The Future of Difference: beyond the toxic entanglement of racism, sexism and feminism’ by Sabine Hark and Paula-Irene Villa book launch
About the book:
In The Future of Difference Hark and Villa Braslavsky fully confront and dissect with sociological and historical detail the way in which in contemporary Germany the rise of the right, the growth of the AFD party, and the emergence of a new conservative common-sense has been realised through the adept embracing of a feminist vocabulary which sets itself against Islam in particular and which celebrates so-called feminist achievements at the expense of demonising migrant masculinities.
With superb analytical skills the authors locate the ‘events’ at Cologne train station New Years Eve 2013 and its media coverage as a symbolic moment for consolidating a popular consensus by deploying and re-working old and new racial stereotypes. The authors also demonstrate the ways in which long-standing liberal feminist stances as found in the magazine Emma (like Ms in the US) have been editorially driven to uncritically voice and publicise this discourse against difference.
When first published in Germany in 2017 this book gave rise to heated debate and angry confrontations, its translation into English will contribute to ongoing discussion about conservative feminism, neoliberal feminism and the encroachment of right wing common sense into wider political vocabularies.
Introduction:
Judith Butler is Maxine Elliot Professor in the Department of Comparative Literature and the Program of Critical Theory at the University of California, Berkeley.
Chair:
Angela McRobbie is Professor of Communications at Goldsmiths, University of London and Fellow of the British Academy.
Speakers:
Sabine Hark is a German feminist and sociologist. She is the Director of the Centre for Interdisciplinary Women’s and Gender Studies at the Technical University of Berlin.
Paula-Irene Villa is Professor and Chair for Sociology and Gender Studies at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich.
Respondents:
Sara Farris is Senior Lecturer in Sociology at Goldsmiths, University of London.
Akanksha Mehta a lecturer in Gender, Sexuality, and Cultural Studies and the co-director of the Centre for Feminist Research at Goldsmiths.
Platform:
This conversation will be hosted online with Zoom.
Meeting ID: 527 104 8709
We will email ticket holders on the day of the event with a password to join the meeting.
There is a maximum capacity of the Zoom event to 500 people.
A video recording and transcription of the event may be available afterwards on the Centre for Feminist Research website.
Please feel free to reach out with any questions to Chloe Turner c.turner@gold.ac.uk