[Bilimsel Haber] CALL FOR PARTICIPATION IN|OUTSIDE THE DEBATE: VOICES FROM ACADEMIA IN THE TURKISH|GERMAN NEXUS

[Besim Can ZIRH]

CALL FOR PARTICIPATION 
IN|OUTSIDE THE DEBATE: VOICES FROM ACADEMIA IN THE TURKISH|GERMAN NEXUS

http://blog.goethe.de/zukunftswerkstatt/

Please apply before October 7th 2011.

Cohesion, Integration, Diversity - beneath all of these political 
buzzwords lie classical struggles: who belongs and who does not, which 
boundaries (social, legal, discursive, economic) are drawn, how are 
definitional powers translated into various structures in a given 
society?

In Turkey and Germany, as well as in the transnational sphere between 
the two societies, those crucial questions have been negotiated in 
controversial public debates in recent years. What is the role of 
academics in such debates, how can and do they engage? This will be 
examined and discussed in this workshop using two prominent examples as 
point of departure:

In Germany, the ongoing „integration debate“ reached a sudden, dramatic 
peak in 2010 with the publication of the book “Deutschland schafft sich 
ab” – Germany does away with itself” by Thilo Sarrazin, a former 
politician and board member of the German National Bank.
More so than his initial propositions about cultural difference, lacking
 economic productivity, and genetic disposition of Muslim populations in
 Germany (which instantly gained momentum by the wide attention they 
entailed), it is the aftermath of his intervention that changed public 
discourse dramatically. As a result, a discursive space was opened up 
for fierce public debate on what it means to be(come) a member of German
 society today.
Meanwhile in Turkey, a process coined Açılım (Opening), initiated since 
the mid-2000’s by the governing party AKP (Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi) 
is being discussed controversially. Açılım includes changes of rigid 
state policies towards various minority groups in Turkey, including 
Kurds and Alevis (e.g. minority rights regarding language and religion).
 This process has had an impact on discourse about minority rights and 
„democratization“, and there are conflicting views on the development. 
For some, the introduction of Açılımlar has marked a fundamental change 
towards a more inclusive society, others point to ambivalences and 
contradictions in the process, such as the definition of conditions and 
the measure of control exerted by the AKP vis-à-vis the limited role of 
minority representatives. 

Both the post-Sarrazin and the Açılım debate exemplify important broader
 discourses in each country, relating to fundamental questions of 
belonging and in/exclusion and reaching into what can be called a 
Turkish|German nexus. Engaging in those debates seems crucial for 
academics working in the field, and thus making a contribution to 
ongoing negotiations about how both societies (and their relations) are 
being shaped.

But which form of critique and intervention in broader debates is 
constructive and will have an impact- given the fissured, multi-voiced 
battleground of public debate? How to walk the line between offering 
differentiations and making powerful incisive claims, between 
responsibility and usurpation? It is the complicated relationship of 
academia, broader discourse, and social change in the Turkish|German 
nexus which will be the focus of this meeting. 



The format of the Turkish|German Zukunftswerkstatt:
The workshop offers a four-day interdisciplinary forum for young 
scholars from Germany and Turkey who work on issues relating to the 
Turkish|German Nexus and/or are interested in engaging in the ongoing 
debates in Turkey and Germany. Invited speakers will offer various 
perspectives on the topic and engage in discussion with the 
participants.

The workshop offers an open, critical, and communicative setting for 
exchange. There are three objectives to the project:  1) Analysis and 
Exchange: To discuss and confront different aspects of and views on the 
debates, including their historic situatedness as well as future 
impacts. 2) Getting involved: To reflect one’s own role and develop 
positions that can be fed back into the public debates. 3) Getting 
together: To support networking and exchange beyond the November event 
among participants and alumni of the program.

The following subthemes will be addressed in small working groups: 

1)	Examining German “integration debates” in depth What are the historic
 contingencies, social processes, political, legal, and discursive 
frameworks etc. that made possible the current debate? How is this 
debate an extension of previous ones? What is new?
2)	Discussing the concept of Açılım Which actors are involved, which 
changes have been seen? How have those dynamics been evaluated by 
different parties involved and other commentators? Which forms of 
critique are possible in this recent process?
3)	Academia and Media in public discourses  What are opportunity 
structures, resources, and limitations of academic work in both 
countries? How do production of knowledge in academia and the media 
intersect? Which role did different media types play in supporting or 
excluding positions in the debates? 
4)	Forms and perequisites of interventions today  Which forms of 
intervention are possible? Which forms of knowledge production and 
possibly “translation” are necessary to reach beyond the academic 
discourse? What might be suitable actions or attractive inquiries for 
academics engaged in the Turkish|German nexus?

Applicants should indicate in their application which working group they
 would like to join (or suggest new working group with short 
description). There will be discussion in the small groups, among all 
participants of the workshop and with the invited speakers. 
Together, we will discuss how experiences from both countries can help 
framing interventions from academia in relevant debates. Political 
concepts of inclusion in both contexts and reactions to them by various 
social actors could be a valid point of departure.
On each workshop day, there will be time to address the sub-themes in 
the small groups which will present the state of their discussions on 
the last day to the larger group. 
The Turkish|German Zukunftswerkstatt is not a conference format, 
accordingly there will not be individual presentations of the 
participants’ Phd /research projects. Participants of a working group 
can but do not have to be specialized on this sub-theme.


Dates and places:
The workshop will take place between November 3rd and 6th 2011 at a Brandenburg workshop venue near Berlin.

Funding: 
The following costs will be covered: travel to and from Berlin (from 
within Germany, Turkey or nearby location) and to the workshop venue, 
plus accommodation and board.
Applications can be submitted before October 7th 2011 to: germanturkishnexus at gmail.com

Please include: 
+ one-page statement of interest regarding the general theme of the 
workshop and one of the sub-themes. Indicate why you are interested in 
engaging in the debate and to which aspects you would like to 
contribute.

+ short CV including your language skills (please note: workshop language will be English)

The German-Turkish Zukunftswerkstatt is a project made possible by 
Goethe Institute and supported by funds from the German Ministry of 
Foreign Affairs (Ernst-Reuter-Inititative).
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