Knowledge, Language, and Antarctica: Teaching, Studying, and Theorizing at the Ends of the Earth

Antarctica may be located at the end of the earth, but it plays an important role in global earth systems. As a remote and hostile continent, it is difficult to visit, and yet cultural representations of “the ice” abound. The language we choose to deploy when talking about the far south matters because it has implications for the ways we conceive of that place. This chapter provides an overview of Antarctic-focused education and training from a humanities and social sciences point of view. It introduces various language relationships with the continent, outlines key research challenges and directions, and highlights important journals, conferences, and research resources related to Antarctica. The chapter argues that quality, ongoing Antarctic humanities, and social sciences research and teaching are central to ensuring knowledge and language questions about teaching and studying on and about the southern continent are critically addressed.