Naturforbindelse i byen: En sociologisk undersøgelse af naturforbindelse i urbant landbrug

Sørensen, Sivert Errboe

4. semester

By, Bolig og Bosætning, kandidat

2022

2022-09-23

94 pages

This master thesis examines how urban farming might contribute to human-nature connectedness (naturforbindelse) in the city through an ethnographic casestudy of Impact Farm, a small Urban Farm with hydroponic vertical growing systems, connected to the Bachelorstudies of Nutrition and Health (Ernæring og Sundhed) at University College Copenhagen (København Professionshøjskole). Seven in-depth interviews are conducted with students, volunteers and employees surrounding Impact Farm, exploring their views on nature and the farming practices they engage in. An emphasis is put on the importance of materials and non-humans as actors and co-creators of nature views and practices in Impact Farm. In order to reflect these aspects the thesis draws upon the theories of Elisabeth Shove, Bruno Latour, and Tim Ingold, yet the empirical data stays primary to the theories in this inductive study. The collection of empirical data is inspired by Sarah Pinks sensory ethnography, seeing the interviewpersons as situated, the interviews are supplemented by observation, walk-and-talk and participation that includes the surroundings and the senses. The coding process is inspired by Kathy Charmaz constructivist redeveloped Grounded Theory resulting in working very close to the empirical data with ‘line by line coding’, while also understanding the data as a constructed by both researcher and interviewpersons. Five interviews with experts in Urban Farming, Forest Gardening (skovhaver) and School Gardening (skolehaver), are included to discuss the findings of the thesis. The study finds that the materials of Impact Farm are conducive to reductionist views of nature and scientific experiments, whereas holistic views of nature are not supported. While the interview persons get close relations to a small selection of plants and insects, the relations a highly anthropocentric and a more biocentric human-nature connectedness would rely on a growing system that is open to a higher degree of biodiversity, and to the will and ‘voices’ of other beings, wildness, and cycles of nature such as seasons. However, Impact Farm does hold potential for the development of basic plant knowledge independent of season, and curiosity towards other species. Moreover, views on nature are shown to be multifaceted and dynamic in each individual, with no single view being scientifically supported, so for urban gardening to contribute to human-nature connectedness in the city it is important include a variation of growing-systems appealing to and supportive of various views of nature.

This master thesis examines how urban farming might contribute to human-nature connectedness (naturforbindelse) in the city through an ethnographic casestudy of Impact Farm, a small Urban Farm with hydroponic vertical growing systems, connected to the Bachelorstudies of Nutrition and Health (Ernæring og Sundhed) at University College Copenhagen (København Professionshøjskole). Seven in-depth interviews are conducted with students, volunteers and employees surrounding Impact Farm, exploring their views on nature and the farming practices they engage in. An emphasis is put on the importance of materials and non-humans as actors and co-creators of nature views and practices in Impact Farm. In order to reflect these aspects the thesis draws upon the theories of Elisabeth Shove, Bruno Latour, and Tim Ingold, yet the empirical data stays primary to the theories in this inductive study. The collection of empirical data is inspired by Sarah Pinks sensory ethnography, seeing the interviewpersons as situated, the interviews are supplemented by observation, walk-and-talk and participation that includes the surroundings and the senses. The coding process is inspired by Kathy Charmaz constructivist redeveloped Grounded Theory resulting in working very close to the empirical data with ‘line by line coding’, while also understanding the data as a constructed by both researcher and interviewpersons. Five interviews with experts in Urban Farming, Forest Gardening (skovhaver) and School Gardening (skolehaver), are included to discuss the findings of the thesis. The study finds that the materials of Impact Farm are conducive to reductionist views of nature and scientific experiments, whereas holistic views of nature are not supported. While the interview persons get close relations to a small selection of plants and insects, the relations a highly anthropocentric and a more biocentric human-nature connectedness would rely on a growing system that is open to a higher degree of biodiversity, and to the will and ‘voices’ of other beings, wildness, and cycles of nature such as seasons. However, Impact Farm does hold potential for the development of basic plant knowledge independent of season, and curiosity towards other species. Moreover, views on nature are shown to be multifaceted and dynamic in each individual, with no single view being scientifically supported, so for urban gardening to contribute to human-nature connectedness in the city it is important include a variation of growing-systems appealing to and supportive of various views of nature.

casestudy ; urban farmin ; hydroponic farming ; hydroponisk dyrkningssystem ; urbant landbrug ; naturforbindelse ; non-humane aktører ; meshwork ; praksisteori

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