Sociologist Daniel Bell wrote in the 1950s that “Americans have an extraordinary talent for compromise in politics and extremism in morality.” Today, according to political scientist Daniel Ziblatt, “the reverse is the case. Republicans show a stunning talent for extremism in politics and more depressing skill for compromise in morality.” On the other side of the Atlantic, the parliamentary system in Germany has been repeatedly described as a machine for producing compromises. Currently, however, one might have the impression that, in many fields of German politics, a standstill has taken the former place of compromise. These are two different observations for two different countries and two different political systems that are worth comparing from historical, media, and social science perspectives. This workshop, bringing together German and American graduate students at the CUNY Graduate Center, aims to provide a comparative overview of the forms, possibilities, and functions of compromise and other processes of trying to negotiate contradictory positions, attitudes, and values.

How to Handle Conflicts? Cultures of Compromise in Comparison

Workshop at the CUNY Graduate Center, New York

July 11-13, 2023

We welcome applications from Metro-New York-based graduate students working on these issues and will cover reasonable costs of travel and accommodation. According to the terms of grants already in hand from German institutions, travel and accommodation costs for German students are already covered.

We offer you interesting and intensive discussions with a small German-American group of students and scholars. A second workshop, in which you also could participate, is planned for 2024 in Germany.

We expect intensive participation and the presentation of a shorter discussion paper on one of the aspects of the topic.

 

If you are interested in the workshop, please send a short (two-page) CV and a one-page letter of interest by March 15 to the organizers:

Constantin Goschler, Ruhr-Uni. Bochum: Constantin.Goschler@ruhr-uni-bochum.de

Benjamin Carter Hett, CUNY: bhett@hunter.cuny.edu

Mariko Jacoby, Uni. Duisburg-Essen: mariko.jacoby@uni-due.de

John Torpey, CUNY: jtorpey@gc.cuny.edu

By the end of March you will be notified if you have been accepted for the seminar.

 

Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions that may arise.