Research Project

Our Research

The ways in which people are involved in transformative processes is one of the most crucial aspects for our understanding of past and present societies and their lifeworlds. Within these processes, resources play a crucial role as they are interwoven in many ways into the practical and cognitive constructions of societies. Resources, their acquisition and social appropriation keep societies in action, whether we consider them as preconditions, in a broader sense as affordances within human practices, or as projection surfaces for desires and ideologies. ReForm specifically aims to explore the transformative potential of resources and the processes that lead to substantial socio-ecological transformations in human history.

Despite the relevance of the topic, it is surprising that it has not been theorised in depth between disciplines. Therefore, through a multivocal perspective, ReForm aims to explore how people are interwoven with their materialised environment through different practices and how social institutions emerge and change during these processes. An interdisciplinary approach involving social and cultural sciences (e.g. archaeology, history, sociology and anthropology), natural sciences (e.g. geosciences, material sciences and engineering) and economics is essential for exploring the transformative potential of resources and the resulting social transformations.

Our Goals

Associated Projects

Research Areas

Research Fields