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Lehrende: Louis Volont
Veranstaltungsart:
Seminar
Anzeige im Stundenplan:
P-SEM
Semesterwochenstunden:
2
Credits:
6,0
Unterrichtssprache:
Englisch
Min. | Max. Teilnehmerzahl:
10 | 20
Weitere Informationen:
M.A.-Soziologie: Profilmodul Spezielle Soziologien
M.A.-Soziologie und ggf. weitere M.A.-Studiengänge: Wahlbereich
Kommentare/ Inhalte:
What is the most appropriate ‘form of life’ for a society to operate in? This question has
haunted societies since the dawn of humankind. In modern society, two dominant paradigms
have crystalized: social organization can be steered by the market (competition) on the one
hand, or the state (redistribution) on the other. However, in response to current trends of
neoliberalization and rising right-wing populism, growing groups are starting to explore a third
route to designate desired forms of life: commoning. If we understand ‘the commons’ as
shared resources such as care, food, land, knowledge or housing, then ‘commoning’ refers to
the very act of sharing and pooling such resources beyond the existing channels of the market
and the state. This seminar puts the commons and commoning centre stage while looking
more specifically at the many roles played by artists, creatives and activists in the creation of
commons-based forms of life.
Lernziel:
The learning objectives are: 1) to
sociologically understand the notion of the commons; 2) to pinpoint differing
historical/theoretical traditions in conceptualizing the commons; and 3) to assess cultural
practitioners’ everyday use of the commons.
Vorgehen:
The seminar starts with a reading of extracts from Marx’s
Capital and Frederici’s Caliban and the Witch, two accounts which have historically
documented – albeit from different perspectives – how the enclosures of medieval commons
(land and domestic life) constituted the main precondition for capitalist forms of life to
emerge. Next, we move to Hardt & Negri’s Commonwealth, in which it is argued that the
commons emerge precisely through collective creativity. The third block takes Marx, Frederici
and Hardt & Negri fully into the cultural scene. Through multiple case studies from the Global
North and South we will discover how artists and cultural actors work with and struggle
through acts of commoning. Finally, we investigate the cultural sector’s main institution – the
museum. The so-called ‘the constituent museum’ is one where visitors, locals and activists –
rather than national governments and market forces – co-determine which objects,
knowledges and interpretations are to be displayed. The first half of the seminar period will
be marked by readings of central texts. During the second half of the semester, we will put
more focus on students’ practical engagement with commoning, for example through field
visits at Hamburg-based commoning collectives.
Literatur:
Literature will be selected from the following books and articles
Angelis, M. de (2013). Does capital need a commons fix? Ephemera: Theory & Politics in Organization 13(3), 603-615.
Frederici, S. (2004). Caliban and the Witch: Women, the Body and Primitive Accumulation. New York, NY: Autonomedia.
Hardt, M. & Negri, A. (2009). Commonwealth. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Sollfrank, C., Stalder, F. & Nieerberger, F. (Eds.) (2021). Aesthetics of the Commons. Zürich: Diaphanes.
Stavrides, S. (2016). Common Space: The City as Commons. London: Zed Books.
Virno, P. (2001). A Grammar of the Multitude. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Volont, L., Lijster, T. & Gielen, P. (Eds.) (2022). The rise of the common city: On the culture of commoning. Brussels: ASP.
Zusätzliche Hinweise zu Prüfungen:
The final examination is done through homework, namely the writing of a paper/essay. You will be asked to critically analyze a self-chosen case of commoning (a squat, a social centre, a constituent museum, a public protest, and so on) through the lens of the theories that were discussed in class. The aforementioned statements in preparation for the seminars will thus serve as the basic building blocks for the final paper. In other words, by actively participating in class, you already develop your paper throughout the semester. When handing in, the paper can be sent to the teacher by email. The paper can be written in German or English. When Nebenfach: 9-12 pages, excl. references (Calibri 12, spacing 1,5). When Hauptfach: 12-15 pages, excl. references (Calibri 12, spacing 1,5). Deadline: 30 September 2024.
Apart from this, there is also the (ungraded) expectation to actively participate in discussions in class and to give a single, ten-minute presentation during the semester in order to propose your topic for the final paper.
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