KULeuven Lecture Series: “Anyone, regardless of birth or social status, can become a Scout. There are already some deaf Scouts” – Nature and Disability through the Lens of the Scout Camp in 1950s Sweden by Jonathan Schlunck

“Anyone, regardless of birth or social status, can become a Scout. There are already some deaf Scouts” – Nature and Disability through the lens of the scout camp in 1950s Sweden
The way we think about nature often has little in common with the space itself. Instead, our ideas are deeply rooted in cultural assumptions about what nature is and what it can be used for. In recent years, disability scholars have raised the question of what nature means for people with disabilities, since for a long time, scholars in disability studies have focused on the built environment, with the result that nature has received little or no attention. One possible explanation is, when we confront our own cultural images of nature, we often encounter a perspective shaped by white, able-bodied people. However, the separation between the built environment and nature has been increasingly questioned. This lecture takes a historical perspective to examine how nature and disability have been historically connected, using the Swedish scout movement as an example. Since 1930, scouts with disabilities have been part of the movement, and in the 1950s, the first scout camps for children with disabilities were introduced. Through images and film footage from the camps we can gain insight in how nature was staged as a space, both including as well as excluding for people with disabilities at the same time.

Attention: This lecture is also a part of the DisABILITY Film Festival.

In-person attendance: Schlunck’s lecture will take place at de bib Leuven Tweebronnen. To join in person, please register on the website of DisABILITY Festival and reserve your ticket.
Online attendance: Free access is available online.

Jonathan Schlunck
Jonathan Schlunck is a PhD candidate in the Department of History of Science and Ideas at Uppsala University. His doctoral research examines the relationship between nature and disability, using the Swedish Scout movement as a case study.

For more information on this event and how to register, visit this website.