Art & Material Culture

The focus area Art and Material Culture considers these two fields as essential components of social structures and cultural processes. Art and material culture function as expressions of social dynamics, political power relations, and technological innovations, offering profound insights into the mechanisms that shape our lived reality. These topics transcend disciplinary boundaries and require an interdisciplinary approach in order to grasp their multilayered meanings and functions. The publications in this focus area are dedicated to the critical analysis of these phenomena and illuminate them at the intersection of object, society, and culture. Central issues include ecological and social sustainability, the challenges of global interconnections, digital transformation, and the role of material objects in the construction of cultural memories and identities.

Digitality

The focus area Digitality highlights the far-reaching impact of digitalization on society, culture, and science, as well as the application of digital methods in research. In an increasingly digitalized world, technological innovations, the networking of information, and the digital processing of data change our perception of the real world as well as the way we generate knowledge.
The publications in this focus area are dedicated to a critical engagement with digital technologies, both as an object of study and as a tool. They explore how digital methods – from big-data analyses to machine learning and digital archives – are changing the way scientific knowledge is generated and discussed. The focus is on the opportunities and challenges of digital transformation for interdisciplinary research, the role of algorithms in knowledge production, and the ethical and social implications of digital technologies in research. The goal is to create an interdisciplinary framework that takes into account both the theoretical and practical dimensions of the digital revolution in research and promotes innovative approaches to further develop digital methods.

Environment & the Anthropocene

The focus area Environment and the Anthropocene is devoted to the ongoing destruction of the environment and the effects of climate change, which have far-reaching consequences for the global ecosystem and human society. The Anthropocene, as the human-made epoch, illustrates how human activities – especially industrial processes, energy consumption, and land use – destabilize the natural balance. The publications in this area examine the complex interactions between environmental change and social dynamics and explore how social, political, and economic factors both influence and are influenced by environmental crises. The aim is to develop sustainable solutions by linking ecological, social, and political perspectives.

Global Society

The focus area Global Society deals with the dynamic processes of an increasingly globalized world in which migration, climate and environmental crises, social inequality, and geopolitical tensions represent urgent challenges. The term Global Society describes the social, political, and economic interconnections that transcend national borders and shape life on Earth. The publications in this focus area offer interdisciplinary perspectives on these complex phenomena and analyze how global processes interact with local contexts. The focus is on the effects of global networking on local challenges and the associated opportunities and risks, particularly regarding environmental issues, digitalization, and cultural transformations.

Theories & Methods

The focus area Theories & Methods is devoted to the continuous development and reflection of theories and methods that are necessary to understand the complex social, political, and ecological challenges of our time. Critical engagement with existing concepts and the development of innovative research approaches open up new perspectives for precisely addressing the pressing questions of the present. The focus is on theoretical models and methodological approaches that take into account both the diversity of existing research traditions and the need for further development in view of social change. The publications in this area contribute to capturing the complexity of social, political, and ecological phenomena from different perspectives and to developing scholarly tools with which interdisciplinary research questions can be addressed precisely. A particular emphasis is placed on reflecting on and further developing methods to provide sustainable and innovative impulses for research.

Uncertainty

The focus area Uncertainty explores the complex nature of uncertainty in a dynamic present increasingly perceived as unpredictable. Uncertainty affects both individual decisions and collective actions and social structures, shaping the daily lives of individuals and institutions. In various social, economic, and political contexts, the causes, perceptions, and coping strategies of uncertainty are analyzed. This area offers interdisciplinary perspectives and critically reflects on the theories and methods for analyzing uncertainty. The publications promote a deeper understanding of the challenges associated with unpredictability and develop innovative approaches to deal with the related risks and ambiguities. The goal is to foster resilience and adaptive strategies and to identify new ways of managing uncertainty.