October 2011: "The cultural semiotic of wolves and sheep" presented at zoosemiotics research seminar

On Tuesday October 25th 2011 (at 2-6pm) I attended the 3rd research seminar of the research grant "Dynamical zoosemiotics and animal representations" in Tartu, Estonia, at the University of Tartu's Department of semiotics. I presented my paper "The cultural semiotic of wolves and sheep".

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

The Semiotics of Animal Representations gradually completed

It's been a while since I've posted on the book The Semiotics of Animal Representations, but this does not mean I have not been working on it, along with my co-editor Kadri Tüür. Admittedly, there's been some unplanned breaks (some of which due to gall bladder-type problems). Work has been particularly intense around the summer of 2013 and then around Christmas/New Year 2013/2014. For a third year in a row, this book was in 2013, as in 2011 and 2012, the book project I spent the most time on.

Requested revisions were finished and submitted to our series editors in August 2013. Then further revisions, in response to further feedback, increasingly about page layout etc., were made by September. Then we worked with discussing and eventually expanding the index. A revised manuscript was submitted December 23rd, and then following further feedback on page layout reworked and resubmitted January 3rd, 5th and - finally - 13th. Now everything should be in place.

What remains now is the design of cover and back page, then the book should, at last, be printed.

See also:

The Semiotics of Animal Representations nearing publication (February 2013)

Annual zoosemiotics grant report submitted

Yesterday I compiled and submitted my annual report relating to the research project Dynamical Zoosemiotics and Animal Representations, headed by Timo Maran. My reported activities in 2012 included five publications (but this number depends on how one counts), seven manuscripts accepted for publication in 2013, and one edited book (the Festschrift to Kalevi Kull). I further reported seven presentations at international conferences etc. and two in local/national seminars, three organized academic events and four popularizing activities (two in print media, a public lecture and a radio interview).

After reporting to Timo I updated my reporting of publications for 2012 as well as preliminarily for 2013 in the Estonian Research Information System. Later this month I will have to report to the Current Research Information System In Norway (CRIStin), for the first time. These reporting activities come in handy as preparation for my soon-to-come annual updating of my CV and Bibliography.

Zoosemiotics research project: Final seminar; formal extension

The research project "Dynamical Zoosemiotics and Animal Representations", where I take part as a researcher, arranged a concluding 4-hour Skype seminar on Tuesday December 11th. This was the fourth grant seminar (IV). The other participants were gathered at the university library in Tartu, Estonia. Participants including me presented current research activities, and we discussed possible future directions and cooperation.

Timo Maran, the head of the grant, informed us that he had applied for, and gotten approval for, a formal 1-year extension of the grant (from 2009-2012 to 2009-2013), so that forthcoming publications (to appear in 2013) derived from the project can still be included in reported activities. 

Program for Tartu research seminar in zoosemiotics

Here's the program for the 3rd Research Seminar in Zoosemiotics and Animal Representations, which took place in Tartu (Jakobi 2-306) October 25th 2011, in conjunction with the Department of Semiotics' doctoral seminar. The research seminar was arranged by the research project Dynamical Zoosemiotics and Animal Representations, where I am involved.

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14.15 Timo Maran. Introducing research grant – dimensions of zoosemiotics

14.45 Nelly Mäekivi, Communicative zoo: prospects for future inquires

15.15 Elena Grigorjeva. Learning from animals online [later cancelled]

15.45 Kohvipaus | Coffee break

16.00 Kadri Tüür. Estonian fishing narratives of 1930ies

16.30 Morten Tønnessen. The cultural semiotic of wolves and sheep

17.00 Silver Rattasepp. Animal studies and the correlationist two-step [later cancelled]

17.30 Conclusions. General discussion.

"Shared worlds" funded; third plenary speaker confirmed; NGO to be registered

The October 14-15 Oslo workshop/seminar "Shared worlds" (see also our Facebook page), arranged under the umbrella of Minding Animals, will receive funding (1.000 Euro) from the research grant "Dynamical zoosemiotics and animal representations", where I am involved as a researcher.

A third plenary speaker, Nelly Mäekivi from Estonia, who is also involved in that research grant, has been confirmed. Her talk is entitled "Misunderstandings in shared environments: The case of zoos".
We the organizers held a meeting Monday 18th. A little later we decided that we will register MAO as a NGO - though it remains to be seen whether we will arrange further activities under that name.

A short bibliography in zoosemiotics

We the researchers of the project Dynamical zoosemiotics and animal representations have compiled and made available A short bibliography in zoosemiotics (8 pages).

Zoosemiotic grant meeting

Yesterday the researchers involved in the grant Dynamical Zoosemiotics and Animal Representations had an informal meeting, where we evaluated last weeks conference Zoosemiotics and Animal Representations, which we were generally really pleased with. One thing we will soon communicate through the newly established zoosemiotics email list is a bibliography in zoosemiotics. We will further write a few conference reviews, to submit to selected journals.

We also briefly discussed the prospects of a new grant, after the current one finishes next year. I signalled interest in taking part in such a grant, regardless of my job situation when that time comes.

See also:
Brief report from the conference Zoosemiotics and Animal Representations
The Semiotics of Animal Representations - update
Zoosemiotics email list - how to register
Creed

Academic reporting

A couple of days ago I finished my annual report to the research project Dynamical Zoosemiotics and Animal Representations - 8 pp, including a page or two on plans and wishes for 2011.

Stats (2010):
* 8 scientific articles published
* 2 edited collections (special issues of academic journals) published
* 5 presentations at international events
* 3 presentations in Estonian arrangements
* 7 field trips/research visits in Norway
* 6 popularizing works published (5 of which in Norwegian newspapers)

Oslo Minding Animals event - update

The University of Tartu's Department of Semiotics by Dynamical Zoosemiotics and Animal Representations, a research project where I partake, has become an affiliated institution for the upcoming Minding Animals Pre-Conference Lecture Oslo event.

Eco-criminologist Rune Ellefsen joins the organizing team.

Presentation given at second zoosemiotic research seminar

Today at 10.30-11 I presented 'The nature view and worldview of people in Rendalen municipality in the region of Hedmark', based on my field trip(s) this autumn, in the 2nd Research Seminar of Dynamical Zoosemiotics and Animal Representations.

There were five other talks - by my colleagues Timo Maran, Jelena Grigorjeva, Kadri Tüür, Silver Rattasepp and Nelly Mäekivi.

Zoosemiotic grant meeting - roundtable plans

Today after the research seminar in Dynamical Zoosemiotics and Animal Representations, we had a grant meeting, the six of us. Next spring's conference naturally topped the agenda. We agreed on what responsibility each one of us will have, and I was asked to lead a roundtable scheduled for April 6th, 2011 (preliminary at 16.30-18.00), with the topic 'Futures of Zoosemiotics'. I will have to come up with names for the roundtable, and prepare a set of questions for discussion.

Topic for zoosemiotic research seminar

The regular research seminar of the research project Dynamical Zoosemiotics and Animal Representations will this autumn take place November 29th. The title of my 20m presentation, I have just settled, will be "The nature view and worldview of people in Rendalen municipality in the region of Hedmark".

In other words, I will be presenting some observations from my field trip to Rendalen/Stor-Elvdal, which concludes today.

This time the seminar will be for members of the research team only.

Being an academic (3): Reporting

Being an academic is much like writing a well-structured article in a tradtional way: (1) First you tell what you're about to do, (2) then you do it, (3) and finally you tell what you just did.

Apropos (3): The last 10 days I've written two reports - the last quarterly report partaking in the research project "The Cultural Heritage of Environmental Spaces" (4pp), and an interim report partaking in the research project "Dynamical Zoosemiotics and Animal Representations".

Webpage for zoosemiotics conference (2011)

The international conference Zoosemiotics and Animal Representations, to be arranged in Tartu April 2011, has launched its official homepage.

Our call for papers has deadline September 15.

Thanks to Katre Pärn for designing the webpage.

Zoosemiotic research seminar April 2nd

Tartu Ülikooli semiootika osakond Department of Semiotics, University of Tartu
Tööseminar “zoosemiootika ja loomade representatsioonid” Research seminar in zoosemiotics and animal representations

Tartu, Tiigi 78-324
2.04.2010, 10.00-16.00

Program

10.15 Coffee and introductory words
10.30 Morten Tønnessen. Territory vs. confinement - the Umwelten of free-range vs. captive wolves
11.00 Nelly Mäekivi. Zoological garden as a semiotic environment
11.30 Teevi Subert. Sümboliline kommunikatsioon
12.00 Silver Rattasepp. The changeable and the unchangeable, or how practice becomes metaphysics
12.30 – 14.00 Lunch break
14.00 Timo Maran. Analyzing Th. A. Sebeok’s bibliography: initial results, problems and perspectives
14.30 Elena Grigorjeva. XX XY Indication of the chromosome
15.00 Lona Päll. Vabaduse ökosemiootiline käsitlus Kaplinski “Lahkujate” põhjal
15.30 Kadri Tüür. Birds and herrings: the Estonian tradition of maritime travel literature

Topic for zoosemiotic seminar

I have decided the topic for my short talk at the zoosemiotic seminar in Tartu April 2nd:

Territory vs. confinement - the Umwelten of free-range vs. captive wolves

Tomorrow I'm flying North, to Polar Zoo, to spend three days there.

Academic reports II

The last few days I have, in effect, concluded 2009 reporting to two research projects, "Dynamical zoosemiotics and animal representations" (10pp) and "Methods of Biosemiotics" respectively. The former includes plans for 2010 (field trips, research stays, conference participation and expected publications).

In the process I am updating my info at the Estonian Research Information System (ETIS).