In this seminar, we examine technologies such as border walls, drones, DNA testing, surveillance and predictive algorithms to understand how these technologies, through the identification and categorization of bodies along the axis of race, determine who belongs to a society and who does not (the “alien”). This question will be explored not only through theoretical texts but also through cultural productions such as film, sci-fi literature, and art installations, as these works reflect on and challenge the boundaries between those who belong to the enclosure of the State and those who are rendered Other. Students are encouraged to actively shape the content of the seminar by suggesting cultural productions and technological objects for group discussion.
To successfully complete the seminar, mandatory attendance and active participation through a short introductory input to one of the sessions are required. The graded assignment consists in a seminar paper of 12-15 pages. The use of generative AI is not permitted in my seminar. To ensure that you wrote your paper independently and to provide feedback on it, a 10- to 15-minute feedback meeting is mandatory after submission. As your instructor, my aim is to support and encourage you on your journey to become autonomous and critical subjects and to help you develop your own, singular perspective on the research topic of your choice. I see no educational value in having you work as modulators, evaluators, and ameliorator of machine output. The fact that your work and perspective are still limited during your studies is in my view an integral part of anyone’s learning process.
- Kursleiter/in: Katia Schwerzmann