8–12 Sept 2026
Europe/Vienna timezone

“Where Does The Sound of War Fit in the Circumplex Model?” The Shifting Geopolitical Landscape and the Epistemology of Audible Safety in Soundscape Research

FA2026/309
11 Sept 2026, 14:20
20m
Halle A (Messe Congress Graz)

Halle A

Messe Congress Graz

A18 Soundscape, Environmental Quality, Health and Well-being A18.05 Soundscape and Inclusion, from Theory to Practice

Speaker

Kirsten van den Bosch (University of Groningen)

Description

In an era marked by profound geopolitical transformation, for many of us, the specter of war looms closer than ever. As its repercussions permeate daily discourse, critical questions arise regarding the adequacy of dominant frameworks in capturing the nuances of such environments. Does the circumplex model truly encapsulate the complexity of soundscape perception, including that of horror and terror caused by conflicts, or does its binary framing risk oversimplifying the underlying mechanisms that shape perception? Rather than focusing solely on the what, such as the identification of soundsources that drive soundscape perception, we inquire about the why: why is birdsong often perceived as pleasant? Or the sound of warplanes as unpleasant? The concept of audible safety could serve as a foundational epistemology and vocabulary for understanding soundscape perception, including contexts of trauma.

Authors

Kirsten van den Bosch (University of Groningen) Arezoo Talebzadeh (Ghent University) Katie Chatburn (Manchester Metropolitan University)

Presentation materials

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