Museu de Astronomia e Ciencias Afins (MAST) * Rio de Janeiro, 26-30 May 2008

International Commission for the History of Meteorology (ICHM) is announcing its 2008 conference devoted to understanding the place of weather and climate in everyday life. In this meeting we explore the ways in which various disciplines - from history to historical geography, anthropology to sociology - conceptualize the evolution of climatological citizenship as it manifests itself in daily routines, rituals, perceptions, reactions to and uses of the weather. We want to bring to light the fact that people worldwide engage with the weather not as individuals only, but also as members of a family, extended community, city, region, or nation and as bearers of religious, ethnic, professional and otherwise 'tribal' identities. To what extent does the weather really matter in what individuals and societies do on a routine basis? What are the ways in which the public 'takes the weather in their hands' and what is the perceived role of expert knowledge in providing the information and warnings about the day-to-day and extreme atmospheric events?

The conference will take place at the Instituto Nacional de Matematica Pura e Aplicada, Rio de Janeiro

For information about the program please contact Vladimir Jankovic at vladimir.jankovic@manchester.ac.uk
For information about local arrangements please contact weatherlife@mast.br

Organizers:

Vladimir Jankovic, University of Manchester
Cornelia Ludecke, University of Hamburg
James R. Fleming, Colby College
Samuel Randalls, University College London

Local Organizing Committee:

Alfredo Tolmasquim, Director MAST
Christina Barboza, MAST
Priscila Faulhaber, MAST
José Antônio Queiroz, MAST