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Reassembling more-than-human sustainability: Relations with snow
Waiting-for-snow shows structural dependence on natural, unplannable processes.
Physical interaction with snow strengthens understanding and fine-tuning in everyday working life.
Caring relationships with snow shape solidarity and long-term motivation to work.
More-than-human perspectives open up alternative sustainability paths beyond economic logic.
Summary of the study
This study shows how important it is to rethink sustainability from a relationship-oriented, more-than-human perspective. In doing so, it responds to critical discussions about sustainable development and the underlying ways of thinking.
Theoretically, the study develops the concept of a more-than-human sustainability based on relational ontologies and feminist, new materialist approaches. Empirically, it is based on ethnographic field research in which relations and practices with snow were "shadowed" in ski resorts in the Tyrolean Alps - in other words, snow and the work around snow were closely accompanied.
Through speculative storytelling, more-than-human relationships in winter tourism are made visible. The results reveal hidden forms of waiting-for-snow, being-connected-to-snow and thriving-with-snow. These perspectives question capitalist ways of working and open up new ways of thinking about sustainability in future winter tourism.
Finally, the study explores alternative approaches to sustainable forms of "world-making" by critically examining the role that more-than-human relationships can play in tourism.
Key findings of this study
- Waiting for snow shows how strongly winter tourism depends on natural processes. Natural snow does not follow human schedules and forces employees and businesses to plan for delays and uncertainties.
- Being connected to snow is created through physical and technical cooperation. Employees use senses, bodies, tools and machines to perceive, understand and work with snow.
- Thriving-with-snow describes a relationship that is characterized by caring. Employees experience snow not only as a resource, but as a partner who provides orientation, joy and a sense of connection.
- More-than-human relationships fundamentally change the understanding of sustainability. Sustainability appears not as an economic goal, but as a joint process of "shaping the world" between people, snow and landscape.
- These relationships open up alternative visions for the future of winter tourism. They make it clear that sustainable paths beyond economic growth are possible if people and nature are seen as interwoven.