Home | Stories & News | Post
- July 23, 2023
GIF Young Scientists Meeting: Bodily Autonomy and Identities
Initiated by Dr. Limor Meoded Danon (Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, Bar-Ilan University), Prof. Dr. Katinka Schweizer (Department of Psychology, MSH Medical School Hamburg) and Prof. Dr. Barbara Thies (Institute of Educational Psychology (TU Braunschweig) and funded by the German Israeli Foundation (GIF) an interdisciplinary German – Israeli workshop took place on TU Braunschweig from 24 – 26 July 2023.
Meanings of identity are currently discussed both in academia as well as in the general public. A core notion across fields is the dialectic of fluidity and consistency. Belonging and becoming are seen as complex psycho-social, intersubjective and embodied processes. Evolving research fields around bodily autonomy and identities challenge different disciplines. Therefore, scholars from Israel and Germany from different academic fields (e.g. medicine, law, social work, media studies, psychology, sociology) were invited to re-think and explore new ideas on these concepts.
More than a dozen scholars from Israel (Tel-Aviv University, The Max Stern Yezreel Valley College, Sapir College and Kay Academic College of Education) and Germany (Universität Heidelberg, MSH Hamburg, TU Braunschweig, Universität Hamburg, TU Berlin, WWU Münster) participated. The workshop was opened by the dean of the faculty of humanities and educational sciences, Prof. Dr. Eckart Voigts, the head of German Israeli Foundation, Dr. Eric Zimmermann, and Annette Güldenring (chair of the advisory council of thes Bundesstiftung Magnus Hirschfeld).
After an inspiring keynote of Prof. Dr. Paula Irene Villa Braslavsky (LMU München) on the topic of „Autonomy, Identity and >the Body<. Sociological & historical perspectives“ participants worked on interdisciplinary research questions. A multidisciplinary German-Israeli research group was successfully established. The research group will conduct collaborative theoretical and empirical studies on the interplay of identity dynamics and bodily autonomy: All participants commited to be part of a research future network, the majority additionally committed to work on an application in the next months.
GIF gave us the opportunity for an intensive and fruitful working time and a very unique intercultural experience, regarding both, research ideas and personal encounters between the home countries. In addition to the intense working periods, participants had the chance to experience Braunschweig as the hosting city via city walks, an Oker Tour and more.
Report by Dr. Limor Meoded Danon
Press release from TU Braunschweig here
Related Posts
Dinner Discussion “Breaking Barriers: Bridging Science, Business, and Politics” at the Hermann Ehlers Academy in Kiel
On Thursday, July 4, the Hermann Ehlers Stiftung & Akademie hosted a dinner discussion entitled...
READ MORE »Luncheon with the German Federal Minister of Education and Research on the occasion of the German Studies Conference 2024
On Thursday, June 27, 2024, GIF director, Dr. Eric Zimmerman, had the great honor to...
READ MORE »2023/2024 Sylke Tempel Fellowship: Security Policies in Flux – New Perspectives on Israel and the Middle East
On June 20, 2024, GIF Director, Dr. Eric Zimmerman, was invited to the concluding event...
READ MORE »