Thursday 28th November 2024, 11:40–12:00 (Australia/Melbourne), Holme Room
Research methodologies are increasingly recognising the agency and significance of non-human entities in shaping socio-environmental dynamics. This presentation will explore the developing field of more-than-human participatory research methods, which challenge traditional anthropocentric approaches by actively involving non-human participants such as plants and animals in research processes. Drawing upon post-humanist principles, more-than-human participatory research methods seek to foster more inclusive dialogues between humans and non-human beings. By integrating the perspectives of non-human participants, more-than-human participatory research methods such as multispecies walking interviews and sensorial ethnographies aim to reveal complex socio-ecological relationships that are often overlooked in conventional research methods. In this presentation, I draw on fieldwork from my ongoing PhD research investigating weeds and horticulture in peri-urban Darwin, Northern Territory, to highlight how more-than-human participatory research methods can foster a deeper appreciation for diverse ways of knowing and being - an important contribution in addressing socio-environmental challenges in the 21st century.
Laura Butler is a PhD Candidate at the Australian Centre for Culture, Environment, Society and Space (ACCESS) at the University of Wollongong, and the inaugural ACSPRI Fellow (2024-2025). Laura’s PhD thesis is investigating biosecurity awareness and action in peri-urban horticulture in Australia’s Northern Territory, spotlighting how invasive plant management can learn from horticulturalists on Darwin’s urban fringe.