Anxiety Culture Activities
| Upcoming events:
Uncertain Times – Representations in Language, Discourse, and Narratives
This lecture series aims to sharpen our focus on how we linguistically, communicatively, and narratively deal with the experience of uncertain times. In doing so, it will cover a wide spectrum of topics as well as various academic perspectives.
The topic of security is increasingly becoming a focal point of public discussion, and it is coupled with a widespread sense of uncertainty across many areas of our lives. Recent global conflicts and wars have particularly contributed to a growing feeling that we are living in uncertain times. However, it is not only the tense political global situation that reinforces this mood, but also trade wars, social tensions, drastic changes in the labor market, financial crises, and potential health threats.
Additionally, far-reaching changes to our living conditions caused by the effects of climate change and the extreme use of artificial intelligence will increasingly present us with unresolved challenges in the near future.
If you are intersted, don´t hesitate to come to our lecture series “Uncertain Times” in the summer sememster 2026!
Dates: Tuesdays from 18:15-19:45
Location: Universität Kiel, Leibnizstraße 1, Klaus-Murmann-Hörsaal 10, Raum 125
ANXIETY CULTURE ACTIVITIES
PASSED EVENTS:
Book “Anxiety Culture”
Focus Talk at the Seeburg: Trump and no end to the horror
An evening event on Kiel’s contribution to the current book publication “Anxiety Culture” by Hopkins Press, USA
In a time characterised by political and economic uncertainty, climate catastrophes and migration issues, the recently published book “Anxiety Culture” by Johns Hopkins University Press examines our current social anxieties. The book is the result of an international research initiative that began almost a decade ago at Kiel University.
To celebrate its publication, a “Focus Talk” at the Seeburg will reflect on our current anxiety culture. The event is open to all and offers a varied programme with academics and students, including a presentation of the book, student activities, keynotes on “Political Instability” and “Environmental Destruction”, panel discussions and a talk by special guest Professor David Schultz on “Trump’s victory and Europe’s security”.
Organiser: Prof. Ulrich Hoinkes, co-editor of ‘Anxiety Culture’, and his chair team
Special Guest: Prof. David Schultz, Hamline University, Minnesota, USA
Panelists: Prof. Christian Martin, Comparative Politics; Prof. Dirk Nabers, International Political Sociology; Dr. Frank Stengel, expert on foreign and security policy; Prof. Angelika Messner, Head of the China Centre at Kiel University, Prof. Konrad Ott, philosopher and expert on environmental ethics
Mechanics of panic – in discourses, images and actions
In this series of lectures, we approach the rapidly spreading, mostly frightening or even panic-inducing, but at least for many people difficult to understand phenomena that significantly shape our world today.
This refers to a series of “Mechanics of panic” that discursively characterise our world: Conspiracy theories, filter bubbles, fake news, mistrust of science, hate speech, fear speech and all the affect-laden reactions associated with our experiences of crises, populism and divisions in society. These “Mechanics of panic” are based on widespread sentiments that are rooted in deep insecurities and feelings of powerlessness in the face of the major problems of our time. In order to gain a better understanding of the underlying complex structures, an interdisciplinary view is helpful and necessary. For this reason, experts from various disciplines, including linguistics, cultural studies, political science, economics and social sciences, will provide insights into their research in this lecture series.
If you are interested, don’t hesitate to come to our lecture series on the “Mechanics of panic” in the summer semester of 2024!
Date: Thursdays
Time: 18:15
Location: Leibnizstraße 1, Klaus-Murmann-Hörsaal
Anxieties and their Potential: A Commentary on how Anxieties can be Useful in Times of Crisis
The newspaper association of the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein asked Prof. Dr. Ulrich Hoinkes, representing the Anxiety Culture Project, for an interview. The purpose was to comment on the role of anxieties in times of crisis and to explain how anxieties can be useful facing these crises. The entire interview can be found on the website of the newspaper association of the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein or by clicking on “Read full text”.
WEEK AGAINST PREJUDICE AT THE CAU KIEL
How do prejudices arise? What do they trigger in me? And how can we as a society deal with them? With the “Week against Prejudice”, the Anxiety Culture Project offered a platform in April 2023 to deal with these and related questions in an interactive and creative way. The connection to the research project is obvious – after all, prejudices are often driven by fears. With a diverse program at various locations on the campus of CAU Kiel, a broad audience could be addressed.