Planetary Water and Oceanic Discourse: Blue Humanities as a New Cultural Turn

Abstract

The historicization and theorization of human involvement with water led to the development of “water-centric thinking” which provides fresh perspectives to deal with oceanic geographies. This kind of cultural turn from land to sea enhanced the emergence of a new disciplinary realm called the Blue Humanities. The scrutiny of the sea in relation to contemporary Western culture transformed the utilitarian notion to an aesthetic perspective in connection with the sea. The designation of a new cultural status to the sea has been depicted by attributing oceanic images and metaphors. The paper discusses the environmental issues.
Blue Humanities rejects the practice of anthropocentrism or unnecessary human intervention as a threat to the environment. The historian, Ellen Krefting has rightly observed; “Our oceans are radically changing due to human impact. It is our goal to show how knowledge about the sea is produced” (Blue Humanities, 2022). The study makes use of Material Ecocritical theory and qualitative research through analysis and contributions made by Blue Humanities Scholars. Steve Mentz, Dan Brayton, and Hester Blum advocated the need to use the ocean as a powerful lens to shift from watery metaphors to the ocean. Literature, Cultural Studies, and
History are critically analysed at length to examine ecological ethics in posthuman critical moments. The paper highlights the fact that human commitment to nature is at stake and needs to be rectified at the earliest.