Erica von Essen

Erica von Essen is an associate professor of Environmental Communication (from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences) now working with the Department of Social Anthropology at Stockholm University. She is a research associate attached to CAS/BOAR project. Her PhD was on illegal killing of large carnivores in Sweden. Following this, she has led projects on changing hunting ethics, regimes of killability for various species and countryside resistance. 

Erica is a “a non-disciplinary” researcher.  She conducts empirical and theoretical research on human-animal relations in modern society. She has looked at the scope of human-wildlife interactions including conflicts, culling, ethics and animal rights, wildlife tourism, digital animal encounter, wildlife management, rewilding and welfare She is especially knowledgeable in matters pertaining to wolves and the wild boar. Erica’s most recent research interest is technology and how it mediates human-wildlife relations. In an enduring collaboration with Professor of Social, Political and Legal Philosophy Michael Allen (East Tennessee State University), Erica has sought to develop analytical and normative ethics frameworks for wild animals in the Anthropocene, including relational approaches.

Erica’s work can be found across criminology, sociology, geography, communication, philosophy and animal studies journals of various kinds, with over 50 peer-reviewed publications in seven years. She also has a frequent presence in national news media on matters pertaining to poaching, hunting and wolf management. Erica has been invited to speak at both the Swedish and EU parliament on the Habitats Directive.

Education

2016 | Ph.D. in Environmental Communication, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
2012 | Masters Degree in Sustainable Development, Uppsala University
2010 | Bachelor of Social Sciences, Uppsala University (geography, social anthropology)

Selected publications

• von Essen, E.; Lindsjö, J.; Berg, C. Instagranimal: Animal Welfare and Animal Ethics Challenges of Animal-Based Tourism. Animals 2020, 10
• von Essen, E.; Allen, M.; Tickle, L. Game of Drones: On the Moral Significance of Deception in Modern Sport Hunting. Philosophical Journal of Conflict and Violence 2020, 4, 137-157.
• von Essen, E., and M. Allen. (2020). Killing with kindness: when hunters want to let you know they care. Human Dimensions of Wildlife:1-17. 10.1080/10871209.2020.1800145
• Tickle, L., and E. von Essen. (2020). The seven sins of hunting tourism. Annals of Tourism Research 84: oi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2020.102996
• von Essen, E., & Allen, M. (2020). ‘Not the Wolf Itself’: Distinguishing Hunters’ Criticisms of Wolves from Procedures for Making Wolf Management Decisions. Ethics, Policy & Environment, 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1080/21550085.2020.1746009
• Joosse, S., Powell, S., Bergeå, H., Böhm, S., Calderón, C., Caselunghe, E., Fischer, A., Grubbström, A., Hallgren, L., Holmgren, S., Löf, A., Källström, H. N., Raitio, K., Senecah, S., Kanarp, C. S., von Essen, E., Westberg, L., & Westin, M. (2020). Critical, Engaged and Change-oriented Scholarship in Environmental Communication. Six Methodological Dilemmas to Think with. Environmental Communication, 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1080/17524032.2020.1725588
• von Essen, E. (2020). The Changing Wildlife Tableau of Hunting Magazine Covers. Society & Animals, 1-23. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1163/15685306-BJA10002
• von Essen, E. Tickle, L (2019). Leisure or Labour: An Identity Crisis for Modern Hunting? Sociologica Ruralis. doi.org/10.1111/soru.12271
• von Essen, E. and M. Allen (2019). “Political Deliberation and Compromise: Why People-Nature Reconciliation Must Be about People-People Reconciliation.” Journal of Transdisciplinary Environmental Studies 17(1): 55-66.
• von Essen, E. and H. P. Hansen (2019). “Reconciliation, Welcoming of the Wild, and the Desire to Turn Back Time ” Journal of Transdisciplinary Environmental Studies 17(1): 1-4.
• von Essen, E., van Heijgen, E, Gieser, T. (2019). “Hunting communities of practice: Factors behind the social differentiation of hunters in modernity.” Journal of Rural Studies 68: 13-21.
• von Essen, E. 2019. How Wild Boar Hunting is Becoming a Battleground. Journal of Leisure Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1080/01490400.2018.1550456
• Allen, M. and E. von Essen 2018. “Animal Resistors: On the Right of Resistance and Human Duties of Non-Return and Abolition    ” Critical Animal Studies 15(6): 3-28
• Von Essen, E. 2018. “We Need to Talk…” Evolving Conversations about Ethics in Hunting Press 1960s-today”. Humanimalia 10: 1
• Peterson, M. N., von Essen, E., Hansen, H. P., & Peterson, T. R. 2018. Shoot shovel and sanction yourself: Self-policing as a response to wolf poaching among Swedish hunters. Ambio. doi:10.1007/s13280-018-1072-5
• von Essen, E. 2018. The impact of modernization on hunting ethics: Emerging taboos among contemporary Swedish hunters. Human Dimensions of Wildlife,23 (1): 21-38
• von Essen, E. Hansen, H.P. Peterson, M.N. Peterson, T.R. 2017. Discourses on Illegal Hunting in Sweden: The Meaning of Silence and Resistance. Environmental Sociology, DOI: 10.1080/23251042.2017.1408446
• von Essen, E. and M.P. Allen. 2017. Taking prejudice seriously: Burkean reflections on the rural past and present. Sociologia Ruralis,  10.1111/soru.12183
• von Essen, E., and Allen, M.P. 2017. “From Obstructionism to Communication: Local, National and Transnational Dimensions of Contestations on the Swedish Wolf Cull Controversy” Environmental Communication. DOI: 10.1080/17524032.2016.1269821, pp. 1-13
• von Essen, E. Allen, M. 2016. ”Wild-But-Not-Too-Wild Animals: Challenging Goldilocks Standards in Rewilding”. Between the Species, 19(1) 80-108
• von Essen, E. 2015. “Whose discourse is it anyway? Understanding resistance through the rise of ‘barstool biology’ in nature conservation”. Journal of Environmental Communication. DOI:10.1080/17524032.2015.1042986
• von Essen, E., and Allen, M.P. 2015. “Reconsidering Illegal Hunting as a Crime of Dissent: Implication for Justice and Deliberative Uptake. ” Criminal Law & Philosophy:1-16. doi: 10.1007/s11572-014-9364-8.
• von Essen, E., Hansen, H.P., Nordström Källström, H., Peterson, M.N., and Peterson, T.R. 2014. “Deconstructing the Poaching Phenomenon: A Review of Typologies for Understanding Illegal Hunting.” British Journal of Criminology no. 54 (4):632-651.

See ResearchGate or Google Scholar for full list.