BRIDGING CULTURE AND GEOLOGY: APPLYING ETHNOGEOLOGY AS A THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK FOR RESEARCH AND TEACHING (Invited Presentation)

Ethnogeology is the study of geology using a place-based epistemology rooted in local language and culture, often drawing on local knowledge, traditional knowledge, and practices. This interdisciplinary subfield blends methods from established disciplines as field ethnography (anthropology), place theory (cultural geography, and environmental psychology), and field geology to explore how different cultures understand and interact with various Earth systems. Ethnogeological research typically focuses on specific communities and their unique perspectives, tapping into the valuable knowledge held by local community members and their relationship with the environment (human-environment).

This combined approach creates a rich overview of the studied area, providing in-depth insights into Earth systems, strengthening local environmental practices, and paving the way for more inclusive and culturally relevant methods of teaching and research in geosciences. Ethnogeology is often applied in the construction of community-based, community-rooted, and citizen science projects. In addition, ethnogeology also has the potential to be implemented to designed and conduct multidisciplinary research and inform place-based pedagogy. In this talk, we will explore how ethnogeology serves as a theoretical framework in research related to paleoclimate, geomorphology, community-based research, and education (both formal and informal) related to cave and karst science. Furthermore, we will discuss how ethnogeology could offer a lens to observe various aspects of the intersection of karst geology and society.