Dr. Judith Müller
I am a postdoctoral researcher currently focusing on the impact of Alternative Food Networks (AFNs) on a just socio-ecological transformation in Germany. I thereby concentrate on intersectional questions within the power relations of such AFNs. During my PhD in Human Geography, I conducted research within the field of resource governance (water), urban geography and socio-environmental change. My empirical work focused on Ladakh, India.
Theoretically, my work is based on concepts within the wider frame of political ecology, such as the waterscape concept or urban political ecology, but also poststructural approaches, such as postcolonial studies and discourse analysis. Citizenship and governance studies help to analyse inequalities in resource distribution.
Mission statement
In the era of global change, it is necessary to study not only the outcomes of environmental change but also the underlying social phenomena. Physical sciences are very important to show us how fragments of our environemt are changing and how these are interrelated in a systemic way. Yet, there must be a dialogue with researchers who deliver insights into the motivation and agency of individuals and societies involved in and also affected by these dynamics. Some societal groups and individuals are more affected than others, due to structural inequalities. Case studies based on interdisciplinary approaches can give us a deep understanding of human-environmental relations. I want to shed light on pressing issues for humans and the environment in times of global change.