Familie, Sorge, Staat. Ideale der Zugehörigkeit und Praktiken der Exklusion. Vortrag von Prof. Dr. Tatjana Thelen

In the organizer's words:

Family is a vague collective term for the most diverse forms of togetherness. It stands for origin and belonging, but also for obligation and conflict. As a central building block of social life, the family conveys rules and norms, shapes desires, fears and goals.

At the same time, there is no binding definition of what a family is. In different times and cultures, it can be understood and taken for granted in very different ways.

The interdisciplinary lecture series "Beziehungsweise Familie" is dedicated to the contradictory reality of the nuclear family model that is widespread today, especially in Western industrialized countries, and asks for alternatives from a global perspective.

Renowned academics from various disciplines and subject areas will present current research for discussion that examines the potential of alternative family and kinship concepts in terms of their creative, ethical and innovative aspects.

The interdisciplinary lecture series is the prelude to the Humboldt Forum's theme year of the same name, which starts in fall 2025. Conception of the series: Prof. Dr. Daniel Tyradellis (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin), Dr. Alia Rayyan (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin), Dr. Laura Goldenbaum (Stiftung Humboldt Forum im Berliner Schloss). The lecture series is taking place as part of a cooperation between the institutions of the Humboldt Forum. Programmatic director of the cross-institutional cluster: Dr. Laura Goldenbaum.

Lecture by Prof. Dr. Tatjana Thelen (University of Vienna Institute for Cultural and Social Anthropology)

The idea of the "modern" family is a central element of European self-description. As a result, kinship is on the retreat in Europe and has largely been replaced by an emotionalized (nuclear) family without political significance. This self-image contrasts with an external image that assumes a permanence, even dominance, of "traditional" kinship in the past or outside Europe.

The economic and political consequences of kinship organization in Europe are thus easily overlooked. In addition, this narrative of progress can lead to a derogatory view of other forms of cohabitation. With regard to family care, however, an ambivalent view emerges. In Europe, it supposedly requires state support, while elsewhere it seems to exist without interruption.

"Proper" care in families thus becomes a marker of political affiliation. In my lecture, I will show the political significance of kinship in Germany. On the other hand, I will discuss forms of exclusion through a specific understanding of kinship care.

Tatjana Thelen teaches social anthropology at the University of Vienna. After studying in Cologne, she completed her doctorate at the Free University of Berlin and habilitated at the Martin Luther University Halle/Wittenberg. Her academic career has taken her to the Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology and the Universities of Zurich and Bayreuth. In 2023 she taught at Stanford and in 2020-2021 she was a Fellow at the Institute for Advanced Study in Paris. Her research topics include care, state and kinship. She has conducted fieldwork in Hungary, Romania, Serbia and Germany.

Further information:

- Free admission

- Language: German

- Room 3, ground floor

- Part of: Lecture series Beziehungsweise Familie