Spot the Stereotype!
Date and time
Thursday, 6 June 2019 – Friday, 7 June 2019
Venue
TOPOI-Haus Dahlem
Hittorfstr. 18
14195 Berlin
Target group
Anyone with an interest in the topic
Organisers
Multi-research alliance conference (see here for complete list of organisers)
Language
German
Registration
Registration is not required, except for the panel discussion
Register here
Contact
stereotypes@fu-berlin.de
Further information and programme
Imagine not always being able to recognise a chair as a chair, and instead having to establish anew its composition, form, and purpose each time you saw one, before being able to confidently sit down. Categories and stereotypes help us to grasp situations quickly and to be able to sort and process sensory stimuli, object perceptions, and other information, so that we can react within an “appropriate” period of time. Thus stereotypes are extremely helpful as a form of pattern recognition, but are in now way innocent. Not only is our daily life dominated by underlying stereotypes in the form of ideas of social roles, but academic discourse is also influence by supposedly universal basic assumptions, canon formations, and interpretation patterns.
This interdisciplinary conference takes a look at these forms of pattern formation in various parts of life, such as politics, society, art, and academics. The goal is to track down stereotypes where they’re least suspected to be. Researchers from disciplines such as literature, linguistics, ancient studies, art history, cultural studies, media studies, history, and sociology have been invited to examine their research topics, their formulation of research questions, and their methods for stereotypical assumptions, and to discuss these potentially unexpected findings and discoveries.
To view the full program, visit the conference website.
