Funded Workshops

Applicant

Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Lejla Demiri
Co-Organizers:
Dr. Tim Winter (Cambridge Muslim College, UK)
Prof. Dr. Rusmir Mahmutćehajić (International Forum Bosnia, Sarajevo)

Abstract

While in recent years we have seen an upturn in studies on female figures in the Qur’an, we lack a comprehensive, interdisciplinary, and theological view of how Muslims think about and relate to Mary. The three-day workshop, ‘Towards an Islamic Mariology’, to be held between 4-6 September 2024 in Sarajevo and Stolac, Bosnia, seeks to make a significant contribution in this space by exploring the often-neglected area of Mary in Islamic intra-faith discourses and traditions. Mary as a figure of feminine resolution, steadfastness and devotion and her capacity for closeness and intimacy with God are areas where the reading of texts and traditions will illuminate and enrich our understandings of this central spiritual figure in Muslim scripture and devotional literature.

The workshop prioritizes several layers of encounter, including the theological encounter of scholars meeting from diverse schools of thought and their interdisciplinary approaches from the different subfields of Islamic theology, as well as the international encounter of bringing together scholars from all over the world who themselves work with sources from multiple geographical areas and time periods within Islamic studies. Another layer in this encounter is between theory and practice as we seek to highlight how the unique setting of Stolac and the Marian sites of interest nearby can shape our discussions throughout the workshop and thereby enrich our understanding of Mary in popular devotion, particularly in interreligious contexts. The participation of several local scholars as presenters and discussants ensures that we are working alongside and centering our Bosnian colleagues instead of merely utilizing the space as a background to our discussion. In this way, the workshop offers a unique opportunity to work theologically with a figure of central importance for Muslims, in important historical and new intellectual contexts.

Applicants

Dr. Anne Sophie Overkamp
Dr. Sabine Hanke

Abstract

The interaction between humans, flora and fauna has long been the subject of imperial and global history. However, animals and plants are rarely regarded as historically powerful actors. The premise of non-human entities as powerful agents and historical actors as a guiding principle is rather found in animal studies and, more recently, in plant studies. The overarching idea is to explore the diversity of nature and its role in cultural contexts, to analyse interactions between socio-cultural aspects and biophysical elements and to understand specific “naturecultures” (Donna Haraway).

The planned workshop proceeds from these problems and explicitly brings the two approaches to flora and fauna as non-human actors into dialogue with each other. On the one hand, we aim to develop an integrative approach that has been lacking in the discussion so far. On the other hand, by focusing on imperial history we place particular emphasis on questions of exchange, affiliation, adaptation and agency. After all, phases of imperial expansion, be they maritime or territorial, usually brought with them a particularly intensive exchange of people, plants and animals throughout the ages and in every region. The workshop is not specific to any epoch or region and is aimed in particular at interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary researchers who bring together approaches from fields such as history, anthropology, archaeology, material culture research, botany and zoology.

Applicants

Prof. Dr. Robert Horres
Dr. Felix Spremberg
PD Dr. Volker Elis

Abstract

Digitalization is not only shaped by economic and political elites and the discourses they (re)produce, but also by popular cultural discourses and the values transmitted in them. The digital is not only programmed and constructed by (software) engineers but is also imagined and imagineered by artists and storytellers. While there is preexisting research revealing the influence of popular culture on the societal acceptance, design, and use of digital technology in specific societies, the global dynamics of popular cultural discourses across national boundaries are yet little understood. This interdisciplinary and international workshop will bring together scholars of the social sciences and the humanities to identify patterns in transnational popular cultures and uncover how their reception manifests in the way digital technologies are socially accepted, created, and utilized across the globe.

Applicants

Prof. Dr. Klaus Gestwa
Prof. Dr. Reinhard Johler
PD Dr. Daniela Simon
Dr. Olivia Spiridon
Dr. Alexa von Winning

Abstract

The objective of this workshop is to conduct a comparative analysis of at least five distinct localities in Southeastern and Eastern Europe renowned for their remarkable diversity. These regions include Istria, Vojvodina, Banat, Galicia, and Bosnia, all of which share interconnected historical trajectories. The focus is on exploring the generation of knowledge about cultural, ethnic, and religious diversity in these areas and the ways in which belonging is formed.

The question at hand pertains to the methods and individuals responsible for shaping the concept of belonging. It examines the processes through which belonging is either solidified, disrupted, forcefully altered, or suppressed. A common thread that runs through all the regions under scrutiny is the frequent reconfiguration of multicultural narratives within the realms of science, politics, and literature following significant socio-political shifts. This phenomenon often persists even in the midst of national and ethnic conflicts.

The workshop will explore respective "models of diversity" by focusing on the complex social and political changes of the 20th century and in particular by examining their transregional character. It will address how diversity and belonging are generated across regional borders through transfers and adaptations in ideas, perceptions and practices. The workshop offers a multidisciplinary perspective drawing on the fields of sociology, history, literature and cultural studies.

Program

Applicants

Iva Dodevska (Karl University, Prague)
Stefan Manser-Egli (University of Neuchâtel)
Prof. Dr. Boris Nieswand (University of Tübingen)
Prof. Dr. Anja Weiß (University Duisburg-Essen)

Abstract

The "reflexive turn" has changed migration studies. Today, it is less self-evident than it was 10 or 15 years ago to treat migration or migrants as an exception to "normal sedentary life". The epistemic normalization of migration decenters the view of migration scholars and directs it towards its ‘ordinariness’ in many areas of social life. If one follows this path, migration research comes closer to other fields of social science research - e.g. urban studies, education studies or inequality studies. Based on these considerations, the workshop dealt with the question of what consequences the decentering of migration studies has on its epistemic objects and for theory-building in the social sciences. Has a "de-migrantization" of migration research and/or a "migrantization of social theory" really taken place?  To discuss these issues, this IMISCOE workshop brought together researchers from Europe and Africa whose work aimed not to epistemically marginalize mobile, legally excluded populations that are symbolically marked as different, but to analyze their role in the reproduction and/or contestation of social order(s). It was concluded that reflexivity opens up new pathways of researching and theorizing social life beyond groupism and migrant exceptionalism.

Applicant

Dr. Kien Nghi Ha

Abstract

In the transnational corona pandemic, a fundamental historical constellation of racism has thrown current spotlights in the media of many Western migration societies. In the course of this development, the term and topic of "anti-Asian racism" also entered the consciousness of larger sections of the population in Germany for the first time. Although anti-Asian projections and attributions as colonial constructions have been a constitutive part of modernity and the racial theoretical configurations that go with it from the very beginning, they have so far hardly been perceived as a relevant topic in German-speaking countries and have been researched even less scientifically. Against this background, this international conference is taking up this current topic for the first time at a German university. In four sections, historical developments, theoretical foundations and cultural representations of anti-Asian racism and the emergence of anti-racist resistance movements are discussed. The academic exchange is intended to strengthen local cooperation and further transnational networking of Tübingen as a science location. An English-language anthology is planned for 2024, which will document the results of the conference and make them accessible to all interested parties in the long term.

Poster
Program

Applicants

Prof. Dr. Claus Dierksmeier

Abstract

How can the global community organize responsibility for its crises and risks, for the global commons, and the opportunities of people worldwide? What should an ecologically, socially and politically responsible globalization look like? - To answer these questions, the workshop will focus on the iberophone tradition of krausismo.

Krausismo is an intellectual movement that came to Latin America from Spain and Portugal in the middle of the 19th century and influenced constitutional law, social policy, international law as well as educational and cultural policy. In terms of content, krausismo goes back to the philosophy of the German philosopher K.C.F. Krause (1781-1832). Krausismo pursues a participatory model of governance according to which the idea of freedom serves not only as the goal but also, and above all, the method of political transformation. Krausists demand, for example, that all those affected by economic relations, legal regulations, or political plans be made directly or representatively involved in their creation.

Applicants

Prof. Dr. Christina Brauner
Prof. Dr. Renate Dürr
Dr. Philip Hahn
Dr. Anne-Sophie Overkamp
Simon Siemianowski

Abstract

That global and local are not opposites has been known not only since the talk of 'glocalisation': Global encounters always take place locally, but global spaces for action are not equally open to everyone. A historical view allows us to inquire into processes of interdependence and disentanglement, but also into the performativity of globalization narratives and thus to further develop non-linear models of description for global processes. While the global history of the early modern period has so far concentrated mainly on the seafaring nations of Western Europe and their global empires, the workshop focuses on a region that is rather marginal in global historical research: the German-speaking areas of Central Europe. The workshop aims to explore the potential of developing a nationally and internationally visible research centre on the 'micro-history of the global' at the University of Tübingen.

Applicants

Prof. Dr. Bernhard Anuth
Prof. Dr. Michael Droege
Prof. Dr. Stephan Dusil

Abstract

Religion is characterized by a common faith conviction of its followers, which requires a certain commitment in order to create community. The respective beliefs have always been shaped and formed in the confrontation with other denominations and/or religions. The project pursues this encounter with the religious other. Using the three thematic fields of inner-religious reactions, normative strategies of action vis-à-vis other religions, and the state's reaction to new religions, it analyses how normativity in the religious sphere changes through contact with other religious beliefs. In this context, various forms of normativity, the scope of action of the actors, and inclusion and exclusion strategies are discussed. The aim is to achieve a deeper understanding of shifts in the normative binding force of religion, which can help, among other things, to reflect on the strategies of action of religions and states, to recognize lines of conflict and to develop strategies for conflict resolution.

Applicants

Dr. Rolf Frankenberger
Prof. Dr. Oliver Schlumberger
Dr. Mirjam Edel
Prof. Michael Butter
Albrecht Raible
PD Dr. Annika Scholl
Prof. Dr. Kai Sassenberg
Prof. Dr. Sonja Utz
Prof. Dr. Ulrike von Luxburg

Abstract

Digitization not only transforms economies, but entire societies and their power relations. While new economic and technological opportunities and challenges are being researched comparatively well, comparatively little attention is being paid to the profound individual and societal, political, cultural and social changes. The Power 2.0 project therefore investigates the foundations, causes and consequences of digital change from a trans- and interdisciplinary perspective. It focuses on transformations of power at the micro, meso and macro levels: in individual behavioral and attitudinal patterns, inter-individual relationships, social media, organizational structures, political regimes, and entire societies. Questions of the nature and scope of power transformations are examined, as well as their consequences for individuals, collectives and entire societies.

Applicants

Prof. Gabriele Alex
Prof. Bernd Grewe
Jun.‐Prof. Johannes Großmann
Dr. Antony Pattathu
Prof. Thomas Potthast
Prof. Thomas Thiemeyer

Abstract

The discussion about the decolonization of universities, cities and museums has led to a decolonial turn in science in recent years. The approaches developed here complement postcolonial approaches and go beyond them by self-critically questioning the location of the researchers and placing the colonial past in relation to current scientific responsibility. Within the framework of these orientations, a bridge is to be built between scientific demands and civil society responsibility in order to sound out new ways of dealing with the colonial past and the university's postcolonial present. The workshop will also focus on the present and future dimensions of decolonial knowledge production in various disciplines and their research and teaching practice at the university. In particular, the cooperation with civil society actors is to be made fruitful for concepts of a decolonial future of the university.

Applicants

Prof. Dr. Marion Müller
Prof. Dr. Ursula Offenberger
Dr. Jussra Schröer
Prof. Dr. Michael Schüßler
Prof. Fahima Ulfat
Prof. Dr. Birgit Weyel

Abstract

The gender category currently marks a decisive rupture between the normative claim to orientation of religious traditions on the one hand and the diversity of actual life management on the other. Despite the worldwide establishment of gender equality norms, notions of a traditional gender order in the context of (different) religions have proven to be surprisingly persistent. In the (post-)secular world society, too, numerous conflicts have arisen around the issue of "gender and religion". This is true on the national and local level as well as for different religious contexts: In the Catholic Church, for example, women still struggle for access to spiritual offices and leadership functions (Mary 2.0), in the member churches of the EKD there is a dispute about whether same-sex couples may be married or blessed, and there are still debates among traditionally oriented Muslim* women that assume gender inequality.

Against the background of these debates, we are particularly interested in a practical theoretical perspective and the question of how exactly religious and gender affiliation is established in everyday social practices in the first place, overlapping or even mutually neutralizing each other. This is an empirical approach to a question that is often the subject of normative discourse. One could say: Normative, religious concepts are subjected to the stress test of lived life. Questions of theological relevance and hitherto scarcely dealt with in social science research concern the observability of religious practices as social affiliation: What does doing religion mean and what forms of manifestations of religious affiliation are conceivable here or can be observed? On the basis of which characteristics are religious attributions made and to what extent are e.g. ethnic affiliations relevant here? Which religious resources are updated or negated or made irrelevant, and how?

We will discuss all these questions with international speakers from theology and sociology. Already confirmed: Ulrike Auga (HU Berlin), Ali Ghandour (University of Münster), Frank Hillebrandt (Distance University of Hagen), Leyla Jagiella (religious scholar), Saskia Wendel (University of Cologne), Heidemarie Winkel (University of Bielefeld), Monika Wohlrab-Sahr (University of Leipzig).

Applicants

Prof. Dr. Christina Brauner
Dr. Anno Dederichs
Prof. Dr. Boris Nieswand

Abstract

Diversity is a key concept of our time, which oscillates between the description and assessment of the state of society. It promises to provide both an analytical framework for the interpretation of social change and an organisational programme for its management. The aim of the conference is to take up the reflexive turn in the social and cultural sciences in order to make it fruitful for the current debate on diversity. The international and interdisciplinary workshop will focus on (1) timescapes of diversity, (2) forms of population management, (3) the role of diversity programs for organizations, and (4) collaborations across social and ontological boundaries. Following the workshop, perspectives for research cooperation will be discussed and developed.

Keynote of the workshop: "Diversity" and the Social Organization of Difference - Steven Vertovec

Applicants

Dr. Floris Biskamp
Prof. Dr. Dorothee Kimmich
Theresa Mayer
Dr. Sebastian Pittl
Prof. Dr. Michael Schüßler
Jun.-Prof. Fahimah Ulfat
Prof. Dr. Birgit Weyel

Abstract

Global Encounters today are determined by multidimensional power and domination relations. Colonial and neo-imperial patterns remain effective even after the formal end of the colonial era and combine to form structures of asymmetrical distribution of resources, life chances and possibilities of shaping. The exploration of these complex interrelationships calls for a deeper transdisciplinary reflection in which the analysis of global dynamics is combined with the critical examination of context-specific constellations. The upcoming challenge is: Decolonizing Global Encounters.

Forum 1 "Decolonizing Religion" questions the role of religion in postcolonial constellations and the (de)colonizing potential of religious discourses and practices. Forum 2 "Decolonizing Politics" examines the conditions and possibilities of decolonizing politics and legal understandings, human rights demands and the complexity and ambivalence of emancipation processes. Forum 3 "Decolonizing Culture" will examine the symbolic structures of religion, politics and economics as well as the mechanisms and preconditions for the production of "meaning", "significance" and "identity" in postcolonial contexts.

Applicants

Dr. Romana Radlwimmer
Dr. Adrian Masters

Abstract

In the early modern period, global networks were created starting from the European Romania. Romanesque forms of government, their literatures and theological tracts met local systems of knowledge, art forms and communities in America, Asia, Africa and Oceania, generating extensive political, philosophical, artistic and ethical debates and new forms of literary and pictorial representation. The interdisciplinary workshop will explore the early modern culture/history of Romania from top-down administrative and religious perspectives as well as from more organic bottom-up perspectives, explore the participation and opposition of non-Romani people and their annulment from the global awareness of the time, and question an oppositional understanding of textual and non-textual worlds and archival systems. Last but not least, colonialism, i.e. the ongoing social and cultural effects of colonization, will be the focus of interest.

Program

Report

Publication

Applicants

Prof. Dr. Sebastian Thies
Dr. Nadja Lobensteiner

Abstract

Well-Being is currently the leading term for a boom in the field of politics, imaginaries and practices in which the fundamental possibilities of shaping the future in the geopolitical power structure between North and South are negotiated. In the workshop we will discuss the concept of Well-Being, which in the Global South is often based on holistic and collective autochthonous ideas, in dialogue with scholars from different regions of the Global South. We will work in an interdisciplinary way and thus enable a systematic approach to Well-Being with regard to the fields of health, education, work, economic prosperity, community participation, cultural creation, spirituality, ethics and sustainability. It will be examined how in the local, regional, national and global interdependencies of the Global South in the selected social fields, the relationship between different models of good living is negotiated and what effects the enforcement or dominance of specific models of good living has on social, cultural and political practice in the fields studied. The aim of the workshop is to examine divergent models of well-being and thus make an innovative contribution to the understanding of the shape of the future in the Global South.

Applicants

Prof. Thomas Diez
Prof. Reinhard Johler
Prof. Jochen von Bernstorff
Prof. Stefan Thomas

Abstract

tba

Applicants

Dr. Eveline Cioflec
Prof. Dr. Dorothee Kimmich
Prof. Dr. Sigrid Köhler
Prof. Dr. Markus Rieger-Ladich
Prof. Dr. Monika Schrimpf
Dr. Niels Weidtmann

Abstract

Traditional and rigid forms of belonging are becoming problematic in an increasingly global society. Their change does not keep pace with the change of society in general. The question, however, is whether and how completely the individual can escape oppressive or constricting affiliations and whether she can only do so if she simultaneously constitutes new forms of belonging. Can belonging and non-belonging be categorically distinguished at all, or do they always already intertwine, so that every form of belonging has an inherent moment of non-belonging, and thus they are rather temporally dynamic structures? By taking a critical look at the dichotomy of belonging and non-belonging, we search for the limits this dichotomy reaches in individual life and action as well as in legislation and human rights. Using the central aspects of (non)-identity, property, and normativity, we explore ways of grasping belonging in transition and ambivalence.