With the aim of addressing OBJ1, we will investigate the ways in which the narrated trajectories of epic crises – e.g., related to the spread of diseases, climate change, famine, and scarcity of food – are depicted in myths using the concepts of maps and journeys. We will initially focus on myths from several different parts of Europe – e.g., Greek, Baltic, Nordic and Irish – and analyse these to see how they may have been used to narrate and represent known historical events in different time periods and contexts. Comparisons will then be made with similar mental mapping and narrative patterns in the context of modern EHC, as dramatized and presented through, for instance, politics and mass media. We will take an interdisciplinary approach by combining predominantly qualitative methods from folklore studies, religious studies, narrative research, medical anthropology, and psychology. In addition to more widely used thematic analysis and exploratory methods, we will adapt and use methods from fields such as positive psychology and spatial cognition studies. Based on this research, an empirically and theoretically grounded framework will be developed and validated – with public and other stakeholders’ involvement – to support the investigation of other types of crises as represented in ancient and modern myths. This work package will contribute to various tasks in WP3 and WP4.
With the aim of addressing OBJ2, we will begin with a scoping review of how maps in their various forms have been used in different scientific contexts – e.g., disease surveillance, environmental monitoring – both historically and in more recent times to create perceptions and representations of EHC, in an attempt to influence the public and policymakers and provoke societal action. Based on our findings, we will then propose, evaluate, and refine – through public and other stakeholders’ involvement – a scientific methodological framework for designing maps that incorporate local populations’ knowledge of EHC, with the aim of producing maps that are more meaningful to individuals and communities and can be used to provoke societal, public and political action. This framework will be based on the work of critical geographers who have been discussing and analysing the utilisation of various types of mapping interfaces – e.g., 2D paper or digital maps, and 3D models – in bottom-up knowledge co-creation processes proposed by participatory geographies. Recent visual communication design and information visualisation research has also led to relevant principles, methods and tools for creating more effective maps. Using these visual methods, multimedia data representations – e.g., text, image, maps – will be incorporated into the design framework for representing local knowledge of EHC. This work package will contribute to various tasks in WP3 and WP4.
With the aim of addressing OBJ3, we will survey the use of maps as a metaphor and representation form in visual narratives – e.g., graphic novels, comics, illustrated books, and digital media such as video games – for evoking human response to EHC by generating diverse public discourses and imaginings of such crises. Utilising our learnings from this survey, we will create an immersive CHRYSES museum exhibition using extended reality (XR) technology to combine mythical and scientific perspectives for the mapping of EHC around a real historical case study – e.g., the Black Death. To generate maximum outreach, this high-quality exhibition will be professionally created by a specialist production company and made available to the public through the online museum platform of our Associate Partner, Digimuseo.fi. The effectiveness of the exhibition will then be evaluated with the public and other stakeholders. This work package will utilise the results of WP1 and WP2 and contribute to tasks in WP4.
This work package will aim to address OBJ4, and as such, will play a central role in achieving the main aim of the project. To increase the public understanding of EHC, in this work package, we will create a practical framework for more effective engagement of the public and other stakeholders – e.g., decision-makers, politicians, and media organisations – in current and future crises faced by humanity, with the hope of generating human response and enabling co-learning through feedback. To achieve these, different types of interdisciplinary workshops will be held with the public and other stakeholders, to contribute to various tasks undertaken in the other work packages. This work package will utilise the results of WP1, WP2 and WP3 and contribute to tasks in WP5.
As part of this work package, we will undertake all the coordination and management tasks to facilitate the execution of the project and achieve its main aim and primary objectives. In addition to the diverse and comprehensive workshops of WP4 – aimed at creating public understanding – in this work package we will carry out a wide range of dissemination activities to raise public awareness of the project and to increase the generation and uptake of its results by society at large. These activities will include, for instance, outreach through local communities, organisations, museums, mass media, and local, regional, and national politicians and other decision-makers.