Tag: Germany

Goethe U: East Asian Studies Postdoc (Germany)

Postdocs
Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Interdisciplinary Center for East Asian Studies, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Deadline: 11 December 2022.

The Interdisciplinary Center for East Asian Studies at the Faculty of Linguistics, Cultures, and Arts is seeking to fill the position of one Postdoctoral Researcher from 01.01.2023 for the duration of the project until 31.12.2025. You are expected to do your own research on migration decisions of Japanese migrants in Germany within the joint EU-funded project AspirE (Decision Making of Aspiring (Re)Migrants to/within the EU: The Case of Labour Market-Leading Migrations from Asia).

Your tasks include working on a qualitative research project in collaboration with the PI (and supported by a research assistant), including:

  • researching the socio-legal context of Japanese migration to Germany (policy analysis)
  • conducting and analyzing expert interviews, group discussions and semi-structured interviews
  • carrying out social network mapping using an open access platform
  • collecting video diaries among selected study participants
  • working with the project partners in the EU as well as
  • publishing the results

    Requirements are successfully completed university studies (master degree) and a successfully completed doctorate in social sciences or area studies. You also need to show a proven interest in the field of migration studies in the German and/or Japanese context (e.g. through publications) as well as interdisciplinary studies and excellent methodological skills in qualitative research. In addition, background knowledge on, experience or interest in the psychological, emotional or affective dimensions of migration are required. Japanese language skills required.

CFP Cosmopolitanism in a Postdigital, Postmigrant Europe, and Beyond (Germany but Online)

ConferencesCall for papers: Cosmopolitanism in a Postdigital, Postmigrant Europe, and Beyond, Researching Digital Interculturality Co-operatively, Germany but Online, 26 June-7 July 2023. Abstract Deadline: 31 January 2023.

The idea of cosmopolitanism remains multifaceted and fit for purpose. It may be seen, for example, as a philosophical concept, or viewed as a theoretical and empirical tool used to describe and understand contemporary society, culture and interculturality. But cultural theory and empirical research have not remained stagnant, and a number of recent ideas have been proered as further theoretical and empirical tools. These include the concepts of postdigitality and postmigrancy. The “post” in these terms does not denote an end (of digitality or migration), but the transformation of a society indissolubly interwoven with digitality and migration. Similarly, the term postmigration implies that the structures of society have been fundamentally altered by migratory processes; supposedly clear dichotomies of “migrant” /“native” or “assimilated” /“segregated” become dissolved, while established distributions of resources and power structures have increasingly been called into question and become renegotiated. Indeed, the mere fact of continuously shaping a (post)migrant society and of being immersed in super-diversity with cultural and linguistic implications needs to be accepted. Thus, the new theoretical and empirical postmigrant and postdigital realities call for new perspectives on the concept of cosmopolitanism and adjoining concepts, such as Europeanism. These ideas, though very applicable to European societies and lifeworlds, are not limited to Europe but are found and may be investigated in a variety of contexts.

A Comedian’s Take on Cultural Differences

Intercultural Pedagogy

Sundermann, Killian. (21 October 2021). Irish and German people offering things. Twitter.

I just ran across this very cute video where comedian Killian Sundermann demonstrates the difference between German and Irish ways of offering cake, and the confusion that ensues.

For further information about the video, which went viral and resulted in 10 million views, watch the 4-minute version, which includes an interview with Sundermann. He grew up in Ireland with German parents, and so obviously has a good sense of how cultural differences can be displayed through interaction. Apparently the incident with the cake is based on reality. He says “I’m really just stealing my family’s stories.”

Weekend Breakfast with Alison Curtis. (3 November 2021). Killian Sundermann chats to Alison Curtis. Today FM.

Either video would make a good classroom resource for teaching about intercultural communication. See also KC1: Intercultural dialogue, and KC5: Intercultural communication.

 

 

Introducing ICD in Kindergarten (Germany)

Applied ICD

In a few locations within Germany, interfaith cooperation is leading to Christian/Muslim or Christian/Jewish/Muslim kindergartens.

Gifhorn – a small town in Lower Saxony – started Germany’s first Christian/Muslim kindergarten in 2018, after several years of planning and organization.

The vision fostered by local religious leaders sees kindergarten as a novel form of institutionalised dialogue, producing “conflict mediators” and “resilient children” who are “less prone to violence”.

An opposition campaign by the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) backfired, and actually ended up increasing enrollment in the school. For a well-balanced report, and links to information about several other interfaith kindergartens in Germany, see the Emmerich article.

Source: Emmerich, Arndt-Walter. (2022). Germany’s first Christian-Muslim kindergarten. Quantara.de.

FH Münster: Intercultural Management & Corporate Communications (Germany)

“JobProfessorship in Intercultural Management and Corporate Communications, Institute of Business Administration and Engineering, FH Münster, Germany. Deadline: 20 November 2022.

You will teach the subject of “Intercultural Management and Corporate Communication” through courses for Bachelor’s and Master’s students. You will promote the factor of interdisciplinary collaboration by working closely and confidentially with your ITB colleagues and ITB technical departments. By acquiring and implementing application-oriented projects, you will also make an important contribution to general research strengths. You will teach in Münster, Steinfurt, and at FH Münster’s study sites, as well as in part-time study programmes (usually on Saturdays).

Humboldt Research Fellowships (Germany)

FellowshipsHumboldt Research Fellowships, Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Germany. Deadline: Selection committee meets March, July, and September each year, and you should apply well in advance.

The Humboldt Research Fellowship is available to researchers of all nationalities and research areas, at either the postdoctoral or experienced researcher level, to conduct research in Germany. Through the Humboldt Research Fellowship, the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation sponsors researchers with above-average qualifications from across the globe. The fellowship enables you to conduct your own research at various stages of your career in collaboration with a host at a German research institution of your choice. Hosts may apply for a subsidy towards research costs.

Postdocs

Benefit from research sponsorship in Germany at the beginning of your academic career. The Humboldt Research Fellowship for postdoctoral researchers enables you to conduct research in Germany. The monthly fellowship amount is €2,670. Fellowships may last from 6 to 24 months.

Experienced researchers

You can still apply for research sponsorship in Germany even if you are already well advanced in your academic career. The Humboldt Research Fellowship for experienced researchers enables you to conduct research in Germany. The fellowship amount is €3,170. Fellowships may last from 6 to 18 months and can be divided into up to three stays within three years.

 

Justus Liebig U: Studentships in Intercultural Communication & Business (Germany)

“Studentships“

PHD Candidate and Research Assistant positions, Intercultural Communication and Business, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany. Deadline: 18 August 2022.

Founded in 1607, Justus Liebig University Giessen (JLU) is a research university rich in tradition. They are currently offering two part-time positions (50 %), for PhD Candidate and Research Assistant in the field of Intercultural Communication and Business. The position is to be filled on a fixed-term basis at the Chair of Intercultural Communication and Business, Department of English at the Faculty of Language, Literature, Culture. As long as the maximum permissible duration of a fixed-term contract is not exceeded, you will be employed for an initial period of 3 years. An extension for up to another 2 years is possible under the above-mentioned condition.

Applications from people with a strong international academic background are particularly encouraged.

Your tasks at a glance:

  • Conduct research at the interface of two or more of the following areas: intercultural communication and education, intercultural/international management, HR development and organizational develop­ment, migration and integration, media innovation and social entrepreneurship – with a focus on China and Asia.
  • Prepare and teach seminars and tutorials in undergraduate and graduate programs: teaching responsi­bilities – totaling two hours per week during each semester – include examination duties and student supervision
  • Develop and conduct a PhD research project
  • Assist the Chair with academic self-administration

Friedrich Schiller U Jena: Intercultural Communication, Mobility, Diversity (Germany)

“Job

Professorship in Intercultural Communication with a Focus on Mobility and Diversity, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany. Deadline: 9 September 2022.

The applicant should have an outstanding, thematically relevant, doctorate in intercultural communication in particular with regard to its social and cultural-scientific reference disciplines (e.g., sociology, political science, social or cultural geography). The candidate should have an outstanding international reputation in one of the following areas in intercultural communication: a) global mobility and migration, b) diversity and processes of integration and inclusion in societal diversification. The candidate should be willing to extend his/her/their research agenda towards the second area, as both areas are fundamental for the tenure track procedure.

He/She/They should display potential for successful international publication activity as well as for high-quality teaching in a Bachelor‘s and Master‘s programs: Intercultural Business Communication (BA), Intercultural Music – and Event Management (BA), Intercultural Human Resource Development and Communication Management (MA), and our international double-degree programs. The language of instruction is mainly German. Candidate is expected to be open towards digital teaching concepts and have experience in intercultural training and learning contexts, international experience and the supervision of students and PhD-students.

CFP Re-Thinking Interculturality

“PublicationCall for abstracts: Special Issue of Interculture Journal: Re-Thinking Interculturality in Work with Clients, Customers, Volunteers, and Teams.  Deadline: 30 August 2022.

Research on intercultural communication identifies professional work with clients, customers, volunteers and teams as areas of intervention for which the discipline’s scientific findings are of immediate relevance and for which the field can develop constructive concepts of application. Forms of counselling, training and further education in which a responsible approach to interculturality plays a role can be found in numerous and very different professional and social contexts, such as human resources development, health and social services, communication with public authorities, business communication and legal counselling and legal communication.

These professional fields of activity, accompanied by paradigm shifts in cultural theory, have undergone a radical transformation in dealing with interculturality and reorganised themselves in an entirely new way. Sensitisation of the role of postcolonial power imbalances in empirical research practice and the effects of othering and epistemic violence have stimulated new methodological approaches in research and have also led to new and different places and forms of working with clients, customers, volunteers, and teams.

In the scheduled issue, articles may be published in English, German, French and Spanish as well as in more than one of these languages. The editorial team is therefore accepting abstracts in any of these languages; follow the links to see the full call for submissions in each language.

Building on interdisciplinarity, Interculture Journal is designed to foster and advance theoretical and practical findings in the area of intercultural research. Interculture Journal publishes papers by researchers and practitioners addressing questions and issues arising from different cultures living and working together. In line with its online format, Interculture Journal is devoted to the idea of open information ex- change. All volumes can be downloaded for free (just click on the journal name, above).

CFP Un:real Spaces of Interaction (Germany)

ConferencesCall for abstracts: Graduate Conference 2022: un:real Spaces of Interaction: Forms of Social Order in the Spectrum of Media-specific Interaction, 4-5 November, 2022, Brandenburg Centre for Media Studies, Potsdam, Germany. Deadline: 30 June 2022.

The graduate student conference “un:real Spaces of Interaction. Forms of Social Order in the Spectrum of Media-specific Interaction” focuses on media-specific interaction spaces and the construction of social orders and realities. Therefore, the overarching question of the conference is concerned with the emergence, change, and shaping of interaction spaces in the spectrum between human-human and human-machine, in which actors communicate with each other through or with technologies.

Recently, the COVID-19 pandemic has given new importance to understanding and thinking about interaction spaces, online and offline. Following Erving Goffman’s notion of interaction and related key aspects of interactions, we consider how media-specific interactions are understood and analysed within media studies and media linguistic perspectives. Possible approaches include interface studies and affect theory as well as sociolinguistic studies of human-machine interaction and multimodal interaction analysis. Despite the different theoretical and methodological approaches, it becomes clear that interaction in, with, or through media makes sociocultural transformations visible. They unfold in the form of new social realities “such as virtual space[s], public spheres, or popular culture, which are hardly conceivable without media-based mediation” (Marx/Schmidt 2019, 12). These spaces of interaction move at the intersections of analogue and digital, online and offline, human and machine, real and unreal.

The conference is intended to provide a space in which Master’s students of higher semesters (from 3rd semester) and doctoral candidates from the fields of media linguistics and media studies, but also other associated humanities with relevance to media studies such as sociology, political science, aesthetics and art history, film studies, cultural studies, journalism, philosophy, science and technology studies, or cognitive science can present their research work.

NOTE: While this call does not specifically request work relating to intercultural dialogue, the topic seems particularly appropriate for it.