Priority Area 3 Humans and Humans
Not least against the backdrop of populist trends, the present is generally experienced as crisis-ridden. Supranational and domestic structures appear to be shaken, and new ways of life challenge the self-image of institutions that were considered stable, such as the family. Priority Area 3 examines these societal upheavals and the representation of the familiar in their historical, cultural and geographical complexity on an interdisciplinary basis. An essential element of this investigation are antagonistic logics that come into play internally between old and new designs, but also between different societies and cultures. Such antagonisms often have a stabilizing effect internally. The loss and regaining of trust as a de/stabilizing force is another possible object of investigation for the measures involved.
The Priority Area builds on the FoF 3 research focus areas “Transformation Processes”, “Cultural Heritage”, “Friendship and Enmity” and “Knowledge Validity” as well as on the research at the TRN “FAMILY” and the TRN “ENACTING TRUST”. Important partners are the Antiziganism Research Center and Political Sciences with an ongoing initiative on forms of "(De-)Othering", the CRC "Heimat(en)", the two Research Training Groups "Authority and Trust" and "Ambivalent Enmity" as well as the project "The Aggressor".
The following measures are funded in Priority Area 3:
TRN Gender and Queer Studies
Building on the successful establishment of the Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS), the TRN Gender & Queer Studies aims to expand interdisciplinary research in this field and increase the visibility of this research at Heidelberg University. The TRN aims to better anchor the research perspective of gender and queer studies within the university and to connect it with ongoing projects. There are thematic links to the TRN FAMILY and the Collaborative Research Center "Home(s)". Gender & Queer Studies offer many new impulses for the investigation of social transformation processes and interpersonal relationships beyond (hetero)normative patterns of order. With a gender and queer theoretical approach, the TRN aims to diversify and critically reflect on existing research topics at the university, but also to develop its own new fields of research.
Project lead: JunProf. Dr. Yaatsil Guevara González (HCIAS, yaatsil.guevara@uni-heidelberg.de), Prof. Dr. Karen Nolte (History and Ethics of Medicine), Dr. Corinna Assmann (English Studies, corinna.assmann@as.uni-heidelberg.de), Dominik Eckel (Art History, d.eckel@zegk.uni-heidelberg.de)
TRN Authenticity in Culture, Community, and Science
In times of artificial intelligence, cultural appropriation, and medically and technologically assisted self-optimization, the question arises: What is actually still “genuine”? Human interpretations, actions, and representations have been shaped by the search for credibility, originality, and sincerity since long before the modern era. Authenticity is often at the center of a sometimes contentious negotiation process that determines cultural, social, and scientific orders. In the cultural sphere, debates often focus on the connection between “authenticity and creativity,” in the communal sphere on “authenticity and identity,” and in the scientific sphere on “authenticity and factuality.” The TRN understands the topic of authenticity as interdisciplinary in its significance in global comparative, historical, and modern dimensions.
Project lead: Prof. Dr. Christiane Wiesendelft (Musicology, christiane.wiesenfeldt@zegk.uni-heidelberg.de), Prof. Dr. Kathia Serrano-Velarde (Sociology, kathia.serrano@soziologie.uni-heidelberg.de)
TRN „Academic freedom under pressure. Discursive negotiations in polarised societies“
Academic freedom is a central prerequisite for research and teaching - both in the critical questioning of existing findings and in the independent publication of results. However, current crises such as the climate crisis and COVID-19 show that this freedom is increasingly coming under pressure. The research project examines the discursive construction of academic freedom in polarized societies and compares Germany and the USA. The aim is to analyse social, normative and linguistic mechanisms that shape negotiations and threats to scientific autonomy at a societal level. The initiative aims to systematize and network the already active reflection on the topic at Heidelberg University.
Project lead: Prof. Dr. Vahram Atayan (Translation Studies), Prof. Dr. Thorsten Moos (Theology/Ethics), Prof. Dr. Kathia Serrano-Velarde (Sociology)
TRN „Rationality in Context“
The project explores the tension between universal and context-dependent concepts of rationality. While rationality has traditionally been regarded as timeless and universal, universalist approaches are increasingly being questioned across various disciplines. Two central questions are posed: Does a different standard of rationality apply in different contexts of human life? Which contexts either foster or hinder rational behavior? These questions are examined from an interdisciplinary perspective, with the aim of developing a context-sensitive and pluralistic understanding of rationality.
Project lead: Prof. Dr. Julia Peters (Philosophy), Prof. Dr. Jochen Briesen (Philosophy), Prof. Dr. Zeno Enders (Marcoeconomics), Prof. Dr. Martin Krämer (Japanese Studies), Prof. Dr. Jan Rummel (Psychology)