Uppsala University
Schedule, Spring 2024
Time: Thursdays at 10.15-12.00 Venue: Campus Engelska parken, room ENG 4-0019. The seminars are conducted in English. For more information and readings, contact mats.hyvonen@antro.uu.se Links to previous seminar series are found here: https://www.engagingvulnerability.se/previous-seminar-series/
Thursday January 25, at 14.15–15.30, Humanistiska teatern
After Covid: Signposts and Moral Imperatives
Lenore Manderson, Distinguished Professor of Public Health and Medical Anthropology, will hold the 2024 Honorary Doctorate lecture at the Faculty of
History and Philosophy, Uppsala University.
Time: 14.15–15.30
Venue: Humanistiska teatern
Thursday February 15, at 10.15–12, room 4-0019 (the EV seminar room), English Park Campus
Theme: Mediocrity, 1st seminar: “Quiet quitting and laying flat”
Readings
- Documentary “Status Anxiety” with Alain de Botton: https://youtu.be/t1MqJPHxy6g?si=FlxLqEJnac9DQ7rz
- Niazi, Amil (2022). “Losing My Ambition”: https://www.thecut.com/2022/03/post-pandemic-loss-of-ambition.html
- Work of Crispin Thurlow (linguistics of “elitism”, “premium”; TED talk on “embracing mediocrity”)
- Bundursky, David (2021). “The ‘lying flat’ movement standing in the way of China’s innovation drive” https://www.brookings.edu/articles/the-lying-flat-movement-standing-in-the-way-of-chinas-innovation-drive/
If you have the time and interest:
- Moshfeg, Ottessa (2019). My year of rest and relaxation: https://www.adlibris.com/se/bok/my-year-of-rest-and-relaxation-9781784707422?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAwbitBhDIARIsABfFYILQ1kimIFznOPgIhG2HZ3njOd6klfznKeNws9OtJn6l-w64CBQrEcwaAsnyEALw_wcB
Thursday March 7, at 10.15-12, room 4-0019
Theme: Mediocrity, 2nd seminar: “The Good-Enough Life as the Worst of Both Worlds?”
Readings
- Emma West: “‘betwixt and between’: Towards a (N)ontology of the Mediocre” (2013) https://uub.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/46LIBRIS_UUB/j5a52a/cdi_ceeol_journals_260794
- Avram Alpert: “There Is Nothing Better than Good Enough” https://www.thephilosopher1923.org/post/there-is-nothing-better-than-good-enough
- Edith Zimmerman: “I’m Calling Hypocrisy on These ‘Good-Enough Life’ Advocates” (2019) https://www.thecut.com/2019/02/calling-hypocrisy-on-these-good-enough-life-advocates.html
- Alain Deneault: “Introduction”, Mediocracy: The Politics of the Extreme Centre (2018) https://uub.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/46LIBRIS_UUB/d23b4h/alma991018601695607596
- Hannah Arendt: “The Crisis in Culture”, Between Past and Future (1961) (PDF)
Thursday March 21, at 10.15–12, room 4-0019 (the EV seminar room), English Park Campus
Lauri Snellman: Emancipation vs Securitization – the Case of Pacifism
Securitization presents a problem for emancipatory political world-views. This PowerPoint presentation examines how securitization rhetoric leads to a security-oriented ethic that is at odds with political orders that are based on human dignity. The presentation presents pacifism as the polar opposite to securitization. I then examine, how peace movements and nonviolent campaigns succeed by desecuritization and conversely a securitarian mind-set excludes or misinterprets pacifism by default. I use the Israel-Palestine conflict as an example of the opposition of peace-building and securitization.
Tuesday April 23, at 13.15-15, room 22-1009
Meryem Saadi presents a chapter from her ongoing dissertation project.
Monday May 13, at 10.15–12, on Zoom
Final review of Shen Qings’ dissertation manuscript. Professor Harriet Evans, University of Westminster and London School of Economics and Political Science, will be the external examiner.
Tuesday June 4, at 14.15-16, room TBA
Final review of Ida Grönroos’ dissertation manuscript. Professor Samuel Edquist, Mid Sweden University, will be the external examiner.
English Park Campus - Centre for the humanities: http://www.engelskaparken.uu.se/?languageId=1
