In view of the increasing polarisation and problem situations, we as society and science are at a crossroads: are we making a contribution "to the development of a humane, democratic and just society" (UHH's mission statement) or are we content with the status quo and thus contributing to a progressive polarisation? During the thematic semester we will therefore ask ourselves how exactly the global polarization processes are interrelated at the socio-economic, political and cultural levels and how we as the Faculty of Social Economics can contribute to solving these questions.
More information about this thematic semester here.
Current! Social polarization in times of the Corona crisis
To mark the occasion, the thematic semester of 2019/2020 "Social Polarization" will be digitally supplemented: Social Polarization in Times of the Corona Crisis
The current CoVid 19 pandemic and the measures to contain it reveal existing social imbalances. Numerous economists are expecting a dramatic collapse in global economic growth, the unemployment rate in the USA has recently risen more sharply than at any time since the Great Depression, and in many countries the health care systems are threatening to collapse. Social inequality continues to increase in the wake of this, which right-wing forces are responding to by intensifying exclusion. But the crisis also opens a new window of opportunity for sustainable development: production is being transformed at breakneck speed, large financial resources beyond the black zero are being mobilised, international cooperation is being stepped up and the relationship between the welfare state and the market is being rebalanced. The ancient Greek meaning of "krísis = decision" can thus be taken quite literally. These are all questions and problems that we have always been dealing with in social economics from an interdisciplinary perspective. They become all the more urgent in times of crisis. In the context of the thematic semester we therefore want to deal with the causes of the current crisis and the possibilities for social action. We want to discuss what the current crisis means for the socio-economic, political, cultural and ecological polarization of society and what conclusions can be drawn from it.
More information about this thematic semester and the current digital offers here.
