The course will build on the tradition of neo-materialist, critical, intersectional feminist posthuman theory that Braidotti is internationally known for. The course will depart from the to understand the connections between multiply differing human and nonhuman subjects, while also working to avoid the too-often seen compartmentalization of the environmental humanities, the digital humanities, and questions of social justice and equality, the School will analyze the multiple intersections between these fields of focus. Essential will be the methodological implications of posthuman scholarship in the Humanities across a broad inter-disciplinary range. The course offers a selected overview of the key literature in fields that include philosophy, literature, law, media, pedagogy, postcolonial theory and the arts. Mindful of the patterns of exclusion of the sexualised, racialised and naturalised “others” that were not recognised as belonging to humanity, special attention is devoted to perspectives emerging from Black and Indigenous epistemologies. The other focus is on the efforts to think beyond anthropocentrism, by expanding the notion of subjectivity into an embodied, embedded, relational and affective assembly interconnected with human and non-human entities.
The 2023 intensive Summer School course aims to dig deeper into the methodological innovations introduced by posthuman critical theory, defined as the convergence of critiques of Humanism and critiques of Anthropocentrism. This critical approach introduces new themes and objects of enquiries, but what does it do in terms of methods and approaches? What sort of qualitative transformations are entailed by a critical posthuman framework? Thew course will explore approaches such as: transversal methodologies; neo-materialism; the new empiricisms; current textual practices; non-representational theories; inter/trans and post-disciplinarity; methods to exit colonialism; critical feminist theory and art practices as research methods. The participants will be invited to discuss and present work related to their own research topics and experiences.
The course is offered entirely on location and is sub-divided in 5 groups of 20 students maximum. Each group is led by a lecturer/tutor and Braidotti visits all of them in turn.
Each day is structured by a mixture of live lectures by the course director and invited lecturers. Informal meetings will also be encouraged at lunchtime and at leisure.
For more information regarding the school and the tutors, you can find us on Instagram @posthumansummerschool
Lecturers
Prof. Rosi Braidotti (Utrecht University), Dr. Simone Bignall (University of Technology Sydney), Dr. Ruth Clemens (Utrecht University), Dr. Emily Jones (University of Essex), Dr Kay Sidebottom (Stirling University), Fiona Hillary (RMIT University), Goda Klumbyte (University of Kassel).
Guest lecturers will be announced later after applications.
Costs
The fee for non-students is €1000. Students will receive a partial fee waiver of €250, resulting in a total fee of €750. Students are asked to provide proof of their student status in their application documents. Without this proof, it is not possible to receive the partial fee waiver.
All profits made from the summer school will go to the ROSANNA Fund which gives scholarships to women who have limited financial means and who need financial support to help them pursue studies. For more information, see: https://www.uu.nl/en/organisation/alumni/contribute/contribute-to-an-ex…
Application
For non-students the transcript of grades is not necessary (you can upload an empty document), but please specify your degree on your CV. Reference letters are required for all applications. Applications are processed on a first-come, first-served basis.
Equally, please specify in your motivation if you would be willing to participate in a panel discussion during the summer school.
For this course you are required to upload the following documents when applying:
Contact details
Assistant of Prof. Braidotti | E: posthumansummerschool@uu.nl