Online Colloquium 87: Building Social Ecological Cultures of Care

Care, a term with long histories, has become something of a buzzword across different contexts and institutional settings in the last decade—ostensibly as a response to the global interlinked crises underway and systemic failures to mitigate or even address them. Yet what care is, or should be, in different settings and places is a complex issue, especially taking into consideration limitations posed by socio-political contexts, institutional constraints, and social imaginaries.

During the colloquium, Krini Kafiris will discuss a social ecological approach to care, defining it in terms of the interconnectedness of individuals, groups, communities and the ecosystem. Building cultures of care is conceptualised as deepening the connections necessary for individuals, groups, communities and the ecosystem to flourish, within contexts of limitation and constraints. This approach draws from foundational social ecological, ecosystemic and feminist concepts, as well as the practices of sustainable organising and her own experiences in this as an educator.

After outlining the fundamental concepts, she will discuss how they can be put into practice within groups and collaborations. Finally, we will explore the obstacles that often emerge when building social ecological cultures of care and how these might be best addressed.