Aesthetics of One Health — One Health FIELD Network

Duration: April 2022 - March 2023

Funding Scheme: UKRI ODA Impact & Development Fund

Principal Investigator: Prof Lisa Boden

The Challenge

Unwritten cultural practices and oral, community-based intergenerational knowledge transmission is disrupted by conflict, or other global shocks (climate change, COVID-19.) Fragmentation of community networks (Zuntz 2021) increases risks that agricultural expert knowledge is permanently lost. Local knowledge, connection and expertise may thus be ignored or inadvertently excluded by intelligence gathering/analysis activities informing humanitarian social and development programmes.

Research Aims

The Aesthetics of One Health project aims to:

Investigate how aesthetic preferences shape Syrian refugee decision-making in response to One Health threats.
Focus specifically on the role of Syrian women and shifting gender dynamics in agriculture and food security.
Record and validate intangible cultural heritage, especially informal and women-led partnerships and practices.
Use workshops as a method for social, non-hierarchical learning and cross-disciplinary collaboration.
Strengthen and expand networks of interdisciplinary and local expertise for future research funding and policy engagement.

Anticipated Outcomes and Impact

The anticipated outcomes of the project include the strengthening of a diverse, interdisciplinary network of Syrian and international stakeholders, improved science-policy communication, and the co-construction of a robust, locally informed evidence base to support culturally appropriate interventions. By engaging Syrian academics, artists, and practitioners -particularly women- the project aims to amplify underrepresented voices in One Health decision-making processes, fostering more inclusive and sustainable responses to food, health, and environmental insecurity. In the longer term, the project seeks to influence policy and practice by integrating intangible cultural heritage and aesthetic experiences into humanitarian and development strategies. This approach is expected to contribute to post-conflict recovery, enhance social cohesion, and support progress toward the UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly around gender equality, food security, and resilient institutions.