Pandemic Talk Series

In a three-part conference (live at Kampnagel as well as a stream on the Kampnagel YouTube channel) the Summer Festival invites experts to discuss with international guests the current effects of the Covid-19 pandemic from sociological, technological-political and pop cultural perspectives.

Talk 1: In the eyes of the virus (not) all are equal - Corona as (in)equalizer

Social inequality as a health hazard? The author and sociologist Paula Villa discusses the correlation of social and medical discrimination with Sabine Hark, co-founder of Gender Studies in Germany, and the scientist Karsten Schubert.

The corona virus does not discriminate. It does not care about national borders, age or skin colour, it is not interested in people's income, nor in their passport or prayer book. The virus is, indeed, an 'equalizer'. But this equality is not the whole truth. Because vulnerability is unequally distributed. While, for example, about 40% of people worldwide have hardly any opportunities to wash their hands regularly with fresh water and soap, others have access to medical care around the clock. While some people have been able to use the lockdown for a major slowdown or optionally self-optimization, homeless or refugee people in camps do not even have their own bed. Worldwide, women bear much more of the burden 'on the front line' in the fight against the disease, as the relevant activities and professions are often so-called 'women's professions'. There are also significantly more older people than younger people affected by severe Covid-19 disease, and men seem to be particularly vulnerable in this respect compared to women, for example. Poor working conditions and conditions of exploitation pose a direct threat to health. The 'corona crisis', shows how vulnerable we humans are as bio-social beings.

Sociologist Paula-Irene Villa Braslavsky talks and thinks about how social inequality thus becomes a medical-biological inequality, along with Sabine Hark, who is regarded as a co-founder of Gender Studies in Germany, and Karsten Schubert, who has published a highly regarded essay on democratic and populist biopolitics in the era of COVID-19.

Paula-Irene Villa Braslavsky holds the chair of General Sociology and Gender Studies at the Institute of Sociology at the LMU Munich. There she researches sociological theory and gender sociology from post-structuralist, constructivist and praxeological perspectives and works on topics such as biopolitics, parenthood, care and popular culture. She also regularly intervenes in non-academic debates, for example in articles and interviews for the Sueddeutsche Zeitung, Deutschlandradio, Jüdische Allgemeine and Missy Magazin.

Sabine Hark is Professor of Interdisciplinary Women's and Gender Studies at the TU Berlin with a focus on feminist epistemology and criticism and queer theory. She blogs at blog.feministische-studien.de and publishes in Zeit Online, Der Tagesspiegel and the taz.

Karsten Schubert is a research assistant at the Seminar for Scientific Politics, Professor of Political Theory, Philosophy and History of Ideas at the Albert-Ludwigs-University of Freiburg. His field of research is political theory and social philosophy, especially in the tradition of poststructuralism and critical theory.

Program as PDF-Download here!

FR 21.08. / 18:00 Talk 2: Shared Base Reality. How can we create a shared vision of reality in the digital world? Hannes Grassegger in conversation with Malka Older, Peter Pomerantsev and Ben Smith.

FR 28.08. / 18:00 Talk 3: Procoronastine & argueing – The Summer of Crisis. ​Klaus Walter in conversation with Julian Warner & Mascha Jacobs.

HYGIENE RULES FOR YOUR VISIT

This year the summer festival takes place under special circumstances. Therefore it is important that we observe security measures to protect everyone and collect the contact information of our guests. This works without complications, but only with your help:

· Everywhere: Keep a distance of 1.5m, except in self-chosen groups of max. 10 people;

· In all indoor areas: Wear mouth-nose-protection, except in fixed seating areas;

· In the festival garden and in the Peacetanbul Restaurant: please always register as soon as you take a seat. The registration is done analogue with pen and paper or digital via a QR CODE. More information on site.

Here you will find the current coronavirus hygiene rules for your visit.