This ethnographic study delves into the dynamics of social mobilization and non-governmental organizations dedicated to energy transition in France’s urban climate policies. By participating in the Sustainable Cities Initiative, Adam aims to promote his research, which is a fascinating exploration of the complex relationship between climate change, the environment, institutions, science, technology, knowledge, ethics and social movements—all from an anthropological perspective enriched by various complementary approaches.
Adam’s journey can be described as a true intellectual odyssey, which saw him first obtain a multidisciplinary undergraduate degree in anthropology, French, environmental studies and Native studies at Evergreen State College. He then added to his credentials, earning a master’s and a doctorate in anthropology at McGill University, illustrating his commitment to investigating the connections between diverse disciplines. For his doctoral dissertation, he explored how science and politics converge to address the challenges and seize the opportunities of climate change. That dissertation, which was nominated for the CAGS-ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award, and his current project form the basis for a book he is presently working on, titled Possibility in an Era of Climate Change: Ethics, Feelings, and Energy Futures.
At the University of Ottawa, Adam Fleischmann is a member of the Research Centre on the Future of Cities. He is also actively involved in the steering committee of the American Anthropological Association’s Climate Change Interest Group, and is affiliated with the Centre for Energy Ethics at the University of St Andrews. Before coming to the University of Ottawa, he was a senior research associate at the University of Calgary’s School of Public Policy.
We welcome Adam Fleischmann and wish him every success in his new intellectual adventure at the University of Ottawa!
Adam Fleischmann: “I am excited to join the Sustainable Cities Initiative and the bilingual academic community at uOttawa more broadly. I look forward to the opportunity to help shape the Initiative as it engages the environmental, social, political and technological challenges and opportunities that face cities in the 21st century—in Ottawa and beyond.”