The International Society for Cultural History (ISCH) has organised annual conferences since 2008. The subject of the 17th conference in Rovaniemi, Finland, is Human/Nature – Entanglements in Cultural History.

Cultural history has mainly studied humans: their actions, experiences, and ways of thinking. Yet the past is not shaped by only human actions and thoughts. Human beings inevitably interact with the nature surrounding them, which further means that history has not been shaped by human agency alone, but by the actions of various living and non-living beings. Some research has already been conducted in the field of cultural history within environmental history, as well as multispecies and/or more-than-human history, exploring, for instance, the historical relationships between humans and animals, plants, or landscapes.

Another relevant topic of discussion in this field is the relationship between historical research and emerging epistemological and ontological approaches questioning human-centered understandings of “culture”, ”community,” or “agency.” These approaches challenge traditional assumptions that emphasize the dominance of human agency. These openings raise intriguing philosophical questions which urge us as historians to reassess our theoretical and methodological assumptions concerning e.g. culture, temporality, and working with the sources. Furthermore, these questions are crucial when considering current environmental challenges, such as the biodiversity loss threatening the planet. 

Keynotes

Prof. Hannu Salmi, University of Turku, Finland: No More Than Human History: Exploring human/nature entanglements in a life of a deafblind

Prof. Sandra Swart, Stellenbosch University, South Africa: History for the End of the World: finding new futures in our animal past

Prof. Marek Tamm, Tallinn University, Estonia: Towards a Biocultural History: A Manifesto

+ more than 35 panels!

The registration deadline for participants is 18th May, 2025. More information on our website: isch2025.com