The "RESIST" project is developing measures to increase the resilience of the drinking water supply to pandemics and other crisis scenarios and analysing them with regard to the digital transformation.

In addition to classic crisis scenarios (e.g. contamination, cyber-physical attacks), newly defined incidents are also being analysed for the first time in the wake of the pandemic (e.g. exit restrictions, uncoordinated withdrawal of water): Exit restrictions, uncoordinated withdrawal of drinking water for storage purposes) are also being systematically analysed in terms of resilience and solutions proposed.

The sociological analyses focus in particular on the interdependencies between crisis management, crisis communication and crisis behaviour of the population and the repercussions on the drinking water infrastructure, as well as actor-network constellations in the Austrian drinking water supply and adaptation processes of the supply system in the context of climate change.

Primary researchers involved:

• Univ.-Prof. Dr Robert Sitzenfrei (PI, Institute for Infrastructure, Department of Environmental Engineering, University of Innsbruck)
• Assoc. Prof. Dr Silvia Rief (Institute of Sociology)

Team members:

• Monica Ender BA
• Dr Thomas Lampalzer

Project partners:

• Austrian Association for the Gas and Water Industry (ÖVGW); Stadtwerke Schwaz GmbH
• University of Innsbruck, Institute for Public Law, Government and Administration
• University of Innsbruck, Institute for Infrastructure, Wasser Tirol - Dienstleistungs-GmbH; ZetaLabs IT-Service

Funding:

FFG / KIRAS programme

Contact:

Silvia Rief, Assoc. Prof. Dr.in

• silvia.rief@uibk.ac.at

In the Global South, ‘coloniality’ has long been associated with political rule over subordinated countries . Struggles for ‘decoloniality’ have evolved from the undoing of colonial rule, to the even more fundamental challenge of freeing knowledge, practice, and culture from deeper worldwide concentrations of incumbent power. In keeping with the more expansive ambitions of the Sustainable Development Goals, a decolonisation framework thus encompasses some of the most profound and pervasive critiques of globalising structures and their conditioning effects in every setting . Accordingly, the neglected imperative to ‘decolonise methodologies’ in research and policy appraisal, embodies some of the most important and intractable challenges in this field – offering crucial opportunities for thinking, knowing, and doing alike.

The aim of this book project is therefore to explore how methods for informing policy decisions and wider political debates can enable learning, enrich knowledge, enhance practice and nurture more emancipatory outcomes in the Global South. As such, the book equally addresses issues of epistemological theory, policy practice and wider politics. In the theoretical strand of discussion, the book explains how methods have been used to provide learning opportunities through critical pedagogies, scholarly activism, and transdisciplinary training. The practice strand explains how these theories have been put into use to engage, challenge, and shift prevailing power gradients. The wider political strand identifies crucial cross-cutting qualities in various relevant methods and explains how related attributes have – both as understanding and as practice – contributed to heuristics of decoloniality. Individual chapters variously centre on specific cases of critical pedagogy or subaltern epistemology that clearly demonstrate how these three aspects (theory, practice, politics) unfold for methodological decoloniality.

The book argues that it is only by decolonising methodologies in this way, that crucial traction can be enacted to transform the Global South towards Sustainability. The project is led by African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS, in collaboration with University of Innsbruck (UIBK), and University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU).

Team members at the University of Innsbruck:
Vera Brandner
Eric Burton
Andreas Exenberger
Bettina Mahlert
Bernadette Müller Kmet

Project Partners:
African Centre for Technology Studies, Nairobi (project leadership)
University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Wien

Funding:
Africa-UniNet

Contact:
MÜLLER KMET, Bernadette, Mag. Dr

18.12.20 to 15.01.21: Call for applications - two student assistants for the project

The „Postsecular Conflicts“ (POSEC) is a 5-year research project about religious-moral conflicts in contemporary societies, in particular conflicts regarding religious freedom, gender and sexuality, and bioethics. POSEC highlights the transnational dimension of such conflicts and investigates the agenda and transnational networks of traditionalist moral conservative actors and the role of Russian Orthodox actors therein. The project carries the term “postsecular” in the title, because it reflectively connects to debates in political theory about the role of religious arguments in the public sphere and about the relationship between religion, human rights and democracy.

Funding:
This project has received funding from the European Research Council as a starting grant (2016-21, Nr. 676804) and from the Austrian Science Foundation as a START grant (2015-2016).


More informations about the project: https://www.uibk.ac.at/projects/postsecular-conflicts/

Principal Investigator / Contact: STOECKL, Kristina, Univ.-Prof. Dr. Ir.

They come from Slovakia, Poland, Romania or other Central Eastern European countries to look after and care for elderly people in their private homes in Western Europe: 24-hour carers have become an integral part of the Austrian care system. Whether in the city or in the countryside, care in Austria is currently heavily dependent on the ability and willingness of foreign carers to work in Austria. However, economic, demographic and social developments in the countries of origin, as well as in Austria, mean challenges and changes for the current system.
In this research project, political and legal developments and areas of tension, the situation in the countries of destination and origin, as well as the cultural localisation form the basis for an analysis of the reasons for the employment of foreign carers in private households. An important part of the analysis is the comparison of urban and rural areas and the associated special features of rural communities. The aim of the project is to gain a better understanding of the reasons for the current models, the possible developments and the associated alternatives. This understanding can and should subsequently serve as possible information for political decisions in this area.

Client: Regionalmanagement regio³ - Pillerseetal-Leukental-Leogang

Contact person: WEICHT, Bernhard, Priv.-Doz. Mag. Dr.

People from non-academic backgrounds continue to face specific challenges both in accessing higher education and during their studies. The mostly "invisible" hurdles to accessing higher education are reflected in the social composition of students, which differs significantly from society as a whole: Children from families in which at least one parent has a school-leaving certificate are still around 2.5 times more likely to start university studies in Austria than children whose parents do not have at least a school-leaving certificate.
The "Chill die Basis" project aims to realise equal opportunities in the Tyrolean higher education area and thus promote "non-traditional" students. By this we mean student groups who, due to their social and/or regional background, are confronted with obstacles when it comes to recognising and pursuing educational paths other than those available to them in their own environment. The term "educationally disadvantaged" is usually used in this context, but in the context of the project we distance ourselves from this term and emphasise that we are not talking about people who are far from education or have no education. Rather, it is about recognising diverse forms of education and heterogeneous life realities and, in this context, about the question of accessibility and fair participation opportunities in the education and higher education system.

Project partners:
Kufstein University of Applied Sciences, Management Center Innsbruck, University of Teacher Education Tyrol, Private University for Medical Informatics and Technology, University of Innsbruck; Chamber of Labour Tyrol; Psychological Student Counselling Service

Funding:
Higher Education Area Structural Funds (HRSM); Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research (BMBWF); Province of Tyrol

Publications:
Brandmayr, Michael, Ina Hanselmann, and Bernadette Müller-Kmet (2018). "Educational advancement: higher education policy requirements vs. institutional practice. Support measures using the example of the Tyrol as a university location." Adult Education Magazine. 34: 90-98.

Brandmayr, Michael (2019). "What is the social dimension in higher education development? Results of an analysis of higher education policy strategy papers in the Austrian higher education system." Austrian Journal of Political Science 47: 19-31.


Project leader / contact person: MÜLLER KMET, Bernadette, Mag. dr.

The University of Innsbruck and its partners in civil society and academia are currently conducting a project on the challenges of local communities worldwide due to the phenomenon of land grabbing and the strategies communities have to deal with it. We especially focus on small and sneaky forms of micro land grabbing because we believe they are not yet included adequately in political agendas. The aims of the project are to:

- increase knowledge and awareness for the phenomenon of micro-land grabbing,
- emphasize social learning between participants in terms of resistance strategies,
- and strengthen collaborations between academia, civil society organizations and local communities across continents.

Documentation:

Micro.Land.Grabbing. A Challenge for Local Communities Worldwide - Documentation

- BGO. Alternative economic and cultural activities
- CAA. Legal activities and alliances
- TNRF. Awareness and capacity building

Project partner:
Dreikönigsaktion Innsbruck, Tanzanian National Resource Forum, Bürgergenossenschaft Obervinschgau, Universität Kassel, Organisation für eine solidarische Welt

Funding:
Eigenmittel, Dreikönigsaktion Österreich, Austrian Development Agency
Projektleitung: Carolin Holtkamp

The agricultural and food system is currently dominated by transnational corporations that operate according to the principles of competition, economic growth and profit maximisation. This WTO-centred food regime is being actively challenged by various social movements and producers. These are mostly locally rooted and strive for more sustainable production that takes into account values such as solidarity and trust. In our research project, we analyse small and medium-sized initiatives that we understand as value-based modes of production and consumption. Specifically, we are focussing on community-supported agriculture and regional value chains. The study examines the extent to which these small and medium-sized bottom-up initiatives have the potential to change the WTO-centred food regime (i.e. the dominant globalised value chains in food production).

The aim of the research is to analyse these initiatives and how they function to change corporate power and state structures in the WTO-centric food regime. The project (1) develops a common theoretical framework to systematically understand these value-based initiatives. It interweaves food regime theory with other theoretical approaches, namely state theory, the concept of social capital and territoriality. The mix of theories will be used to analyse various initiatives at the local level in order to subsequently embed the empirical results in a broader national and global debate. (2) Building on this, a methodological toolkit will be developed to analyse the above-mentioned initiatives and their underlying values. (3) As case studies, we will explore examples of solidarity agriculture and regional value chains in Switzerland, the Czech Republic and Argentina. (4) The interdisciplinary research process will be accompanied and analysed with regard to mutual learning within the team.

Research group:
Chrisitina Plank (BOKU, Institute of Social Ecology)
Rike Stotten (Uibk, Institute of Sociology)
Robert Hafner (Uibk, Institute of Geography)

Project budget:
Total project: € 1,203,438.92
Uibk Sociology € 400,604.82

Project website: https://foodalternatives.at/

Publications:
Plank, Christina; Hafner, Robert; Stotten, Rike (2020): Analyzing values-based modes of production andconsumption: Community-supported agriculture in the Austrian Third Food Regime. In: Austrian Journal of Sociology,Vol. 45, pages 49-68.

Plank, Christina; Hafner, Robert; Stotten, Rike (2020): Value-based modes of production and consumption in the WTO-centred food regime. Questions of a Zukunftskolleg project. In: Yearbook for the History of Rural Areas, Vol. 17, pp. 185-194.

Contact person: STOTTEN, Rike, PhD

The dissertation project analyses the extent to which civil society food networks contribute to the socio-ecological transformation of established agricultural and food practices. The case study is the "Malser Weg" movement in the municipality of Mals, Italy. Since 2010, it has been campaigning against the expansion of agribusiness agriculture in its home region, the Upper Venosta Valley, and in favour of establishing the "Mals Region for the Common Good". One of her main concerns is the ban on pesticides in the municipality. Malles/Mals is the first municipality to put such a ban to a referendum. Through its actions, the movement has stimulated an intensive political discourse on the future of agriculture in South Tyrol and beyond. as a cultural asset is a source of identity for the Alpine population. It is not only the food itself that is important, but also its contribution to the cultural landscape, knowledge of traditional production methods, associated consumption rituals and the passing down of ancient wisdom. The Interreg project AlpFoodway is developing a sustainable development model for the valorisation of this cultural asset in the Alpine region. In particular, approaches are being analysed that feature innovative marketing strategies and governance tools, thereby maintaining the cultural asset 'food' as a social practice.
The theoretical perspectives on which the project is based originate from the discourses of socio-ecological and socio-technical transformation. The study follows the format of participatory action research. The researcher primarily draws on actions that she plans and carries out together with local actors. The actions aim to support the process of socio-ecological transformation. This generates a wealth of data that can be used to answer questions about the transformation. At the same time, the research project leaves the realm of pure understanding and has a transformative effect itself. In this way, it also contributes to improving the perception of science as an effective instrument of social change.

Funding:
Rotational position as a university assistant with dissertation agreement

Project management / contact person: HOLTKAMP, Carolin, M.A.

The tourism industry makes a significant contribution to securing livelihoods in rural areas in Austria's mountain regions. Agriculture can integrate the tourism sector as an additional source of income in various ways. The interdisciplinary RESULT project, together with the Institute of Ecology at the University of Innsbruck and EURAC Bolzano, is investigating the synergies that arise from the combination of tourism and agriculture. These links are being analysed using the two villages of Vent and Obergurgl in the Ötztal. The focus here is on the question of how the villages, farms and ecosystems deal with shocks and disruptive factors (e.g. natural disasters or socio-political challenges). Based on the concepts of 'farm resilience' and 'community resilience', research is being conducted into how changes are cushioned, processed or even integrated at the various levels. The results and knowledge about the synergies between agriculture and tourism should help to improve regional development programmes and agri-environmental programmes through scientific findings.

Funding:
ÖAW - Austrian Academy of Sciences (research programme "Earth System Sciences")

Publications:

STOTTEN, R. (2020): The role of farm diversification and peasant habitus for farm resilience in mountain areas: the case of the Otztal valley, Austria. International Journal of Social Economics, Emerald Publishing Limited. Available at: https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/IJSE-12-2019-0756/full/pdf?title=the-role-of-farm-diversification-and-peasant-habitus-for-farm-resilience-in-mountain-areas-the-case-of-the-otztal-valley-austria (as of 2021-05-01).

Final report - RESULT

STOTTEN, R., SCHERMER, M., WILSON, G. (2021): Lock-ins and community resilience: Two contrasting development pathways in the Austrian Alps. Journal of Rural Studies, 84: 124-133. available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0743016721001017 (as of 2021-05-01).

STOTTEN, R. (2020): Tourism impacts on two villages with different development pathways: Vent and Obergurgl (Tyrol), Jahrbuch für Geschichte des ländlichen Raumes, 17. Available at: https://journals.univie.ac.at/index.php/rhy/article/view/6069/5973 (as of 2021-05-01).

Project management / contact person: STOTTEN, Rike, PhD

In the Eastern Province of Zambia, a village development project was supported from 1976 to 1996 with funds from Austrian development co-operation. The project was carried out under the sponsorship of the Diocese of Chipata/Eastern Province by the Austrian sending organisation IIZ (Institute for International Cooperation). 20 years later, former project members have started to form an NGO and become active again. To this end, the NGO MPEMASA Development Fund has developed a development project (focussing on training in agriculture and handicraft activities), which is currently being financed by the province of Tyrol. An accompanying research project, together with MPEMASA, is to determine on site which current individual and collective resources can be traced back to the former project and how these resources influence the design of the new project.

Project partners:
MPEMASA and Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources

Funding:
In this preliminary phase, the project is financed from the working group's own resources

Project management / contact person: SCHERMER, Markus, Univ.-Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr., M.Sc.

The project aims to analyse the effects of collective remittances (returns) from migrant groups to their region of origin in the health sector. In addition to financial support for the development of infrastructure, the project also analyses "social remittances", i.e. the transfer of knowledge and experience in relation to health practices. At the centre of the case study is the cooperation between a diaspora community in Bergamo/Italy and the Niahogo region in the south of Burkina Faso. The study focuses on the establishment of a health centre and a pharmacy and the associated social practices. The results will be analysed with regard to the resilience of the community. The project also aims to provide information on how cooperation between the diaspora members in Italy and the target group in Bukina Faso is organised and how the infrastructure is ultimately integrated into the state healthcare system.

Project partner:
Centre Muraz in Bobo-Dioulasso

Funded by:
KEF - Commission for Development Research

Project management / contact person: SCHERMER, Markus, Univ.-Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr., M.Sc.

The project "Agrotourism" analyses the contribution of farm guest accommodation to the preservation of agricultural structures and the maintenance of the cultural landscape in mountain areas. Using the tourism-intensive Ötztal as an example, a quantitative survey of all farms with guest accommodation is being carried out. Individual quantitative results are then analysed in more detail in qualitative interviews with regional experts. Farm guest accommodation contributes to the tourism industry by providing accommodation on the one hand and by maintaining the landscape on the other. It also contributes to maintaining the quality of life in rural areas. Findings from the study should help to support the continued existence and further development of rural guest accommodation.

Project partners and funding:
Tourism Research Centre of the Province of Tyrol

Publications:

STOTTEN, R., HERRMANN, M., SCHERMER, M (2019): Different Forms of Accommodation in Agritourism: The Role of Decoupled Farmer-Based Accommodation in the Ötztal Valley (Austria). Sustainability 2019, 11(10), 2841. Available at: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/11/10/2841/htm (as of 2019-09-05).

Project management / contact person: STOTTEN, Rike, PhD

Food as a cultural asset is a source of identity for the Alpine population. It is not only the food itself that is important, but also its contribution to the cultural landscape, knowledge of traditional production methods, associated consumption rituals and the passing on of ancient wisdom. The Interreg project AlpFoodway is developing a sustainable development model for the valorisation of this cultural asset in the Alpine region. In particular, approaches are being investigated that feature innovative marketing strategies and governance tools, thereby maintaining the cultural asset of 'food' as a social practice.

Funding:
Interreg Alpine Space

Further information on the project: https://www.uibk.ac.at/smt/marketing/research/projekte

Project management / contact person: SCHERMER, Markus, Univ.-Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr., M.Sc.