International Conference SUMMER FORUM 2025: ''Us and Them''
With a keynote lecture by Professor Dr. Richard Caplan, University of Oxford.
The concepts of ''Us'' and ''Them'' are deeply embedded in human thought, shaping our perceptions of identity, belonging, and alterity throughout human history. These terms allow us to construct social, cultural, and political boundaries, bringing a sense of order to a chaotic reality. In today’s world, fake news, polarization and the rise of identity politics present pressing global challenges that demand urgent attention. From geopolitical tensions to cultural misunderstandings, the dynamics of ''Us and Them'' resonate across different disciplines, offering a platform to examine the logic of this dichotomy. The HGGS Summer Forum 2025 aims to encourage discussion about various approaches such as integration, tolerance, mutual understanding, or agonistic pluralism emphasizing the value of conflict. Our forum invites members of the public, students, PhD candidates, researchers, and academics from diverse disciplines to turn toward the formation of borders and whether these borders need to be crossed.
examples of key questions we would like to encourage
- How do we define and perceive "ourselves" through "others" or vice versa?
- What role do cultural, historical, economic, legal, artistic, and sociopolitical dimensions play in shaping the 'Us and Them' divide? How do contemporary global events and international relations influence the construction, perception, and potential transformation of these terms across various contexts, including through historical case studies?
- How do people embrace and conciliate different identities (i.e., different ideas of ‘Us’) in different contexts? Does this generate multiple and conflicting notions of identity and otherness?
- How can interdisciplinary research contribute to addressing the challenges posed by this dichotomy?
- How are the ‘Us and Them’ dynamics affected by geography, space, and the environment?
- How do space and ‘natural’ borders shape the ‘Us and Them’ dichotomy?
- How can linguistic and discursive elements contribute to the understanding, articulation, and elaboration of the dynamics underlying the ‘Us and Them’ polarity?
- What new challenges does the development of AI bring to the “Us and Them” dichotomy?
Objectives of the Forum
- To provide a constructive and welcoming space for doctoral candidates, researchers, and academics to share research, ideas, and experiences from a variety of perspectives, including humanities, law, and social sciences.
- To enhance interdisciplinary collaboration and create opportunities for networking and exchange.
- To generate innovative approaches to the challenges posed by the ''Us and Them'' dichotomy.
Registration
The programme is now available in the download area below; registration is open until 20 June 2025. We look forward to your participation!
For inquiries, please contact the Forum team: HGGS-FORUM@hggs.uni-heidelberg.de.