Multisensory Approaches in Archaeology: Exploring Egyptian, Near Eastern and Aegean Palaces of the Bronze and Iron Age

Multisensory archaeology focuses on sensory dimensions of archaeological sites, artifacts, and landscapes to reconstruct past human experiences. A workshop organised by Uroš Matić and Constance von Rüden in June 2025 explored the potential of multisensory approaches for the study of Egyptian, Near Eastern and Aegean palaces of the Bronze and Iron Age. This post features video recordings of the…

Therapeutic Encounters: Social and Ethical Implications of AI Chatbots in Mental Healthcare

The symposium ‘Therapeutic Encounters with Chatbots’, which took place at the College for Social Sciences and Humanities on 1st July 2025, brought together international researchers and practitioners from different disciplines. They discussed the current state of chatbot technology in mental healthcare, implications of its use, as well as future imaginaries. In this review, the organisers Benjamin…

World Champions of Forgetting. Remorseless American Exceptionalism

"Memory culture has metamorphosed into a forgetting culture, made in the USA." In this essay, William Donahue proposes a covert connection between the long-standing American suppression of civilian and non-combatant ‘collateral damage’ in military campaigns of the past, on the one hand, and the current willingness to countenance massive civilian deaths in contemporary conflicts, on the other. This…

© CC BY SA 2.0 US National Park Service

The Sociology of Public Sitting: What Essen’s Benches Reveal About Intergenerational Relationships

"If you want to understand society, don’t read theory. Watch people striving for a shady spot at 3 pm on a bright sunny day." – Sociologist Imran Sabir observes seemingly mundane activities around public benches in Essen, revealing the social fabric and dynamics behind them in this humorous blog post.

The Political Economy of Inequality

Socio-economic inequality is increasing in Germany. Nonetheless, redistribution is not a priority on the political agenda. Florian Fastenrath investigates how inequality is publicly perceived and addressed in politics. His research group ‘Political Economy of Inequality’ analyses what factors obstruct or enable progressive policies.

© © UDE / A. Wälischmiller

Homelessness Activism – Contesting Private Property from Below

In order to investigate the attitudes and demands of homeless activist groups, researchers of the PostdocLab working group 'Urban Conflicts and Property' conducted a workshop with homeless activists from different German cities. Among other aspects, the activists criticise the capitalist logic of the housing market and see homelessness as a structural problem.

The Political Dimension of Sustainability on a Global Scale

The ecological crisis is a global phenomenon, its effects do not stop at national borders. Matthias Kranke examines global sustainability issues from a political perspective. In this interview, we learn more about the focus of his research group ‘Global Sustainability Governance’ and what motivates him.

© © UDE/Fabian Strauch

Exploring the Relationship between Temperature and Society in the Age of Global Warming

People sweat – but who sweats under what circumstances is primarily a question of social conditions. Sociologist Elena Beregow investigates the relationship between temperature and society, particularly in the context of the climate crisis. As newly appointed junior professor, she will establish the research group ‘Sweat – Sociology of Transpiration in the Age of Global Warming’.

© © UDE / Fabian Strauch

Animating Archives – Curating Women’s Art, Bringing Marginalised Histories to Life

Althea Greenan is curator of the Women’s Art Library (WAL) at Goldsmiths, University of London – a collection of various forms of art documentation with a focus on women artists’ collective work in the UK dating from 1900 to the present. During her fellowship, Althea is working on a project that centres on archiving as an emancipatory tool for political participation.

How South African Visual Culture and Performance Resonate in a German Context

Zethu Matebeni and Henriette Gunkel worked together as tandem partners in the Senior Fellowship Programme during the winter term 2024/25. Their collaboration is based on a long-standing partnership between the University of Fort Hare in South Africa and Ruhr University Bochum.