Supervision

Today and tomorrow I engage in supervision of my PhD student and one of my Bachelor thesis students (written feedback). A PhD project plan is due tomorrow.

Google Scholar: 155 citations; i10-index of 4

According to Google Scholar my academic work has by now been cited 155 times (up 20 since september), 41 of which in 2016 (vs. 43 in 2015). I now have an i10-index of 4 (the fourth text to be cited 10 times is my PhD dissertation (2011), now cited 14 times), and still have a h-index of 7 (meaning that 7 of my texts have been cited at least 7 times; in comparison 12 of my papers have been cited 5 times or more).

PhD defense - Erica von Essen, Uppsala

Today I have been in Uppsala, Sweden, as part of the three-person Examination Board (evaluation committee) for Erica von Essen´s doctoral thesis "In the Gap between Legality and Legitimacy - Illegal Hunting in Sweden as a Crime of Dissent". We unanimously approved Erica´s PhD. She has taken her PhD, in the field of environmental communication, at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, at Department of Urban and Rural Development.

William Smith was opponent, and in the Examination Board I was joined by Stellan Vinthagen (chosen as chair) and Mari Pohjs-Mykrä. Hans Peter Hansen, assistant supervisor, served as our host. Some 50 people attended the doctors defence.

To be member of PhD evaluation committee

I have tentatively agreed to be a member of a PhD evaluation committee at Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala. More info as the engagement is confirmed.

My PhD thesis listed in Dissertationes Semioticae Universitatis Tartuensis 17

On July 1st 2013, Anu Sarv defended her doctoral thesis at University of Tartu's Institute of philosophy and semiotics. Her thesis was the first to be defended within semiotics after mine, in December 2011. Reference:

Sarv, Anu 2013. Õppejõu enese refleksioon ja professionaalne identiteet [Self-reflection and professional identity of a university teacher] (= Dissertationes Semioticae Universitatis Tartuensis 17). Tartu: Tartu University Press.

My thesis is listed at the very end of the last page, as the 16th thesis in the series:

16. Morten Tønnessen. Umwelt transition and Uexküllian phenomenology. An ecosemiotic analysis of Norwegian wolf management. Tartu, 2011. 231 p. [Introduction available online]

7 of the PhD theses in this series, published since 2000, have been written in English, 5 in Russian and 5 in Estonian.

October 2011: PhD defence trip arranged

Around the end of October 2011 I arranged my visit to Tartu, Estonia, December 14-16 at the occasion of the defence of my PhD thesis "Umwelt transition and Uexküllian phenomenology: An ecosemiotic analysis of Norwegian wolf management" which was to take place (and did indeed take place) December 15th that year. I would go with my parents, my wife and my aunt Marte.

[This blog post is part of my backlog catch-up]

Ocotober 2011: PhD thesis presented at council meeting

In the afternoon of Monday 24th 2011 I presented findings of my PhD thesis "Umwelt transition and Uexküllian phenomenology: An ecosemiotic analysis of Norwegian wolf management" at a council meeting at University of Tartu's Department of semiotics (or more specifically - as far as I recall and understand - the Council of Institute for Philosophy and Semiotics), in Jakobi 2, Tartu, Estonia. This was a 20 minute Powerpoint presentation. The council decided to accept my thesis for defence.

[This blog post is part of my backlog catch-up]

See also:
Doctoral thesis submitted

My doctoral diploma

In December, about a year after I defended my doctoral thesis, I received my doctoral diploma from the University of Tartu.

Missing Tartu diploma ceremony; PhD diploma on its way

A little while ago I received an invitation to attend the ceremonial meeting dedicated to the 93rd anniversary of Estonia's national university on December 1st. At this event, my doctorate diploma would have been handed over to me, had I attended. But due to my current Norwegian residence (and recent fatherhood) I declined to attend. In consequence, the diploma will be sent to me by post (by a local contact).

The 100 pp. introduction to my PhD thesis "Umwelt transition and Uexküllian phenomenology: An ecosemiotic analysis of Norwegian wolf management" (defended December 2011) is available online.

List of illustrations in my doctoral dissertation

Figure 7: Waiting for wolves.

Figure 1. The levels of biosemiosis

Figure 2. Phenomenal fields

Figure 3. Umwelt transition – wolves becoming dogs – depicted over several steps

Figure 4. Umwelt transition in human relations to sheep and wolves

Figure 5. Umwelt transition in the relation of sheep and humans (overstated)

Figure 6. Field trips – map of places visited

Figure 7. Waiting for wolves

Figure 8. Feeding time

Figure 9. Life at Polar Zoo

Figure 10. Six stuffed (mounted) wolves in Norway

Figure 11. Secluded overview

Figure 12. Phenomenal fields – intragroup variation

Figure 13. a) A tripartite model of the human Umwelt, b) combined with phenomenal fields

See also:

Contents of my doctoral dissertation

Doctoral thesis submitted

Contents of my doctoral dissertation

I have previously posted preliminary contents for my doctoral dissertation, both of which are now outdated. In March I posted a semi-detailed table of contents, and in September revised contents in 117 paragraphs.

Here is the final, much simpler table of contents (but note that many of the headlines mentioned above will likely occur in the monograph I am now planning to complete based on my doctoral work):

PREFACE

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
PUBLICATIONS INCLUDED IN DISSERTATION

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

INTRODUCTION

1. THE BIOSEMIOTIC APPROACH

1.1 Appraisal of Sebeok's depiction of the Umwelt as species-specific modelling system

1.2 The levels of biosemiosis

2. UEXKÜLLIAN PHENOMENOLOGY

2.1 On the notion of phenomenology

2.2 Semiotics and phenomenology

2.3 Husserl's notion of Lebenswelt

2.4 The notion of Uexküllian phenomenology

3. UMWELT MAPPING

3.1 Visual representation of Brock's phenomenal fields

3.2 The notion of semiotic causation

4. CASE STUDY: NORWEGIAN WOLF MANAGEMENT

4.1 Field research

4.2 The cultural semiotic of wolves and sheep

4.3 Remarks on Næss' philosophy of wolf management

4.4 On invasive management of shy animals

4.5 The symbolic construction of the Big Bad Wolf in contemporary Norway

5 SUMMARIES OF ARTICLES

6 CONCLUSIONS AND FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS

6.1 Theoretical findings

6.2 Umwelt futurology: Three Umwelt scenarios

6.3 Deep and shallow solutions

REFERENCES

SUMMARY

SUMMARY IN ESTONIAN

PUBLICATIONS

CURRICULUM VITAE

ELULOOKIRJELDUS

Doctoral thesis submitted

My doctoral dissertation was submitted to the University of Tartu's Council of Institute of Philosophy and Semiotics on October 10th.

The final title ended up being "Umwelt transition and Uexküllian phenomenology: An ecosemiotic analysis of Norwegian wolf management". The Estonian version of the title reads "Uexkülli fenomenoloogia ja omailma üleminekud: Norra hundipopulatsiooni majandamise ökosemiootiline analüüs".

Selection of articles for my doctoral thesis

1. MT 2009. Umwelt Transitions: Uexküll and Environmental Change. Biosemiotics 2 (1): 47-64.

2. MT 2009. Steps to a Semiotics of Being. Biosemiotics 3.3: 375-392 (online version, published April 30, 2010: DOI: 10.1007/s12304-010-9074-0).

3. MT 2011. Semiotics of Being and Uexküllian Phenomenology. Pp. 327-340 (chapter 27) in Anna-Teresa Tymieniecka (ed.): Phenomenology/Ontopoiesis Retrieving Geo-Cosmic Horizons of Antiquity (= Analecta Husserliana CX/110).

4. MT 2011. Mapping Human Impact – Expanding Horizons: Interdisciplinary Integration. Pp. 93-106 in Tiina Peil (ed.): The Space of Culture - the Place of Nature in Estonia and Beyond (= Approaches to Cultural Theory vol. 1). Tartu: Tartu University Press.

5. MT 2010. The Global Species. New formations: a journal of culture/theory/politics 69 (Special Issue guest-edited by Ashley Dawson, Imperial Ecologies): 98-110. Featured as additional content in Encyclopaedia Britannica (www.britannica.com).

6. MT 2010. Wolf Land. Biosemiotics 3.3: 289-297 (online version, published April 23, 2010: DOI: 10.1007/s12304-010-9077-x).

7. MT 2011: I, Wolf: The Ecology of Existence. Pp. 315-333 in Johannes Servan and Ane Faugstad Aarø (eds.): Environment, Embodiment and Gender. Bergen: Hermes Text.

See also: Update on my doctoral dissertation (and more)

Revised contents for my doctoral dissertation

Below is the revised table of contents for my doctoral dissertation Umwelt Transition: Uexküllian Phenomenology - An Ecosemiotic Analysis of Norwegian Wolf Management, on which I have been working intensely for the last few weeks. This compares with the contents as previously outlined in Semi-detailed table of contents (posted in March). That outline, however, presented only two of the three levels of numbering used previously. All in all I had some 660 subdivisions. Now I have 117. Much more manageable, but still so inter-disciplinary as to be really challenging, and of incredibly wide scope, if I dare say so myself.

Detailed table of contents

Contents at a glance

Detailed table of contents

Acknowledgements

Preface

Chapter 1 Making Sense of Nature

§1. Introduction

§2. Toward a phenomenology of environmental change

§3. From self to world

§4. The notion of integrated biological individualism

§5. On the levels of biosemiosis

§6. Earth - the natural (and absolute) setting for the human condition

§7 Husserl’s notion of the Lebenswelt

§8 The notion of Uexküllian phenomenology

§9 The notion of semiotics of being

§10 Research questions

§11 Methodology

§12. The Umwelt theory of Jakob von Uexküll

§13. Uexküll’s visual representations

§14. Uexküll’s metaphors: Bubble, web, melody

§15. How 'partner' is to be interpreted (whether social companions in general are to be included)

§16. How 'food' is to be interpreted (whether resources in general are to be included)

§17. On the forms of life

§18. Ontological and epistemological outlook

§19. An anecdote on the role of fiction in the natural sciences

§20. Implications for the scientific enterprise at large

§21. Uexküllian thought after Uexküll

§22. Problems in contemporary ethological approaches to nature

§23. Problems in contemporary semiotic approaches to nature

§24. Changing views on a changing nature

§25. The topic of change

§26. On the current ecological situation

§27. Umwelt typology – systematic outline

§28. What is subjective biology today?

Chapter 2 Uexküllian Phenomenology

§29. Introduction: Uexküll and phenomenology

§30. On the notion of phenomenology

§31. The phenomenology of Charles Sanders Peirce

§32. Remarks on contemporary eco-phenomenology

§33. Semiotics and phenomenology

§34. Introducing a universal, twofold notion of self: The explicit and the implicit self

§35. Problems of phenomenology

§36. Problems of ontology

§37. Existential universals

§38. Communal being and distinctive being

§39. On the forms of existence

§40. The notion of swarm Umwelten

§41. Development of a typology of Umwelt transitions

§42. Modern Umwelten

§43. The search image in social life

§44. Further theoretical developments

§45. Playful Umwelten

Chapter 3 The Semiotics of the Ecological Crisis

§46. Introduction: The trajectory of a crisis

§47. Fragment of a metalogue: On the transition from naïve animal to semiotic animal

§48. Semiosis and crisis

§49. On matters of diversity and extinction

§50. The semiotics of domestication and related phenomena

§51. Anthropocene studies: The global species

§52. Favoured vs. unfavoured species – a hypothesis

§53. On matters of ethics and economy

§54. Ecological alienation

§55. Developing the perspective of Umwelt alignment

§56. Simplified management models for human-animal relations: Integration, segregation (assimilation)

§57. The long-term goal for wildlife management: Independent viability?

§58. Characteristic developments in the modern era

§59. Current developments

Chapter 4 Umwelt Mapping

§60. Introduction: On mapping semiosis at the level of the organism, and higher levels

§61. On matters of quality and quantity

§62. The notion of semiotic causation

§63. Mapping human Umwelten

§64. Mapping human impact

§65. Distinguishing between formal and informal human impact

§66. Mapping status as (un)favoured

§67. First examples of ontological maps

§68. Introducing a tripartite model of the human Umwelt

§69. Methodological challenges

§70. Developing the notion of relational Umwelt maps

§71. Developing the notion of phenomenal fields

§72. Further models and visual representations

Chapter 5 Case study: Norwegian Wolf Management

§73. Introduction: Prelude to the Norwegian wolf wars

§74. Field trips

§75. Preliminary remarks on wolf hunting

§76. Remarks on Arne Næss’ philosophy of wolf management

§77. The cultural semiotic of wolves and sheep

§78. Contextual encircling of the topic matter of the case study

§79. Geographical treatment

§80. The situation for Norwegian sheep farmers and agriculture

§81. The symbolic construction of the Big Bad Wolf in contemporary Scandinavia

§82. Conflict areas in current wolf management

§83. Controversial questions in the current debate

§84. Conspiracy theories

§85. On matters of democracy, empowerment and knowledge regimes

§86. Management strategies

§87. Management methods

§88. On matters of legality

§89. Historical exposition – the era of extermination campaigns

§90. Historical exposition – the era of conservation efforts

§91. Contemporary exposition (2006-2011)

§92. Field trip interviews

§93. Summary of findings: The Umwelt of captive wolves in general and socialised wolves in particular

§94. Summary of findings: The nature view and worldview of people in Rendalen

§95. Mapping of the Umwelt of wolves in Norway

§96. Mapping of the Umwelt of sheep and other relevant animals in Norway

§97. Mapping of the Umwelt of selected groups of Norwegians

§98. Analysis: The wolf and other symbols

§99. Analysis of Norwegian wolf ecology in terms of the semiotic niche and ontological niche concepts

§100. Analysis: Matters of management philosophy, and further analysis

§101. To what extent are wolves a favoured species in contemporary Norway?

§102. To what extent are sheep a favoured species in contemporary Norway?

§103. Analysis: Umwelt transitions

§104. Future perspectives: Deep and shallow solutions

§105. Umwelt futurology: Three Umwelt scenarios

Chapter 6 Umwelt Transition

§106. Introduction: Theoretical findings

§107. To what extent can the case study findings be generalized?

§108. In search of the wolf’s perspective

§109. Evaluation of theoretical assumptions

§110. Evaluation of the methodology of Umwelt mapping

§111. On further methodological development

§112. Umwelt transition and animal migration

§113. On Umwelt transitions as habitual

§114. On recolonization as a habitual Umwelt transition

§115. On further theoretical development

§116. Towards an ethics of semiotics of being

§117. On the prospects of Umwelt futurology

Attestation review completed - 4th year attested positively

Today at 2.50 p.m. Estonian time I was scheduled to be treated by the attestation review committee at the Department of Semiotics, University of Tartu, and I received a phone call through Skype a bit earlier. For 10 minutes I reported about the last academic year, and answered a few questions from the committee and its head Timo Maran. My supervisor Kalevi Kull expressed concern for me health (last week I received alarming news about a new possible chronic diagnosis, related to Morbus Crohns, which I already have - I am currently being tested for this new diagnosis), and asked me not to work too much, and to make sure to have some rest as well. Since I have published substantially this last academic year (cf. also a post on my progress report), I could easily deliver a collection of articles, and focus on writing an introduction. My plan, however, remains to submit a monograph. Asked why by the committee, I replied that I am still developing ideas of substance that have not been expressed in my shorter publications.

A couple of hours later I received an email from the secretary of the department, Ulvi Urm, with the news that all 15 PhD students up for review have been attested positively.

The only thing that remains, then, before I can apply for doctoral degree (hopefully early September), is to finish my dissertation.

PhD time schedule confirmed, formalities settled

As mentioned I have changed my time schedule for completing my PhD. Today I met with my supervisor Kalevi Kull, who allied with department secretary and superhero Ulvi Urm informed me about the possible formal ways of spending the summer writing and submitting my dissertation at the very beginning of the autumn semester, early September. We concluded that the best solution is that I apply for academic leave mid-August (after receiving the two final months of the Estonian state grant), effective from September 1st. This implies that I will have to report for this year's attestation review, where I will be expected to document that I am practically done by providing a collection of academic articles comparable to a dissertation (though my dissertation will be a monograph). In formal terms I will, following this procedure and applying for a doctoral degree in the very beginning of the autumn semester, have completed my PhD studies on time, after 4 years exactly.

Change in time schedule for PhD

I originally planned to deliver my dissertation and apply for doctoral degree Monday May 24th. Early in May, however, I decided to take a few more months writing. I now intend to deliver my dissertation and application at the very beginning of the autumn semester, in the beginning of September. It might be possible to defend my thesis already in November. Despite the change of plans I appear to be the only PhD student in my cohort who will finish in this calender year, on time. As it happens, spending the summer as well writing will allow me to take the final outcome of the ongoing Norwegian policy review in carnivore management into account (though it will not allow me to take a long-awaited summer holiday).

Meanwhile, Jesper Hoffmeyer has tentatively agreed to do pre-review along with Paul Cobley.

OUT OF/IN MY OFFICE

I am currently at my family's coastal cabin, writing on my dissertation. Will be back in civilization Monday May 2nd. If it cannot wait, contact me at (+47) **** ****.

Dissertation: Semi-detailed table of contents

I am in the process of finishing the second draft of my doctoral dissertation, titled for now "Umwelt Transition: Uexküllian Phenomenology - An Ecosemiotic Analysis of Norwegian Wolf Management". I now distinguish between Contents At A Glance and a Detailed Table of Contents. Here's an excerpt of the latter (the fully detailed table contains a third layer of organization in addition to the two shown here).

Contents at a glance

Detailed table of contents

Acknowledgements

Preface

Chapter 1 Making Sense of Nature

1.1 Introduction

1.2 The Umwelt theory of Jakob von Uexküll

1.3 Uexküllian thought after Uexküll

1.4 Problems in contemporary ethological approaches to nature

1.5 Problems in contemporary semiotic approaches to nature

1.6 Changing views on a changing nature

1.7 The topic of change

1.8 Umwelt typology – systematic outline

1.9 On the current ecological situation

1.10 What is subjective biology today?

Chapter 2 Uexküllian Phenomenology

2.1 Introduction: Uexküll and phenomenology

2.2 Semiotics and phenomenology

2.3 Problems of phenomenology

2.4 Problems of ontology

2.5 Communal being and distinctive being

2.6 On the forms of existence

2.7 Development of a typology of Umwelt transitions

2.8 Modern Umwelten

2.9 Further theoretical developments

Chapter 3 The Semiotics of the Ecological Crisis

3.1 Introduction: The trajectory of a crisis

3.2 Semiosis and crisis

3.3 On matters of diversity and extinction

3.4 The semiotics of domestication and related phenomena

3.5 Developing the perspective of Umwelt alignment

3.6 On matters of ethics and economy

3.7 Anthropocene studies: The global species

3.8 Characteristic developments in the modern era

3.9 Current developments

Chapter 4 Umwelt Mapping

4.1 Introduction: On mapping semiosis at the level of the organism, and higher levels

4.2 First examples of ontological maps

4.3 Mapping human impact

4.4 On matters of quality and quantity

4.5 Methodological challenges

4.6 Developing the notion of ontological maps

Chapter 5 Case study: Norwegian Wolf Management

5.1 Introduction: Prelude to the Norwegian wolf wars

5.2 The cultural semiotics of wolves and sheep

5.3 Contextual encircling of the topic matter of the case study

5.4 The situation for Norwegian sheep farmers and agriculture

5.5 Conflict areas in current wolf management

5.6 Controversial questions in the current debate

5.7 Geographical treatment

5.8 Field trips

5.9 Management strategies

5.10 Management methods

5.11 Historical exposition – the era of extermination campaigns

5.12 Historical exposition – the era of conservation efforts

5.13 Contemporary exposition (2006-2011)

5.14 On matters of legality

5.15 On matters of democracy, empowerment and knowledge regimes

5.16 Mapping of the Umwelt of wolves in Norway

5.17 Mapping of the Umwelt of sheep and other relevant animals in Norway

5.18 Mapping of the Umwelt of selected groups of Norwegians

5.19 Analysis: The wolf and other symbols

5.20 Analysis: Matters of management philosophy

5.21 Further analysis

5.22 Analysis: Umwelt transitions

5.23 Future perspectives

Chapter 6 Umwelt Transition

6.1 Introduction: Theoretical findings

6.2 Evaluation of theoretical assumptions

6.3 Evaluation of the methodology of Umwelt mapping

6.4 Ecological alienation

6.5 Theoretical development: Umwelt transition

6.6 On further theoretical development

Summary in Estonian

References

Index

Curriculum Vitae