Summer School 2025

“Narratives of Disruption and Continuity” // September 1st to 5th 2025

The summer school “narratives of disruption and continuity” explores different context and forms in which transformations in the production and use of technology and scientific knowledge have been represented, from 1800 until the present. It examines why actors ranging from scientists, historians, and journalists to politicians have talked about, written on or imagined different types of change. – Change that had already occurred, that could occur, and that should occur, but also change not occurred or not to occur.
We are interested in the conditions of possibility, including specific socio-cultural constellations from which narratives of change have emerged, the specificity of their loci of enunciation, as well as in how they (were meant to) function.
We aim to analyze the content of narratives that present transformations of science and technology as being disruptive, or as developing slowly, in non-linear ways, or as not happening at all. Moreover, we seek to discuss practices of their production, distribution, and reception, and to approach – in narratological and media theoretical analysis – the figures, tropes and cultural techniques employed. We are also interested in seeing how narratives of change develop over time.

Further information will be posted in due time.