On 8 January 2025 at 18:00 c.t. we invite you to the third date of the lecture series "Beziehungsweise Familie" (Family Matters):
Family, Care, State – Ideals of Belonging and Practices of Exclusion
Prof. Dr. Tatjana Thelen (University of Vienna, Institute for Cultural and Social Anthropology)
The concept of the “modern” family is a central element of European self-description. Accordingly, in Europe, kinship is in decline and largely replaced by an emotionalized (nuclear or core) family, which carries little political significance. This self-image contrasts with an external perspective that assumes the persistence, even dominance, of “traditional” kinship in the past or outside of Europe. The economic and political implications of kinship organization in Europe are thus often overlooked. Moreover, this narrative of progress can lead to a devaluing of other forms of cohabitation. When it comes to family care, however, an ambivalent perspective arises. In Europe, care is perceived as requiring state support, while in other parts of the world, it seems to remain intact. “Proper” care within families thus becomes a marker of political belonging. In my lecture, I will explore both the political significance of kinship in Germany and the forms of exclusion that arise from a specific understanding of kinship care.
The lecture will be held in German.
Participation is possible without pre-registration and is open to all interested parties.
Organiser:
Prof Dr Daniel Tyradellis (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin)
Dr Alia Rayyan (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin)
Dr Laura Goldenbaum (Humboldt Forum Foundation in the Berlin Palace)
Place and time:
8 January 2025,
6 to 8 pm
in Room 3 (Saal 3), ground floor, Humboldt Forum, Schlossplatz.
Tatjana Thelen is a social anthropologist teaching at the University of Vienna. After studying in Cologne, she earned her doctorate at the Free University of Berlin and habilitated at Martin Luther University Halle/Wittenberg. Her academic career includes positions at the Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology as well as at the universities of Zurich and Bayreuth. In 2023, she taught at Stanford, and from 2020 to 2021, she was a fellow at the Institute for Advanced Study in Paris. Her research topics include care, the state, and kinship. She has conducted fieldwork in Hungary, Romania, Serbia, and Germany.
