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The call for applications as PDF.

We are looking for an assistant for the DFG research project "Between populism and radical democracy, between party and movement: On the Discursive Afterlife of Place Movements" (Head: Martin Nonhoff and Seongcheol Kim) for a student assistant with a monthly working time of 32 hours starting September 1, 2022. The employment contract is initially limited until March 31, 2023, but may be extended; longer-term employment is desired. Responsibilities include assisting with the collection and analysis of data on public square movements in Russia, Ukraine, Greece, Germany, France, and Spain; literature research and analysis; assisting with publications (e.g., proofreading); and other support activities.
BA students and MA students are eligible to apply. Interest in political theory and comparative politics (especially party and social movement research), a very good academic record, very good German and English language skills, and availability as of September 1, 2022 are expected. Furthermore, a good knowledge of Spanish is an advantage when applying.
Inquiries regarding the call for applications can be directed to Martin Nonhoff (mnonhoff@uni-bremen.de).
Please send applications with cover letter, CV and certificates/transcripts (in one PDF document) to Peter Arnhold (arnhold@uni-bremen.de). The application deadline is July 05, 2022, and interviews will be held in July.

The free event takes place in the context of the lecture "Introduction into Political Theory" with Prof. Nonhoff, but is open to all.

You can download the poster here.

We will show the film "Concerning Violence. Nine Scenes of Antiimperialist Self-Defense" by Göran Hugo Olsson with a foreword by Gayatri C. Spivak (English original w. German subtitles). This review of African liberation movements in Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau and Angola combines archival images with texts by philosopher and resistance fighter Frantz Fanon. He confronts us with haunting questions about racist violence, anti-imperialist resistance and colonial continuities.
In the following discussion Matti Traußneck (Phillips-Uni Marburg) and Miriam Yosef (Justus-Liebig-University Giessen) locate the film aesthetically, historically and socially. Caro Zieringer (University of Bremen) will moderate the conversation.
Together with the audience, we will consider what de-coloniality meant, what de-coloniality meant "yesterday" and who can practice it "today" and how. How can de/colonization be thought with Fanon? What are the dis/continuities? To what extent can Fanon help us to think critique of racism and anti-Semitism together? What impulses do intersectional perspectives and critiques give to Fanon's work? What
role does theory (not) play in this? And how could a de-colonial praxis work at the university?

18:15 Film screening (90 min.) & break| Discussion 20:00 | End 21:15
Visitors for whom 18:15 is too early are welcome to join the discussion at 20:00.
The film is freely available in the media library of the Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung: bpb.de/mediathek.
The event is free of charge. It takes place in the context of the lecture "Introduction into political theory" by Prof. Nonhoff, but is open to all.
The venue is the Rotunde at the Cartesium of the University of Bremen. Information on location
and accessibility is available at t1p.de/1fin8.
If you would like to participate via Zoom or if you have any questions, please send an e-mail to
Carolin Zieringer (she/her) | zierinca@uni-bremen.de

The international symposium “Hegemony, Crisis, Intervention. New Perspectives on Emancipatory & Radical Democratic Discourses” critically engages with the work of Ernesto Laclau and Chantal Mouffe, as the so-called Essex School of Discourse Analysis, and with the broader field of post-structuralist discourse theory. It challenges the distinction between political theory and practice and is aimed at exploring perspectives of emancipatory projects. 

The project page can be found here.

Those interested in the online events can register here.

Call for applications: 3 student assistants in the project "Tracing - Political struggles for the Bremen Model2

For the realization of a research and exhibition project on the history of the so-called "Bremen Model" under the direction of Sebastian Möller and Martin Nonhoff, which is supported by the project fund 50 Years of University Bremen, three student assistants are being sought for the period February to June 2021.

To the project
The aim of the project is to reconstruct political debates about the Bremen Model in the early phase of the University of Bremen using archival materials from the Bremen University Archive and relevant secondary literature, and to process the findings in a traveling exhibition. This exhibition is to be shown in the formats of the 50th anniversary celebrations (Open Campus, Campus City) and then as a touring exhibition on campus to provide impulses for an understanding of the political formability of the University in the past, present and future. At the same time, the digital processing of the exhibition contents on a blog and accompanying events with contemporary witnesses. The actual work in the archive and the exhibition is to be carried out by a core team of students, coordinated by three tudent assistants, each with their own area of responsibility (see below). This work will be accompanied and reflected in regular meetings of the extended project group, which includes interested university members of all status groups and various subjects.

Areas of responsibility
The student assistants jointly coordinate the work of the student core team and carry out all the necessary steps from archive work to the conception and creation of the exhibition in consultation with the project management. They should work as far as possible independently. In doing so, they assume one of the following areas of responsibility:
Process coordination: They are the central contact person for the project management and ensure that the project goals and deadlines are met. They moderate and document the work process.
Archive work: You are the central contact person for the University Archive and coordinate the research, selection and evaluation of archive material.
Exhibition conception: You are the central contact person for the project team "50 Years of University Bremen" and coordinate the conception and creation of the touring exhibition.
In addition to the 3 student assistant, other students are invited to participate as interns and volunteers. The task of the student assistants will be to coordinate the team and to take responsibility for the implementation.

We expect
Ongoing studies in political, historical or social sciences at the University of Bremen (Bachelor or Master),
Interest in the history of the University of Bremen
the confident command of the German language,
a reliable, conscientious, structured and goal-oriented way of working,
Willingness to take responsibility for the success of the project,
Readiness to archive archive and create exhibition materials,
Willingness to participate in any programs accompanying the exhibition at Open Campus Day 2021 and Campus City in the winter semester 2021/22,
Ideally previous experience in one of the main tasks

Hourly volume
The scope of work is 20 hours per month. The concrete working hours can be agreed upon in the team. The net remuneration is 11,13€ per hour. The contracts shall run from 01.02.2021 to 30.06.2021. A participation in the project beyond the contract period is desired (especially in the preparation and in the framework of Campus City in winter term 2021/22).

Application
If you are interested in one of the positions, please send your meaningful application in the form of a PDF file, consisting of a cover letter with motivation, curriculum vitae and a short essay on the Bremen Model (1 page, Why is the Bremen Model interesting or relevant?) by e-mail to Peter Arnhold (arnhold@uni-bremen.de) by 25.11.2020. Please make it clear in the cover letter for which of the three areas of responsibility you are applying and give a brief justification. The selection interviews are scheduled to take place on the morning of 03.12.

Further Information
If you have any questions about the positions, please contact Sebastian Möller (smoeller@uni-bremen.de) and Martin Nonhoff (mnonhoff@uni-bremen.de). If you are interested in participating in the project as an intern or volunteer, you are also welcome to contact the project leaders!

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

Gewalt ist nicht nur Ereignis, sondern auch Prozess und Verhältnis. Sie zerstört Ordnung nicht nur, sondern begründet sie und hält sie aufrecht. Der Dimension des Wissens wird dabei in konventioneller Forschung wenig Bedeutung beigemessen, gilt sie doch als Gegenteil von oder als Gegenmittel zu Gewalt. Mit dem Begriff der »epistemischen Gewalt« rückt Claudia Brunner den konstitutiven Zusammenhang von Wissen, Herrschaft und Gewalt in der kolonialen Moderne, unserer Gegenwart, in den Fokus. Ausgehend von feministischer, post- und dekolonialer Theorie konturiert sie in Auseinandersetzung mit den Konzepten struktureller, kultureller, symbolischer und normativer Gewalt ein transdisziplinäres Konzept epistemischer Gewalt.

Informationen zum Forschungsprojekt Epistemic Violence und zu Claudia Brunner finden Sie hier.

The CfP as PDF

This international symposium marks 2020 as the anniversary year of Ernesto Laclau and Chantal Mouffe’s seminal works, most prominently the 35th jubilee of “Hegemony and Socialist Strategy”. The publication sparked heated debate about the promises and potential
advantages of a post-Marxist project in an age of hegemonic neoliberal globalisation. It also laid the foundation for a fruitful anti-essentialist, post-structuralist theory of siscourse and hegemony, which strongly influenced strategies of the Left. While anniversaries are usually an occasion to celebrate, the political developments over the last few decades – the rise of right-wing groups and parties, growing inequalities, intensification of the global climate
crisis – hardly give reason to rejoice. In this vein, this jubilee provides an impulse for critical engagement both with the work of Laclau and Mouffe, as the so-called Essex School of Discourse Analysis, and with the broader field of post-structuralist discourse theory. The symposium is aimed at exploring possible future trajectories, moving beyond contextual adjustments and avoiding welltrodden paths.
All proposals examining theoretical  interventions and political implications of Laclau and Mouffe’s work are welcomed. We particularly encourage the submission of papers on the following questions: 

• The relationship between radical democracy and populism: can the affirmative turn toward left populism be considered as a viable political strategy? Which conclusions can be drawn
• from past left-wing populist projects? How can the relationship between radical democratic practice and left-wing populist strategy be systematised?
• Re-evaluation of class as an analytical category for the discursive theory of hegemony: how can we – after Laclau and Mouffe’s intervention – revisit a critical engagement with class politics? How can we consider class in an anti-essentialist mode? How might the organisation of social struggles (including “identity politics”) around the category of class prevent their
• incorporation into capitalist logic?
• The plurality of emancipatory political practices: which different manifestations of emancipatory political practices can we articulate within and beyond the Essex School? How might we connect mainstream-oriented institutionalism with radical democratic theories and a discursive-hegemonic understanding
• of politics and the political? Which challenges and pitfalls does post-structuralist institutionalism face and how can these
• be overcome?

This international and interdisciplinary symposium challenges the distinction between political theory and practice. It is designed to
bring together scholars (graduate students as well as early-career and established researchers) and activists interested in the development of emancipatory political projects.

Submissions

We are accepting proposals for individual and joint papers (20 minutes). The deadline for submission is January 31st, 2020. Proposals
should consist of a single PDF file containing: presenter’s name, email address, institutional affiliation (if relevant); title of presentation and abstract (max. 300 words) including 3–5 keywords; brief biographical information of presenter (max. 100 words). We will confirm receipt of proposals. If accepted, participants
will be invited to submit papers for pre-circulation (max. 6000 words) by September 7th, 2020. There is no conference fee for participants.

Dates

January 31st, 2020: submission of abstracts
February 20th, 2020: notification of selection
September 7th, 2020: submission of papers
October 7th–9th, 2020: symposium

Speakers & Panelists

Paula Diehl, Kiel University
Lisa Disch, University of Michigan
Jason Glynos, University of Essex
Oliver Marchart, University of Vienna
Yannis Stavrakakis, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

Organising Committee

Michalina Golinczak, European University Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder)
Martin Nonhoff, University of Bremen
Milos Rodatos, University of Greifswald

Contact

Proposals and queries should be directed to both
golinczak@europa-uni.de and milos.rodatos@uni-greifswald.de.

Public lecture with workshop

Download the programme and the poster (PDF).

Lecture by Shalini Randeria | Vienna, Geneva, Bremen
Demographic Panics and the Violence of Soft Authoritarianism
with Michael Flitner and Klaus Schlichte | Bremen
02.07.19 | Tuesday | 18:00 - 20:00 | Rotunda (Cartesium), Uni Bremen

Workshop with Shalini Randeria and Ranabir Samaddar | Calcutta Research Group
Soft Authoritarianism, Primitive Accumulation and the Law
Moderator: Martin Nonhoff | Bremen
03.07.19 | Wednesday | 10:30 - 14:30 |UNICOM 7.2210 (InIIS, Mary-Somerville-Straße 7, Haus Wien)
Please register for the workshop at woc@uni-bremen.de .

Both events will be held in English.

The lecture will address the politics of demographic panics which we are currently observing across the globe and which are entangled with geo-political interests and the increasing strength of ethno-national identities. Imaginations of the purity of the nation coupled with perceptions of differential fertility rates fuel pro-natalist discourses and policies especially in Eastern Europe, which is also witnessing a strong antifeminist backlash. The same mix of factors, however, lead to selective anti-natalism for the poor and for religious minorities in India, for example, where a model of economic development based on neo-Malthusian premises continues to animate a state-driven population control program. The links between soft authoritarianism and the demographic imagination in different regions of the world will be explored to delineate the intimate ties between body politics and the body politic. Contemporary dynamics of the governance of reproduction in a world imagined as simultaneously under-populated and over-populated will be considered against the background of the global history of (post)-colonial population control.

Shalini Randeria, Rector of the Institute for Human Sciences in Vienna and Director of the Albert Hirschman Centre on Democracy (IHED) in Geneva, was nominated Excellence Chair of the University of Bremen in January 2019. She is Professor of Social Anthropology and Sociology teaching at the Graduate Institute for International and Development Studies in Geneva. In Bremen, Shalini Randeria is setting up an interdisciplinary research group as part of the collaborative initiative "Worlds of Contradiction" (WoC) dedicated to exploring and analysing the current developments of “Soft Authoritarianism”.

Anyone is cordially invited to the workshop on the following day, especially young scientists (MA, PhD and Postdoc).

Reading for preparation:

Randeria, Shalini. (2007). “The State of Globalization: Legal Plurality, Overlapping Sovereignties and Ambiguous Alliances between Civil Society and the Cunning State in India”. Theory, Culture & Society 24
(1): 1–33.
In deutscher Fassung: Randeria, Shalini. (2006). „Rechtspluralismus und überlappende Souveränitäten: Globalisierung und der »listige Staat« in Indien“, Soziale Welt 57: 229-258

The public lecture and the workshop are organized by WoC together with the InIS and the Institute for Ethnology and Cultural Studies of the University of Bremen.
Both events are part of the Bremer Colloquium for Political Theory.

Wilde Theorie #22 mit Clare Woodford

The event is open to all interested persons. Registration is required for participation in the workshop (martin.nonhoff@uni-bremen.de). 

Für die Teilnahme am Workshop ist eine Anmeldung erforderlich (martin.nonhoff@uni-bremen.de). 

The poster as PDF.

Talk
From Melancholia and Mourning to Hatred and Fear: 'Left' politics against polarization and hate
Tuesday, 28 May 2019, 18h, InIIS, Room 7.2210

The rise of the far-right and increasing polarization of political views across Europe and the Americas have dashed post-2008 hopes of a more progressive turn in world politics. In response we may look to the left to help mobilize resistance to widespread xenophobia, yet many argue that the left is trapped in melancholia, still struggling to remake itself after the Cold War ‘loss’ of Marxism. I suggest that the melancholia diagnosis risks contributing to further polarization. In contrast I argue that, although at first it appears to fall prey to the same concerns, when freed from the restraints of the messianic, Jacques Derrida’s work of mourning Marx can help us ‘work through’ the post-Cold War impasse more productively, indicating two areas that require urgent attention. First, institutional design which better supports emancipation, and second construction of effective strategies to confront the dominance of the affective matrix of xenophobia.

Workshop
Against inequality and hatred? Neoliberalism and desire
Wednesday, 29 May 2019, 10:15-12:45
InIIS, Room 7.2210

In this workshop I hope to discuss the differences and similarities between Deleuze and Lacan’s conception of desire and the relevance for a radical politics that can fight economic inequality today. Although these themes may seem disparate both Deleuze and Lacan strongly influence the poststructuralist politics at the forefront of a new left theory and collective practice emerging from the 2011 wave of protests, anti-austerity marches and the Arab spring. However concerns remain about complicity between poststructuralism and neoliberalism that also feed into concerns about the current proliferation of hatreds prevalent in democratic politics today. The question for the workshop is whether the concept of desire (and which concept of desire) In Lacan and Deleuze’s work (part of a tradition that is at the centre not just of poststructuralist thought, but the wider critical theory tradition) can help us theorise strategies of resistance to neoliberalism or will hinder any such project. The workshop will draw on feminist and queer theory (Adriana Cavarero and Judith Butler), affect theory (principally in the work of Sara Ahmed), as well as the work of Michel Foucault, Jacques Derrida, Jacques Lacan, Gilles Deleuze, Jacques Rancière, Bonnie Honig and Christoph Menke.

On 15 June 2019 the University of Bremen invites you to an OPEN CAMPUS under the motto "Open Worlds - Share Knowledge" from 14:00 on!

In a joint pagoda of Faculty 8 - Social Sciences, scientists from InIIS participate (all talks in German):

15:00 hrs

Populism: danger for democracy or necessary corrective?

Prof. Dr. Martin Nonhoff and Prof. Dr. Lothar Probst from InIIS and Prof. Dr. Karin Gottschall (SOCIUM)

16:00 hrs

The future of Turkey in times of authoritarian rule

Dr. Roy Karadag from the Institute for Intercultural and International Studies (InIIS), Dr. Ulrike Flader and Dr. Nurhak Polat from the Institute for Ethnology and Cultural Studies (IfEK)

17:00 hrs

The EU under pressure: end or departure?

Prof. Dr. Susanne Schmidt (InIIS), Prof. Dr. Arndt Wonka (IES) and Dr. Mandy Boehnke (BIGSSS)

The audience is cordially invited to discuss this question with the scientists*!

The detailed programme can be found here.

To reach the site of the conference "Democracy and Truth" of the DVPW section "Political Theory and History of Ideas" click here.