Our research approach is both inter- and transdisciplinary and combines theoretical and analytical work in the environmental humanities (primarily from film and media studies, cultural studies, and history) with quantitative and qualitative methods from the social sciences (primarily from science communication and evaluation research). It draws inspiration from the interdiscplinary field of empirical ecocriticism and from work at the interface of real-life experiments and artistic practices, which can generate transformation knowledge and encourage participants to act in such a way that they help drive transformation processes forward.

On the one hand, the project analyses artistic practices using humanities methods from the fields of media culture and history. On the other hand, quantitative and qualitative social science methods are used as part of our participatory sustainability research. The focus is not primarily on the “transfer of knowledge”, but rather on gaining a better understanding of how citizens react to the innovative impulses of individual films, how they reflect on their personal circumstances, where they perceive obstacles to implementation, and how they become active themselves. The aim is also to analyse whether relevant groups are excluded by this type of participatory research.

By encouraging an imaginative and emotional engagement with our films and workshops on sustainability issues, the research project aims to make a contribution to linking innovations, which have so far been more technically and economically orientated, more closely with ecological and social innovations. It deliberately goes beyond the assumption that social transformations can be achieved by simply communicating scientific findings or providing new technologies. At the same time, new knowledge is to be generated about how narratives and creative storytelling can contribute to such transformation processes.

Key element of our transdisciplinary and transformative research approach is the long-term active involvement of implementation partners and citizens in the ongoing research work as well as regular and timely feedback of research results in our workshops at the Volkshochschule Freiburg, here on our project website, via Instagram and in our newsletter.