GCSC Postdoctoral Colloquium

All members of GCSC and associated members are welcome to attend this colloquium.

Alesya Krit: Epistemological reconstruction of energy as ‘a source of development’ and as ‘a mean of fighting poverty’ in the context of developmental programs. A call for cultural reflectivity

This article critically accesses the notion of energy as a source of development together with the aspirations of the developmental agencies to fight poverty through the introduction of sustainable energy production into the third-world countries. Some of the potential benefits of those programs one cannot argue against – like saving millions of people from the toxic fumes that they are exposed to while using traditional energy sources or allowing more time for women and children to participate in the education or income generation for their families. The article questions ‘one fit for all’ model and elaborates on the findings that some of the developmental programs are not generally successful in all communities. It further raises the questions of cultural appropriation of energy that needs to be taken into account – how anthropologists can solve that mismatch and bring local knowledge to enable cultural adoption of policies to allow for cultural meanings and values of energy.

Johanna Scherb: Scientific dialogue as photographic event

"Ereignisse sind gerade dadurch definiert, kein "Wesen" zu haben und nicht ‚spektakulär‘ d.h. unter Voraussetzung kongruenter Denkfiguren und transparenter Reflexionsbögen erfassbar zu sein."

(Marc Rölli, 2004)

What I like to present to you is the first sketch of my final chapter to: “Bilder des (wissenschaftlichen) Dialogs – Bilder im Dialog. Die kultur- und bildhistorische Bedeutung der Lindauer Nobelpreisträgertreffen.“

Dialogue-based principles are gaining relevance here on three levels: (1) The scientific conference the photographs stem from is dominated by formal and informal talks as well as by scientific communication and mediation. (2) The whole scenario is a staged one. To carve out the performative quality of dialogue is, therefore, one of my main tasks. (3) Enhanced sensibility for cultural and social factors effective in scientific processes has put the dialogue in the middle of epistemological reflection.

To base the closing considerations of my project on the traditionally shaped term “Ereignis” would implicate to confirm the role of scientists as outstanding figures of history. The term embossed by postmodern theory provides the opportunity for discussing the interrelations between the different discursive skeins mentioned above. It gives the possibility to bring out the cultural significance of the scientific dialogue. And it permits to reflect the special qualities of the photographic images.