Kategorie: English

This is our section for English arti­cles.

Inade­quate, yet Indis­pensable: The WHO and the History of Global Health

The USA sharply criticizes the WHO: President Trump accuses it of lacking distance from China. But this attitude is nothing new. On the contrary, since the founding of the UN, the USA has mostly been at odds with the political internationalism of the WHO and its health programs.

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Unmasked: Covid-19 and the Cultural Dimen­sions of the Debate on Manda­tory Face Masks

In the context of the covid-19 pandemic, Germany witnesses debates on whether masks could help contain the spread of the virus. This article argues the controversy may be rooted in the deep-seated suspicion of facial covering in Europe since the nineteenth century.

Was ist los in Erfurt? The East German Past and the Demo­cratic Crisis of the Present

Are the “East Germans” just bad democrats who mourn the GDR? And is the “West” completely blameless in the Erfurt debacle? Not at all — while Thüringen’s politics are indeed rooted in the memory of the GDR, the current far-right scandal is more than just a state-socialist hangover.

Divided Collec­tives. Iden­tity and Its Discon­tents in Samir’s Baghdad In My Shadow

A progressive “identity politics” pursued in the name of resistance to nationalist retrenchment depends on the mobilization of various disparate “collective identities” around a common aim. But what if those collectives are themselves fragmented? A new film explores this conundrum.

Science for a Plastic Cube. Poly­pore Academia rede­fi­ning the Rules of Science

Hungary is currently witnessing the emergence of a state-sponsored scientific pseudo-world in which the criteria of academic quality control no longer apply, but rather political loyalty. This raises serious questions for European research funding and academic cooperation with illiberal states.

The Colour of Coffee: Racism, Gender and Coffee Consump­tion in 19th Century Algeria

Today, coffee is consumed everywhere in the world. Despite its neo-colonial forms of production, it is a drink which brings people together, but the consumption of coffee in 19th century Algeria tells a very different story.

The ‚After­lives‘ of Deve­lo­p­ment Inter­ven­tions: ‚Failure‘ as an Oppor­tu­nity

Ambitious and well planned development projects fail for various reasons. The afterlife of such "interventions" receives little attention. But local communities try to make sense of the remains in the form of rumours and stories. A plea for listening.

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Gree­ting the New Era in Japan

Japan has a new emperor and a new era. But what does it mean, in 2019, to live in a different time from the rest of the world? A very personal exploration

A Global Company with a Global Past: VW’s Histo­rical Respon­si­bi­lity in Bolsonaro’s Brazil

In Brazil, March 31 marks the anniversary of the beginning of the military dictatorship in 1964. The car company Volkswagen profited at the time from the dictatorship in its Brazilian factories. Today, VW has the opportunity to admit to its historical responsibility.

Poli­tics and Inter­na­tional Law: Three Inter­na­tional Experts Debate the Annex­a­tion of Crimea

Five years ago, Russia annexed Crimea. Three international law experts from Ukraine, Russia and Germany debate how international law issues can become a pawn of political interests.

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The New War on Gender Studies

Gender studies has come under attack in recent years. It is charged with subverting the natural order, undermining the family and traditional expressions of gender and sexuality. Populists have made it a central component of their ideological platform. At steak is the human rights agenda of liberal democracy itself.

„We have a Situa­tion“. From Hegel’s Philo­sophy of Situa­tion to Contem­porary Poli­tical Art

The word «situation» reminds of US-TV-series, French existentialism and German bureaucrats. It is hardly known though that Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel devised already in 1817 a theory of the “situation” that has remained important up to this day. His concept allows us to rethink contemporary art as well as political action and resistance.
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