IGEL Research Coalition Empirical Ecocr...

This Research Coalition of the International Society for the Empirical Study of Literatures focuses on empirical ecocriticism, an emerging subfield of ecocriticism that focuses on the empirically grounded study of environmental narrative – in literature, film, television, etc. – and its influence on various audiences. The main objective of empirical ecocriticism is to put to test empirically claims made within ecocriticism, and the environmental humanities more generally, about the impact of environmental narratives. To this end, it employs empirical methods used in disciplines such as environmental communication, environmental psychology, and the empirical study of literature. These include correlational and experimental studies, qualitative research, and others. As currently defined, empirical ecocriticism is (a) empirically grounded; (b) open to qualitative and exploratory methodologies; (c) focused on the effects of narrative strategies and techniques, with the kind of depth and nuance that cultural critics have brought to their research for decades; and (d) open to critical engagement with competing conceptions of “empirical” data.