The project analyzes and develops theoretical understandings of visual traces of climate change from media users’ perspectives. The project has two objectives: 1) to investigate how climate change is connected to media users’ lifeworlds and every day practices through images and 2) to develop new ways to visualize climate change emotions. In addition, the project researches the practices people connect to climate change emotions.
Methodologically the project utilizes digital ethnography, participatory photography and autoethnography. The research project will produce both academic research articles and photographic projects based on research findings. Thus, the project aims at renewing both science communication in general and specifically the visual communication of climate change.
The project co-operates with environmental organizations in Finland, photographers in Finland and abroad, researchers of photography and climate change in Finland and abroad, environmental bloggers, and news organizations’ visual editors in Finland.
Funding: Kone Foundation
Project duration: 2019–2022
Researcher: Niina Uusitalo, niina.uusitalo at tuni.fi