Young international Scholars Autumn Research School 2022
The Russian government’s war against Ukraine has exposed the neo-imperialism of an authoritarian state as well as expanding geopolitical complexities. These dynamics pose new challenges for any critical engagement with contemporary forms of authoritarianism, which range from fully fledged authoritarian regimes to authoritarian practices within formal liberal democracies. War, securitization and anti-terrorism policies, suppression of movements against social inequalities and inhumane border regimes have time and again brought about violent policing or authoritarian legal and administrative measures also within liberal democracies. In a number of countries, such as Turkey, Poland, Hungary or India democratically elected politicians have managed to erode democratic principles, practices and institutions. During this autumn school we will take the emerging geopolitical complexities as entry point to explore and situate especially these forms of 'soft authoritarian' government anew. We ask whether the current geopolitical situation impedes a further shift towards political rhetoric and interventions hollowing out democratic procedures and institutions. Or does it perhaps offer new opportunities for the tacit introduction of more authoritarian legislation, the mobilization of hate speech and the militarization of public life? Throughout the whole autumn school, we will also revisit the different concepts that have been developed to examine the recent conjuncture of populist, anti-liberal and authoritarian trends inside nominal democracies. Do we still dispose of the right vocabulary to analytically dissect the contemporary moment? Or do we need to adjust our conceptual and methodological toolset to make sense of authoritarianisms in aggravated geopolitical complexities?
For more information please have a look at https://yisares.uni-bremen.de
Contact:
Dr. Jens Adam
University of Bremen
U Bremen Excellence Chair Research Group "Soft Authoritarianisms“
E-Mail: adamprotect me ?!uni-bremenprotect me ?!.de