala region, and is set in park-like surroundings with direct access to the lake and interesting forests and agricultural areas in the vicinity for us to explore.
For whom is this course?
The course is open to all PhD students working in the social sciences, humanities and environmental sciences. We believe it will be particularly valuable for PhD students who…
- Work with conflicts and societal struggles related to the joint construction of meaning concerned with environmental or sustainability issues
- Are interested in ideational and discourse perspectives and/or the role of social and symbolic interaction and information infrastructures in environmental communication
- Work on issues related to environmental governance and are interested in the perspectives explored in the course
… or otherwise feel that this course addresses some of their interests and curiosities.
Teachers
- Anke Fischer, professor, Division of Environmental Communication, Department of Urban and Rural Development, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU)
- Lars Hallgren, senior lecturer, Division of Environmental Communication, SLU
- Sofie Joosse, docent, Division of Environmental Communication, SLU
- Jutta Haider, professor, Swedish School of Library and Information Science, University of Borås
- Leah Sprain, associate professor, College of Communication, Media, Design and Information, University of Colorado Boulder
- Nataša Lovric, senior researcher, School of Forest Sciences, University of Eastern Finland (UEF)
- Sara Holmgren, docent, Division of Environmental Communication, SLU
Costs
The largest part of the course costs is covered by the research programme Mistra Environmental Communication, the research school People, Society and Sustainability run by the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), and the Nordic Forestry, Veterinary and Agricultural University Network (NOVA). This includes, among others, accommodation in a single room for the 4 nights at Wiks slott and all meals.
However, to make the course available to as many interested PhD students as possible, we ask you to contribute with 250 EUR (2700 SEK) to the overall costs.
Participants are expected to cover their own travel as well as any other expenses (such as additional hotel nights).
If you find it impossible to cover the costs of travel and the course contribution of 250 EUR, do get in touch; we might be able to provide travel support in a limited number of cases.
If you have to cancel your participation in the summer school, please do so as early as possible, and at the latest by 1 July 2026, see cancellation conditions below.
How to apply
Please apply by email, including:
- a short summary of your PhD project (or of those elements of the project that are of particular relevance to the course)
- a short motivation statement that explains why you are interested in this course.
Together, these two parts should be approx 1 page long.
Please send your application to anke.fischer@slu.se
Closing date: 30 April 2026. Spaces will be allocated on a rolling basis (i.e., it might be advantageous to apply early) and accepted participants will be notified as soon as possible.
Maximum number of participants: 20
For questions on the organisation of the course, contact maria.nystrom@uu.se
For questions on the content of the course, contact anke.fischer@slu.se
Cancellation conditions
You can cancel your registration free of charge by 1 July 2026. A cancellation fee of 50% of the accommodation and food costs (approx. 4200 SEK) applies if you cancel your registration after this date.
The organisers have the right to cancel the course by 15 May 2026 if the number of registrations does not reach the minimum.
Participants will be notified of any changes at their e-mail addresses.
Hosted and supported by
- Mistra Environmental Communication
- the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences’ (SLU) research school People, Society and Sustainability
- the Nordic Forestry, Veterinary and Agricultural University Network (NOVA)
