The audience of the Interdisciplinary Dialogue. Picture: Thomas Abel

On Wednesday, 17 January 2018, the Interdisciplinary Dialogue took place at the BGHS. The event was entitled What is Modernity? Interdisciplinary perspectives on a contested concept

Sisay Megersa Dirirsa, (History) and Edvaldo de Aguiar Portela Moita (Sociology) - two doctoral researchers of the BGHS - discussed with Joanna Pfaff-Czarnecka, professor for social anthropology at the Faculty of Sociology, Thomas Welskopp, professor for the history of modern societies at the department of history and Katsuo Nawa, professor für socio-cultural Anthropology at the University of Tokyo.

The discussion dealt in an interdisciplinary way with the complex and controversial topic of modernity. Not only theoretical questions were discussed. Also the challenges, problems and opportunities of dealing with the concept »modernity« empirically was one important aspect.

BGHS member Edvaldo de Aguiar Portela (left) and professor Katsuo Nawa. Photo by Thomas Abel

Katsuo Nawa started the discussion with some remarks on modernity from his perspective as an anthropologist, questioning the academic value of this concept. The other participants commented his ideas and added their own disciplinary approaches in the discussion.

Afterwards, the audience had the opportunity to ask questions. The event was chaired by Éva Rozália Hölzle, BGHS Alumna and PhD at the Faculty of Sociology.