1 online resource (181 leaves) / This study relies on ecocriticism as the discipline benefitting the analysis of the imagery of nature in Konstantin Paustovsky’s prose. The objective of this approach is to demonstrate that Paustovsky’s prose goes beyond of what was expected from a Soviet writer by the socialist realist dogma. This thesis attempts to prove that an ecocritical approach validates his prose as being universal in its message and thus relevant to contemporary readers. Scholars of ecocriticism ask the following questions when analysing a nature-orientated prose: what values are expressed in nature-orientated literature, does the portrayal of nature reflects the cultural values of a nation as well as the way in which a person’s interaction with his natural environment enhances or hampers his spiritual development. The timeframe, within which Paustovsky wrote his prose, should be taken into account, because it coincides with the Lenin and Stalin regimes, when any criticism of the government including its nature conservation policies was impossible. The analysis of attitudes of the Russian people towards nature in Paustovksy’prose demonstrates that it evolved from the acceptance of the official stand to the one of criticism. This research resulted in the following conclusions: Firstly Paustovsky’s view with regard to ecological problems and his solutions to these problems are on par with those of modern ecologists. The writer, for example, proposes a holistic way to undertake nature conservation, such as replacing ruined forests by the same type of trees, not interfering in the cycles of nature and stresses the importance of scientific information on how to care of the natural environment. Secondly, it is through his presentation of nature that the author familiarises the reader with the essence of the Russian culture, which is totally intertwined with the manifestations of Russian nature, such as folklore, superstitions, cultural traditions and values attached to certain animals and trees Thirdly, it has been established that the ‘external’ natural landscape of a person namely his environment, undoubtedly influences his ‘internal landscape’, his psyche. This implies that the natural environment of a person will have an influence on his psychological make-up. It is assumed that this study, in particular the use of ecocriticism as a tool to analyse literature where nature plays a role, will shed new light on the role of nature in Russian prose. This is especially the case with regard to the way in which ecological issues such as nature conservation are treated. / Classics & World Languages / D. Litt. et Phil. (Russian)

En tant que phénomène social, le sacré se manifeste à partir d'un médium, de sorte que la sacralité est conditionnée par les matérialités. L'émergence d'un nouveau médium signifie ainsi l'apparition de nouveaux imaginaires mystiques. Ce travail de recherche s'interroge donc sur les aspects mystiques de l'imaginaire contemporain dévoilés par les médias et les réseaux numériques. Notre stratégie de recherche consiste, dans un premier temps, à engager une approche archéologique des médias, examinant trois différents objets en tant qu'artefacts mystiques : l'écriture, la relique et l'électricité. Cette approche, en s'intéressant à la façon dont chaque médium engendre une fantasmagorie différente, illumine la compréhension de l'imaginaire mystique découlant d'un habitat stratifié en multiples couches. Ensuite, nous examinons certains aspects de la mystique numérique à partir de l'opposition de deux régimes d'imaginaire provoqués par deux écologies matérielles. Premièrement, à l'époque du PC et des interfaces informatiques, il y a l'émergence d'un imaginaire mystique transcendant, cristallisé dans l'image du cyberespace et caractérisé par un nouvel angélisme. Deuxièmement, avec l'introduction des réseaux sans fil et des dispositifs mobiles, l'image d'un environnement réticulaire animiste caractérisé par un retour du paganisme se renforce. Une des formes de cet imaginaire mystique immanent est le technochamanisme, notre terrain de réflexion pour comprendre l'actuel réenchantement du monde marqué par la synergie entre la technique et l'archaïque. / The sacred, as a social phenomenon, manifests from a medium, so the sacredness is conditioned by materialities. The emergence of a new medium means, consequently, the emergence of new mystical imaginaries. This research examines the mystical aspects of the contemporary imaginary unveiled by the media and the digital networks. Our research strategy consists, at first, of engaging a media archaeological approach, examining three different objects as mystical artifacts: the writing, the relic and the electricity. This approach, by focusing on how each medium engenders a different phantasmagoria illuminates the understanding of mystical imaginary arising from a habitat constituted of multiple strata. Then we examine some aspects of digital mysticism from the opposition of two regimes of imaginary caused by two material ecologies. Initially, in the era of PC and computer interfaces, there is the emergence of a transcendent mystical imaginary crystallized in cyberspace image and characterized by a new otherworldliness. Afterwards, with the introduction of wireless networks and mobile devices, the image of a reticular animist environment characterized by a return of paganism is strengthened. One form of this immanent mystical imaginary is the technoshamanism, our field of reflection to understand the current re-enchantment of the world marked by the synergy between technology and archaic. / Enquanto fenômeno social, o sagrado manifesta-se à partir de um medium, de modo que a sacralidade é condicionada pelas materialidades. A emergência de um novo medium significa, assim, o surgimento de novos imaginários místicos. Este estudo interroga-se, portanto, acerca dos aspectos místicos do imaginário contemporâneo desvelados pelos media e redes digitais. Nossa estratégia de pesquisa consiste, em um primeiro momento, em mobilizar uma perspectiva arqueológica dos media, examinando três diferentes objetos como artefatos místicos: a escrita, a relíquia e a eletricidade. Essa abordagem, interessando-se à maneira pela qual cada medium engendra uma fantasmagoria diferente, ilumina a compreensão do imaginário místico resultante de um habitat estratificado em diferentes camadas. Em seguida, examinamos certos aspectos da mística digital a partir da contraposição de dois regimes do imaginário provocados por duas ecologias materiais. Inicialmente, na época do PC e das interfaces informáticas, há a emergência de um imaginário místico transcendental, cristalizado na imagem do ciberespaço e caracterizado por um angelismo renovado. Posteriormente, com a introdução das redes sem fio e dos dispositivos móveis, a imagem de um ambiente reticular animista caracterizado por um retorno do paganismo se reforça. Uma das formas deste imaginário místico imanente é o tecnoxamanismo, nosso campo de reflexão para compreendermos o atual reencantamento do mundo caracterizado pela sinergia entre a técnica e o arcaico.

Cette thèse interroge, par la méthode et la conception design, les modalités permettant de construire des récits liés à l'imaginaire urbain. Ces derniers constituent des potentialités qui racontent au travers de la dimension sonore des faits mémoriels, histoires et vécus de groupes. Le « designer des sons de l'urbain » construit alors sa propre scénophonie urbaine, procédé permettant de raconter l'espace sonore, entre espaces du temps et temps de l'espace. Cette posture permet de rendre compte de la prégnance socio-culturelle du fait sonore dans la manière de raconter le monde. Il s'agit de déceler puis d'interroger les enjeux d'une société en pleine mutation à partir de l'utilisation d'enregistrements de terrain et de créations sonores de territoire, c'est-à-dire des narrations composées à partir de ces premières captures. Ce travail s'articule autour d'une étude théorique d'un corpus artistique (Tome 1) et d'une recherche-action menée dans le cadre d'un contrat Cifre au sein de la Direction de la Culture de la Ville de Strasbourg, pour le Shadok, fabrique du numérique, régie directe de l'Eurométropole en collaboration avec une association trandisciplinaire, Horizome et l'équipe d'accueil ACCRA de l'Université de Strasbourg (Tome 2). / This dissertation questions through a design approach the ways and means allowing the construction of stories related to the urban imaginary. The latter constitute possibilities of telling something through the sound dimensions of historical events, and both individual and collective experiences. The “designer of urban sounds” then builds their own urban scenophony, a method allowing the telling of the sound space — between the spaces of time and the times of space. Such a position allows to account for the socio-cultural weight of sound in the waythe world is told. This research is about detecting and then questioning what is at stakes in a changing society, using field recordings and “territory sound creations,” i.e. narratives built from the raw material of those field recordings. Two dimensions are involved in this work: a theoretical study of an artistic corpus (Tome I) and an action research born outof a city of Strasburg Cifre contract for the state-sponsored and controled Shadok,fabrique du numérique, in collaboration with a transdisciplinary association, Horizome,and the ACCRA team of the University of Strasburg (Tome II).

In the Anthropocene, a new approach towards nature in poetry is emerging. This change is closely related to ecocritical theory, which is a reevaluation of the human view on, and representation of, nature. It moves away from a more traditional anthropocentric perspective to a more critical one. This can for instance be in the spirit of Arne Naess or Timothy Morton, the two main theorists used in this essay. This essay is an ecocritical close reading of two Swedish contemporary poems on nature: “När jag går i skymningsmörkret” by Ingela Strandberg (from Att snara en fågel, 2018) and “(Strandförskjutningar)” by Gunnar D Hansson (from Tapeshavet, 2017). The focus of the reading is on the representation of wild, untouched nature. The formulated questions in the essay concern how untouched nature is represented in the poems, the human relationship towards it and how the differences and similarities between the two poems relate to and transform romantic representations of nature.  The conclusion is that these two very different poems exemplify the range of contemporary Swedish nature poetry. Strandberg’s poem is leaning towards a romantic or ecosofist representation of nature, whilst Hansson’s is more clear-cut ecocritical in line with Morton’s dark ecology.

1 online resource (181 leaves) / This study relies on ecocriticism as the discipline benefitting the analysis of the imagery of nature in Konstantin Paustovsky’s prose. The objective of this approach is to demonstrate that Paustovsky’s prose goes beyond of what was expected from a Soviet writer by the socialist realist dogma. This thesis attempts to prove that an ecocritical approach validates his prose as being universal in its message and thus relevant to contemporary readers. Scholars of ecocriticism ask the following questions when analysing a nature-orientated prose: what values are expressed in nature-orientated literature, does the portrayal of nature reflects the cultural values of a nation as well as the way in which a person’s interaction with his natural environment enhances or hampers his spiritual development. The timeframe, within which Paustovsky wrote his prose, should be taken into account, because it coincides with the Lenin and Stalin regimes, when any criticism of the government including its nature conservation policies was impossible. The analysis of attitudes of the Russian people towards nature in Paustovksy’prose demonstrates that it evolved from the acceptance of the official stand to the one of criticism. This research resulted in the following conclusions: Firstly Paustovsky’s view with regard to ecological problems and his solutions to these problems are on par with those of modern ecologists. The writer, for example, proposes a holistic way to undertake nature conservation, such as replacing ruined forests by the same type of trees, not interfering in the cycles of nature and stresses the importance of scientific information on how to care of the natural environment. Secondly, it is through his presentation of nature that the author familiarises the reader with the essence of the Russian culture, which is totally intertwined with the manifestations of Russian nature, such as folklore, superstitions, cultural traditions and values attached to certain animals and trees Thirdly, it has been established that the ‘external’ natural landscape of a person namely his environment, undoubtedly influences his ‘internal landscape’, his psyche. This implies that the natural environment of a person will have an influence on his psychological make-up. It is assumed that this study, in particular the use of ecocriticism as a tool to analyse literature where nature plays a role, will shed new light on the role of nature in Russian prose. This is especially the case with regard to the way in which ecological issues such as nature conservation are treated. / Classics and World Languages / D. Litt. et Phil. (Russian)

The Rights of Nature movement is a quickly growing global phenomenon. However, it is not always obvious what the movement really means. What is its underlying experience? How can its transformative depth be formulated? What is the meaning of this depth? Starting from the ‘Universal Declaration of the Rights of Mother Earth’ this essay seeks to elucidate the ontological meaning of these questions through attending to the possible relation of the Rights of Nature movement to Heidegger’s turning toward Parmenides, in the sense of ‘primordial thinker’, or ‘essential thinker’, that is, a thinker who in an essential way thinks the origin as such. This ‘origin’ will be dealt with in relation to the oikos of ecology. In other words ‘essential thinking’ will be brought forward as a thinking that essentially makes possible the mindful awareness of this oikos, this ‘home’, ‘house’, ‘abode’, or ‘place of dwelling’. A chief point of the essay is that an essential experience of this oikos is necessary if the ontological implications of the Rights of Nature movement is to be disclosed.