Events

In this talk, Juliane Tauchnitz will discuss the heterotopos of the ship, in particular, its movment, as an activating motif that in turn sets the stories’ characters in motion (both internally and externally). The focus is primarily on texts by Spanish writer Emilia Pardo Bazán and French author Guy de Maupassant, exploring the extent to which this theme of angst, with all its ‘uncanny’ implications, is linked to social upheaval in these texts. The central question will be whether the texts just describe fear in the face of a changing time, or whether this confrontation of the subject with eerie phenomena already reveals the outline of social ‘development’ (in a modern sense). […]

Exploring Diversity, Equity, and Belonging | This opening conversation invites participants to deepen their awareness of unconscious biases, critically reflect on their own assumptions, and explore how discrimination manifests in everyday interactions and institutional structures. Through interactive exercises, guided self-reflection, and collaborative discussions; participants will examine how social norms, power dynamics, and systemic inequalities shape our perceptions, attitudes, and interactions with others. Together, we will explore practical strategies to challenge discriminatory practices, foster inclusive environments, and strengthen a shared commitment to diversity, equity, and belonging in academic and professional settings.

A spectre is haunting Europe — the spectre of polarization. All the powers of old Europe have entered into a holy hunt against this spectre. Where is the opposition party that has not been decried as polarizing by its governing opponents? Where the opposition party that has not hurled back the branding charge of polarization — against both its more progressive counterparts in opposition and its reactionary adversaries? And yet we must note: empirical social research rarely finds the polarization presumed to be everywhere. This tension is the starting point of the talk by Nils Kumkar: What if polarization is seen everywhere because it structures the very way in which politics observes itself? […]

— Building bridges to the Bremen art world. An excursion to Weserburg. Museum für modern Kunst

The field of infrastructure studies lies at a critical juncture marked by novel kinds of logistical interfaces, new configurations of agency, and enduring neo-Foucauldian concerns with the shifting contours of the human subject.  In this presentation I develop a conceptual synthesis between four analytical perspectives: an emphasis on infrastructure as a set of cultural and material artefacts marked by diverse modes of enquiry; the co-evolutionary dynamics of infrastructure networks in relation to the corporeal vulnerabilities of urban space; the emergence of successive socio-technical imaginaries that connect with the metonymic or ideological significance of urban infrastructure; and the significance of infrastructure as an epistemological vantage point for embodied encounters with urban space.  I show how the question of infrastructure intersects with a series of wider debates over agency, subjectivity, and the rise of algorithmic governmentalities.  I emphasize the value of creative practice as a vibrant alternative to creeping forms of analytical modularity and neo-positivist epistemological elision.   

— Research Approaches and Methodologies Reflecting specific research projects within the broader spectrum of possible research approaches and methodologies.

— Fellow Research Approaches and Methodologies: A Hands-on Follow-up Contextualizing RTG 2686 Fellow projects within the broader spectrum of research approaches and methodologies

— Deep Dive Reading and Reflection on the Writing Process: Writing and Text Feedback Techniques

— Relevance: The Epistemological Value of Scientific Research

— Details will follow. Mercator Fellow Michael Hampe (Zürich) wird vom 18. bis 22. Januar 2027 im GRK 2686 zu Gast sein.

Writing an academic thesis is a complex process that presents its own challenges. Dr. Birgit Schreiber (Schreiber Coaching Bremen), a social researcher, journalist, and coach, together with journalist Uwe Buse, will teach how to reliably navigate this process in this two-day workshop, which provides guidance on effective self-coaching. The workshop is offered bilingually (English, German). Practical exercises will be conducted as much as possible using texts provided by the participants.

Writing an academic thesis is a complex process that presents its own challenges. Dr. Birgit Schreiber, a social researcher, journalist, and coach from Bremen, together with journalist Uwe Buse, will teach how to reliably navigate this process in this two-day workshop, which provides guidance on […]

2:15–3:00 PM | Clara Müllenmeister
— Wider die Norm. Zweifelsfälle referenzieller Geschlechtszuschreibung | Cases of Doubt in Referential Gender Assignment
Discussant: Dr. Lesley-Ann Kern (Köln)

Welcome back! In this Welcome session, we will look back on the summer semester 2026, reflect on key outcomes, and discuss ideas for the upcoming winter semester. We will explore central themes of the Workspace program, set priorities, and identify questions to guide our discussions […]

Ellen Masur
— Feminist Rewriting als Praktik des Wi(e)dersprechens. Eine empirische Untersuchung von mehrdimensionalen Wirkweisen feministischer Rechtsauslegung

Prof. Dr. Yan Suarsana
— Wrap-Up