University and Militarization

Lecture: Teresa Koloma Beck

Facilitated by Johanna Schaffer + Abetare Prenici (Faculty and Student in Visual Communication / Kassel Art Academy)

Language of the Event: German

Militarization means aligning the state and society with the needs of the military. Universities and research institutions do more than simply observe and comment on such developments. In light of multiple crises, the global rise of neo-imperial and illiberal policies, and the proliferation and intensification of perceived threats, they are currently being swept up in these dynamics themselves. As public institutions—and, in Germany, as mostly state institutions—they are confronted with expectations that they support government efforts to improve national defense capabilities. The notion of the university as a critical observer and reflector of societal developments is coming under increasing pressure. This situation highlights the ambivalence of the university as both a place where power interests are articulated and a place where power is being criticized and subverted.

This presentation aims to shed light on this constellation from a sociology of conflict perspective. It will explain why academic research on pacifism and antimilitarism is particularly important in democratic societies during times of rearmament and militarization. It will also analyze how changing forms of warfare present new challenges for this research. These changes include the growing importance of datafication and digital technologies, which are turning everyday life into a primary arena for interstate wars, as well as the increasing intertwining of foreign and domestic political conflicts, which is also blurring the boundaries between military and police functions. These developments are altering key structural features that have shaped large parts of antimilitarist and pacifist thought. How can these traditions respond to the changes in the nature of warfare described above?

Teresa Koloma Beck’s research is focused on everyday life and globalization in contexts of war and crisis, with a particular emphasis on the contemporary dimensions of colonial and imperial history. She is a professor of sociology at Helmut Schmidt University/University of the German Armed Forces, Hamburg.

We plan to live stream the lecture; we will post the link here shortly before the event begins.