Professional Documents
Culture Documents
2010
RESEARCH DISCUSSIONS
ACROSS DISCIPLINES
Welcome to the 4th Section Days of the Ruhr University Research School!
The 4th Section Days of the Ruhr University Research School take place on November 03-05,
2010. They are organised by teams of doctoral fellows from the three scientific sections:
Natural Sciences and Engineering, Life Sciences, Humanities and Social Sciences. They are
realised as three one-day conferences with invited guest speakers and doctoral candidates
from other universities. The Section Days combine talks of guest scientists and fellows with
workshops and poster presentations to support research discussions across disciplines. They
give insight into up-to-date research discussions in different research areas and continue the
interdisciplinary dialogue within and beyond the sections.
All members of the Ruhr University Research School are invited to discuss state-of-the art
research with guest scientists and fellow section members and to reflect research results,
problems and questions in a broader scientific context.
This abstract book contains abstracts of all presented posters and/or short exposés of
dissertation projects as well as contact information of the participating fellows.
The organisers,
Bochum, November 3, 2010
11:45 - 12:25 “Nanoparticles from the Gas Phase - Properties and Applications”
Prof. Dr. Axel Lorke (Universität Duisburg-Essen, Germany)
16:35 - 17:00 Closing Remarks by Prof. Dr. Nils Metzler-Nolte (Speaker RURS) and
awarding of Poster Prizes
09:30 – 10:10 “Sending and Receiving Signals in the (Neuronal) Stem Cell Niche”
PD Dr. Alexander von Holst (Department of Cell Morphology and
Molecular Neurobiology Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Germany; Host: Maren
Geißler)
09.15 – 10.00 “Group-focused Enmity and its Societal Causes and Implications”
Prof. Dr. Andreas Zick (Universität Bielefeld, Germany)
Though seldom noticed, nanometre sized functional coatings are common in everyday life.
They can dramatically change properties such as hardness, conductivity or biocompatibility of
a large substrate. Plasma discharges are an established tool to deposit these coatings.
However, the industrial production process is often merely empirical. The aim of the
SFB-TR 87 is to overcome this “trial and error” principle through the investigation of the
underlying processes from a physical and material scientific point of view.
The project B2 of the SFB investigates multilayer coatings for polymers. The basic idea is to
combine polymer-like sliding layers and hard diamond-like carbon layers to form a multilayer
that is tolerant to elongation. At a later stage, nanoparticles that are synthesized within the
plasma shall be incorporated in the coating.
NSE_02
The world wide energy demand is extremely increasing. In addition to climate change and
finite nature and instability of fossil fuel supply, the intensified use of renewable energies is
absolutely necessary. The technical possibilities to use solar-, wind- and geothermal-energy
already exist. The mayor problem to be solved is the gap between energy demand and supply
in time as well as in location. For example, solar energy is mainly available in summer and
near the equator. In contrast, the energy demand has its maximum values in winter and in
densely populated areas.
Within this project a new system for long term heat storage is to be developed. It should be
used to integrate renewable energies as well as waste heat from industrial applications to
cover the domestic energy demand. It can also be used to enhance the efficiency of combined
heat and power generation. Several liquid and solid storage media are to be
thermodynamically characterized and a possible assembly of storage unit and peripheral
devices are to be proposed. Simulations of the dynamics of supply and demand, in addition to
experimental validation of the storage behavior should lead to predictions of the economical
and ecological feasibility of the developed system.
NSE_03
The formation and cooling of new oceanic lithosphere continually resurfaces the surface of
two-thirds of Earth and is the principal mechanism of cooling of Earth's interior. The
formation of new ocean crust along the global mid-ocean ridge system involves the
emplacement of ~20 km 3 of magma per year. An intimately linked process is the circulation of
seawater through newly formed crust that extracts magmatic heat and produces hydrothermal
fluids enriched in base metals and nutrients that form massive sulfide deposits and feed
chemosynthetic ecosystems on the seafloor. Additionally these hydrothermal systems have a
profound influence on the composition of the oceans.
However the processes involved in crystallizing and cooling this magma to form the oceanic
crust are still poorly understood. At the moment two different models are discussed in the
literature to explain the formation of oceanic crust – the “Gabbro glacier” and the “Sheeted
sill” model, which predict different thermal evolution of the oceanic crust and different depth
of hydrothermal circulation.
We apply methods of geospeedometry to samples directly from the ocean floor to determine
cooling rates of the oceanic crust as a function of depth. This allows to check, which of the
models is in better conformity with the observations made in nature.
NSE_05
Fluidized beds are used for many chemical engineering processes as granulation, drying or
coating and for energy technology applications like combustion processes. Experiments are
very time-consuming and cost-intensive; furthermore the interior of the fluidized beds is
difficult to access. Different simulation methods are therefore available for modeling of the
fluid and particle dynamics in these systems. On the one hand the coupled CFD-/DEM-
approach can be used. The mechanical behaviour of each particle is described via the Newton
and Euler equations using the DEM-method and CFD is used for the fluid dynamics. On the
other hand fluidized beds can be calculated via Euler-Euler-simulations based on the kinetic
theory of granular flow in a continuum description. An investigation of mixing of different
solids in fluidized beds through an experimental setup, and simulations based on Euler/Euler
and CFD/DEM is ongoing and initial results will be presented.
NSE_06
Physical Chemistry I
Ruhr-University Bochum, 44780, Germany
email: Lanying.Jin@rub.de
Zinc oxide has attracted much research interest due to its particular electronic, optical and
catalytic properties[1]. In catalysis, Cu/ZnO is the standard catalyst for the industrial
methanol synthesis. So far, it is not fully understood how Cu/ZnO catalyst works for methanol
synthesis and its stream reforming. Therefore, studies of the interaction of methanol with ZnO
are of fundamental importance in understanding the relevant catalytic processes on atomic
scale. In this work, we report on the adsorption and oxidation of methanol on the perfect and
defective non-polar ZnO(10-10) surfaces by high-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy
(HREELS) and thermal desorption spectroscopy (TDS). Exposing the perfect ZnO(10-10)
surface to methanol at room temperature leads to partial dissociative adsorption forming
methanol and methoxy species. After heating to high temperatures most of the adsorbates
desorb molecularly and only a small amount of methoxy species undergoes selective
oxidation to CH2O at 570 K and complete oxidation to CO, CO2 and H2 at 595 K. It is found
that this surface becomes more active after creating Zn-O dimer vacancies by controlled argon
sputtering. The dominant feature is methoxy decomposition yielding CO, CO 2 and H2 at 595
K, which is totally different from the results on perfect surfaces. In addition, the formation of
formate species is also identified on the defective ZnO(10-10) surface by HREELS. Finally,
the results on ZnO single crystals are compared with those on ZnO nanoparticles obtained by
UHV-FTIR spectroscopy.
References:
[1] Ch. Wöll, Prog. Surf. Sci. 82 (2007) 55.
NSE_07
KEMIE, which is the German acronym for “Children experience chemistry with their
parents”, is a project for children from the third to the fifth grade and their parents. During a
period of nine months the participants research and carry out experiments at the Alfried
Krupp-Schülerlabor of the Ruhr-University.
A central guideline of the project KEMIE and the subsequent advanced project KEMIEplus is
the engagement with scientific inquiry, especially scientific methods of thinking and operation
[1]. The reason for focusing on this guideline are several studies which indicate that children
have difficulties with implementing the experimental method [2, 3].
That is why the project KEMIE is concerned with analyzing parts of the experimental
method: The aim is to examine to what extent children’s and parents’ knowledge regarding the
processes of generating, testing and evaluating hypotheses develops by participating in the
project. Therefore, we apply an already existing test about the logic of experimentation [4, 5]
in a slightly modified version: instead of conducting interviews the test is converted into a
questionnaire. Thus, the study includes all of the overall 96 children and their parents.
References:
[1] Sommer, K.; Russek, A.; Kleinhorst, H.: KEMIE – Kinder erleben mit ihren Eltern Chemie. Didaktische
Konzeption und Umsetzung eines langfristig angelegten Eltern-Kind-Projektes. In: Chemkon (im Druck).
[2] Hammann, M.: Kompetenzentwicklungsmodelle. In: MNU 57 (2004) 4, S. 196-203.
[3] de Jong, T.; van Joolingen, W. R.: Scientific Discovery Learning with Computer Simulations of Conceptual
Domains. In: Review of Educational Research 68 (1998) 2, S. 179-201.
[4] Bullock, M.; Ziegler, A.: Scientific reasoning: Developmental and individual differences. In: Weinert, F.E.;
Schneider, W. (Hrsg.): Individual development from 3 to 12. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 1999,
S. 38-54.
[5] Grygier, P.: Wissenschaftsverständnis von Grundschülern im Sachunterricht. Verlag Julius Klinkhardt, Bad
Heilbrunn 2008.
NSE_08
Wave propagation in porous media is of importance in many seismic applications and in the
investigation of geophysics. While successful models exist for fully saturated rocks, the
studies of partially saturated porous stone still have to clear some hurdles. The latter cover
special physical phenomena, which only appear in residual saturated material, like capillary-
induced resonance of trapped fluid compounds or wave-induced fluid flow. Therefore it is of
great interest to include the resonance effects of single liquid clusters in a multiscale
continuum theory.
solid gas
References
[1] Hilpert, M., Jirka, G.H. and Plate, E.J., Capillarity-induced resonance of oil blobs in capillary tubes and por-
ous media, Geophysics, 65(3), 874-883, 2000.
[2] Steeb, H., Frehner, M. and Schmalholz, S., Waves in residual-saturated porous media, Generalized Con-
tinuum Mechanics: One Hundread years after the Cosserats, G.A. Maugin and A.V. Metrikine (Eds.), Spring -
er, New York, 2010 (accepted).
NSE_09
Modular plants consist of modules, which are standardized, autonomously operating parts of
the plant. These modules are technically and organizationally limited areas of the plant, which
fulfill defined tasks. Starting with these modules, companies can create capacity either by
equaling-up modules from general structures or by numbering-up equipment. In the chemical
industry, this approach has not been employed extensively hitherto, although this industry
faces challenges similar to other industries. These are, in particular, increasing global
competition, shorter product life cycles, and more volatile markets that are difficult to
forecast. Therefore, more flexible production concepts, like modular plants, may help to meet
such challenges.
Here we compare the economics of a modular chemical plant with those of a traditional large-
scale plant by investigating investment and operation costs, combined with revenues, using a
net present value analysis. This analysis reveals that the modular plant displays earlier
breakeven points but will eventually be overtaken by the large-scale plant because of the
latter’s economies of scale.
To date, economies of scale have dictated the construction of large-scale plants, but our results
show that, in certain cases, smaller modular plants can be more advantageous economically.
In these cases, the effects of flexibility surpass the effects of scale.
NSE_10
A pulsed-power experiment has been designed to produce arc-shaped magnetic flux tubes
similar to ascending solar flares. The tubes are filled with hydrogen plasma and expand with
a velocity of about 2.5 cm/µs, while keeping their minor radius of about 1.5 cm constant
during their lifetime of about 10 µs. In order to characterize the plasma regime and to
investigate relevant magnetohydrodynamic phenomena, accurate data on parameters like
electron density and mean energy are essential.
For measuring the line integrated electron density a CO2 laser interferometer is set up at a
fixed position. Time resolved measurements of the discharge arc’s passage across the
laser beam allow for the measurement of the radial profile of the line-integrated electron
density. Results are compared to measurements taken with an electrostatic probe at the
same position.
The magnetic field of the arc is investigated employing induction probes. From the current-
generated magnetic field, information about the arc’s propagation and expansion is obtained.
Furthermore, the derived plasma conditions indicate the possibility of magnetic flux being
frozen into the plasma.
NSE_11
Physical Chemistry II
Ruhr-Universität Bochum, 44780 Bochum, Germany
email: meike.mischo@rub.de
Various prevalent skin diseases are associated with an alteration in water content of the skin
compared to the skin of young and healthy subjects. Also the skin of older subjects shows
altered water content. Judged by its appearance, the skin of many HIV patients resembles the
skin of older subjects.
In order to detect differences in the molecular composition and especially the water content, a
pilot study with skin samples from several patients of each group was carried out using
Raman spectroscopy. The groups investigated were especially skin of young & healthy
subjects, of old & healthy subjects, of eczema patients and HIV patients.
Confocal Raman Technology was employed to measure changes in the molecular
composition. In contrast to previous studies of skin with Raman spectroscopy we were able to
probe not only the surface layers of the skin but also the deepest layers - all in the same skin
sample.
The results show that the samples show a clear signature in the Raman spectra. The ultimate
aim is to find parameters for the classification of skin pathologies and treatment indications.
NSE_12
The plasma resonance spectroscopy is a well established plasma diagnostic method and real-
ized in several designs. Based on Hilbert-space methods it is possible to derive a general
mathematical solution for arbitrary diagnostic designs. An analysis shows the main feature of
this family of methods, it is the ability of the system to resonate. An interpretation in terms of
a lumped element circuit reveals the main weakness of certain realizations. A complicated res-
onance structure that impedes a clear and simple analysis of the measured spectrum is ob-
served.
The multipole resonance probe (MRP) is presented as an idea to overcome this problem in
terms of a high geometrical and electrical symmetry [1]. To determine its resonance structure
an analytic expression for the probe response is needed. We are able to derive an analytic
solution because of this special diagnostic design.
After theoretical investigations we build up the first prototype of the MRP, and can show its
applicability for the measurement of the electron density in technological plasmas. Therefore,
we measure the absorption spectrum by a network analyzer in the range of approximately 100
MHz to 10 GHz. It shows characteristic resonances from which plasma parameters like the
electron density can be derived by the analytical expression for the resonance frequencies.
References
[1] M. Lapke et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 93, 051502 (2008).
NSE_14
Thin film deposition by plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD) is an estab-
lished technique. Advantages are the control of deposition rate, stoichiometry and crystallinity
of the films [1]. Within the project, the influence of a substrate bias on the material properties
during thin film deposition from plasma is investigated. The external bias voltage manipulates
the energy distribution function of the ions impinging on the substrate (IEDF) [2]. An optim-
ized ion bombardment can significantly improve film properties like film hardness, adhesion,
crystallinity, or wear resistance. Here, we report on the influence of sinus RF biasing at 1
MHz on the crystallinity of aluminium oxide films. The films are prepared in a RF magnetron
discharge, which is used for reactive sputtering of an aluminium target. The temperature of
the substrate is varied and reaches up to 700 °C.
First results show that the orientation of the crystal structure can be manipulated by the vari-
ation of bias voltage. Theses and subsequent results will help to optimize the Al 2O3 deposition
process and to reveal the role of the ion energy in the film growth in the future. The work is
funded by DFG within SFB-TR 87.
References
[1] Y. Yamada-Takamura et al., Characterization of α-phase aluminum oxide films deposited by filtered vacuum
arc. Surf. Coat. Tech. 142-144, pp. 260-264. 2001.
[2] T. Baloniak. Erzeugung maßgeschneideter Ionen-Energieverteilungsfunktionen in Niederdruckplasmen. PhD
Thesis. 2010.
NSE_15
In the past years, a particular type of atmospheric pressure plasma emerged: non equilibrium
microplasmas that operate at low power (< 50 W) and allow the treatment of or deposition on
thermolabile substrates. One of the possible applications is a deposition of SiO 2 films. It has
already been shown that anorganic carbon free SiO2 films can be deposited by means of
several types of these jets.
The main problems are the high film porosity, which is usually controlled by energetic ion
bombardment in low pressure plasmas, and the limited knowledge of the plasma chemistry
involved. The latter one is due to difficulties connected with microplasma diagnostics. More
understanding and optimisation of deposition process are needed to improve the film
properties.
Here we report on the deposition of SiO 2 film by means of microplasma jets driven by RF
voltage and operated in Ar or He as plasma forming gas. Hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDSO)
and O2 are used as precursor to generate SiO 2. The SiO2 film composition is measured by
FTIR and XPS as functions of varying plasma parameters and distance between jet effluent
and film substrate and compared with the gas phase analysed by means of molecular beam
mass-spectrometry.
NSE_16
EFFICIENT IMPLEMENTATION OF
HARDWARE ORIENTED NUMERICS
Dirk Ribbrock
Bound residues of hydrophobic organic compounds develop mainly through interactions with
soil organic matter (SOM), either through sorption to specific sites (i.e. hydrophobic cavities)
or through slow diffusion into less accessible domains. The relative density and flexibility of
SOM is affected by cations at the exchange sites. Strongly hydrated monovalent cations (i.e.
Na+) cause SOM to expand and thus make it more accessible to xenobiotics. Polyvalent
cations (i.e Ca2+ or Al3+) reduce the volume and flexibility of SOM through cation bridging,
which can thus limit diffusion of xenobiotics into the matrix and back out again. In our study,
we wanted to test two hypotheses: (1) the structural conformation of SOM affects sorption
and desorption kinetics of xenobiotics and thus influences the formation of "bound residues"
during aging. (2) The addition of substrates can enhance the biodegradation of bound
residues, either through co-metabolism or through enhanced degradation of the sorbent
(priming effects).
NSE_19
The Long Term Evolution (LTE) is the successor technology of the 3G wireless system. The
high data rates enabled by LTE can benefit from a strong computational power provided by
today's high-performance embedded processors. In this work we therefore utilize a multi-core
processor to increase the LTE system throughput in the mobile terminal. We investigate the
dynamic memory allocation scheme for the LTE protocol stack, modeled using Specification
and Description Language (SDL), as the underlying issue with migrating from single to
multiple cores. We discover that, under some schemes, multi-core performance becomes
inferior to a single-core, especially in case of intensive dynamic memory allocation and
deallocation. By modifying the SDL system's run time kernel we implement a static memory
management scheme. This is supplemented by a selective usage of resource protection in
single- and dual-core situations. As a result, an increase of the system throughput by about
75% can be observed when migrating from one core to two cores.
NSE_20
Dynamics of metastable argon atoms (Ar*( 3P2) state) in continuous wave complex plasma has
been investigated by laser induced fluorescence. Different mixtures of argon plasma with
acetylene have been used, including nanometer-sized dust particles produced by reactive
plasma polymerization. Experiments were performed in 0.1 mbar, symmetrically driven CCP
discharge at 13.56 MHz.
Density and axial distribution of metastable atoms have been deduced by absorption and LIF
experiments with an external cavity single-mode diode laser. The axial distribution of
metastable atoms is recorded within a cycle of growth of dust particles and the formation of a
void (dust-free region in the plasma). In pure argon plasma, ionization is located in the
negative glow near electrodes. After introducing acetylene, metastable density decreases due
to the quenching of Ar* by acetylene. Formation of negatively charged nanoparticles leads to
an increase of the ionization rate, sustaining of the discharge and provokes the enhancement
of metastable density. After 20 minutes, the void starts to form, leading to the decrease of the
dust density and the ionization rate. Due to this effect, the metastable density decays until the
dust particles disappear and a new cycle of dust formation starts. We discuss different
mechanisms responsible for the behavior of metastable atoms.
References:
[1] Stefanović, Sadeghi, Winter, J. Phys. D: App. Phys. 43, 2010, 152003.
NSE_21
The industrial methanol production from CO, CO 2 and H2 over binary Cu/ZnO and ternary
Cu/ZnO/Al2O3 solid state catalysts1 has been the subject of a large number of studies aiming
to unravel the details of the underlying mechanism 2 as a prototype of the so-called strong
metal support interaction (SMSI) in heterogeneous catalysis which depends on the Cu/ZnO
interface.3 Since Tauster and Fung first reported that the chemisorption capacity of H 2 and CO
decreased significantly for supported metal catalysts in the SMSI condition, there has been
continuing discussion as to whether the phenomenon was caused by electronic or by
geometric/morphological effects.4 Hereby we present our new results on the efficient surface
decoration of these ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) to obtain not aggregated, Hexadecylamine
(HAD) surfactant stabilized and soluble very small Cu/ZnO NPs with varied content of the Cu
component. The photocatalytic property of the ZnO NPs was used for efficient and selective
photo-assisted decomposition of the Cu precursor [Cu{OCH(CH 3)CH2N(CH3)2}2] at the ZnO
surface. The focus of the work described below is the substantiation of the anticipated
interfacial contact of Cu and ZnO by the combination of spectroscopic techniques (UV-Vis,
photoluminescence and RAMAN spectroscopy).5
References:
[1] Cornils B et al., Catalysis from A to Z, Wiley-VCH, Weinheim, 2003.
[2] Kurtz M et al., Angew. Chem., Int. Ed., 2005, 44, 2790.
[3] Waugh K. C., Catal. Today, 1992, 15, 51.
[4] Tauster J S et al., J. Am.Chem. Soc., 1978, 100, 170.
[5] Sliem M A et al., Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2010, 12, 9858.
NSE_22
The ability to build trust relations is fundamental to human beings. Trust describes an
unidirectional feeling which exists between two members of a trust system. This feeling is on
the one hand influenced by the individual experience regarding the events during direct
interaction between the two members. On the other hand it is influenced by the reputation that
one of the two members has within the trust system.
Trust and reputation are not independent of each other due to the fact, that an opinion one
member has about another member is influenced by third parties. Both, trust and reputation
are feelings that contain a certain amount of risk and uncertainty. The challenge is to transfer
this human behaviour to a machine processable model without neglecting the factors risk and
uncertainty. Such a trust model could be used to build a decentralized trust management
system, deployable for various applications such as filesharing, sensor networks or in
distributed computing environments (grid, cloud). Furthermore, a decentralized trust system
can be easily modified for centralized applications, including, but not limiting to, online
market platforms such as eBay, Amazon or product rating and review systems such as
Epinions or Bizrate.
NSE_23
Cleaning, sterilization and decontamination of medical instruments are key processes in the
medical field and in pharmacological industry. The main objective of these processes is to
remove, inactivate or destroy all pathogens in order to prevent infections, inflammations or
transmission of diseases connected to their presence. However, the traditionally employed
techniques suffer from certain limitations. Therefore a new sterilization and decontamination
technique is urgently required. One promising alternative is plasma sterilisation, which is the
topic of this presentation.
|A plasma sterilization setup has been built and characterized. First microbiological tests show
promising results. A reduction of 106 germs is possible within seconds. These results as well
as the basic physical characterization with optical emission spectroscopy and temperature
measurements will be presented and discussed.
NSE_24
Scheme 1
References:
[1] Ali Afzali, et. al.,. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 124, (30), 8812-8813, 2002
NSE_25
References:
[1] Murdoch L.C. and L.N. Germanovich, Analysis of a deformable fracture in permeable material, International
Journal for numerical and Analytical Methods in Geomechanics 30, 529-561 (2006).
[2] Murphy H., C. Huang, Z. Dash, G. Zyvoloski and A. White: Semianalytical solutions for fluid flow in rock
joints with pressure-dependent openings, Water Resources Research 40 (2004).
NSE_26
In this work, the water-assisted ALD growth of Gd 2O3 thin films using the homoleptic
gadolinium guanidinate precursor [Gd{(iPrN)2CNMe2}3]1, referred to as [Gd(DPDMG)3] is
investigated. With this precursor, surface controlled, self-limiting ALD-type growth with a
growth rate of ~ 1.1 Å/cycle was observed within a broad temperature window of 175 –
275°C on Si(100) substrates (Fig.1a). The self-limiting character of the film growth was also
verified (Figure 1b). The as-deposited Gd2O3 films were polycrystalline as revealed by
HRTEM and XRD analysis.
Figure 1. Gd2O3 growth rate as a function of (a) the deposition temperature and (b) the [Gd(DPDMG) 3] pulse
time. Inset: dependence of the Gd2O3 film thickness on the number of deposition cycles at 225 °C for the
[Gd(DPDMG)3]/H2O process. Right: HRTEM cross sectional images of Gd 2O3/Si grown at 225°C.
In summary, Gd2O3 thin films of superior structural quality with very low leakage current
were deposited with growth rates of 1.1 Å/cycle in a surface controlled, self-limiting ALD
process. The superior performance of [Gd(DPDMG)3] is attributed to the increased basicity of
the guanidinato ligand relative to thd, which facilitates a fast and selective reaction with the
OH surface functionalities and the adsorbed water. On the basis of the electrical
characterization, it appears that the Gd2O3 films could be potential candidates for the
replacement of SiO2-based gate dielectrics in future CMOS devices. The key to success was
the use of a tailored all-nitrogen coordinated tris-guanidinato-Gd precursor that combines
several advantageous properties, including high and selective reactivity towards water at low
temperatures.
Life Sciences
LS_1
Environmental enrichment (EE) for long periods is known to induce structural and functional
changes in the adult brain. Among those learning performance of hippocampus dependent
tasks is enhanced and hippocampal synaptic plasticity is altered. In this study changes in
hippocampal synaptic plasticity of freely behaving mice due to short-term EE were examined
which might allow to conclude on functional improvements.
Electrodes were implanted into the hippocampus of adult mice. After recovery basal synaptic
plasticity was tested and compared to synaptic plasticity evoked after EE for a period of two
weeks. During enrichment mice were reared either solitarily or in groups. After reintroduction
into standard conditions for six weeks, group housed animals were re-exposed to EE.
After two weeks of EE no alterations in a robust form of LTP could be detected. We assumed
that the strength of LTP may underlie the lack of effect, and in fact, enhancing the stimulation
did not strengthen LTP. Hence we elicited LTP of a weaker level. Re-assessment of weak
LTP after two weeks of EE pointed out a significant enhancement. This benefit was persistent
for one week after cessation of EE. Interestingly Re-enrichment had no effect on weak
hippocampal LTP. Similary no changes could be denoted by solitary enrichment.
Thus the effect of EE seems to relate to social interaction and novelty of the environment.
LS_2
Sandalwood oil is obtained from the East Asian sandalwood tree (Santalum album L.). The
essential oil is a quite rare and therefore expensive substance which is extensively used in the
fragrance industry. In the past, considerable effort was invested to synthesize a variety of
cheaper substitutes with similar odor qualities. However, their effect on skin physiology is
largely unknown. In the present study the effect of synthetic sandalwood odorants on human
skin cells is analyzed.
In calcium imaging experiments several synthetic sandalwood odorants (Sandalore,
Sandranol, Javanol and Ebanol) have been identified that induce transient calcium signals
when applied to human skin cells. Further pharmacological characterization of the Sandalore-
induced calcium elevation revealed an involvement of a cAMP-depended signaling pathway.
Moreover, long term stimulation with Sandalore leads to an increase in keratinocyte
proliferation. Finally, RNA analysis confirmed the expression of an olfactory receptor,
OR2AT4, in human keratinocytes which is a potential target for Sandalore in the recombinant
HEK293 system.
Analysis of the chemoreceptive properties of human keratinocytes will help to enhance our
understanding on physiological and pathophysiological processes of the skin.
LS_3
According to their preferred growth temperature, bacteria can be divided into groups. Those
preferring moderate growth temperatures (optimum around 37°C) belong to the mesophiles,
whereas bacteria living in warmer habitats (up to ~80°C) are called thermophiles. To avoid
hazardous consequences, free-living bacteria have to constantly monitor and respond to
temperature changes. RNA thermometers provide a direct way of sensing temperature shifts
and immediately responding to them. RNA thermometers are cis-acting elements in the
5´untranslated region (5´UTR) of the mRNA of genes involved in the heat shock response or
in virulence. At low temperatures, the mRNA folds into a complex structure, thereby blocking
the ribosome binding site (RBS) via base pairing. Thus, translation is inhibited. Due to an
upshift in temperature, the structure melts, liberating the RBS and enabling formation of the
translation initiation complex [1]. Here, we present two extraordinary RNA thermometers,
both being involved in regulation of the heat shock response. The first one, located in the
5´UTR of the htrA-mRNA in Salmonella, represents an exceptionally short RNA
thermometer. The second one originates from the thermophilic cyanobacterium
Thermosynechococcus elongatus and regulates translation of the hspA-mRNA, thereby being
the first known thermophilic RNA thermometer.
References
[1] Klinkert, B. and Narberhaus, F., Cell Mol Life Sci, 2009, 66, 2661-2676.
LS_4
1
International Graduate School of Neuroscience, Ruhr University Bochum; 2Department
of Neurophysiology, Medical Faculty, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstr. 150, D-
44780 Bochum, Germany;
e-mail: jana.kenney@rub.de
The hippocampus mediates the acquisition of different memory types, presumably through
expression of different forms of synaptic plasticity.Over the last decade evidence has
accumulated to corroborate the hypothesis that the hippocampus is functionally differentiated
along its dorsoventral axis. In contrast to the wealth of data available on synaptic plasticity
mechanisms in the dorsal hippocampus, little is known about synaptic plasticity processes in
the intermediate and ventral hippocampus. This was the subject of the present study.
Rats underwent implantation of a stimulation electrode into the perforant path, and either co-
implantation of recording electrodes in the dorsal and ventral dentate gyrus (DG) or separate
implantations. In the first stage of the project, evoked potentials, long-term depression and
short- and long-term potentiation was examined and compared. In the second stage, the effect
of combining a weak potentiation protocol with a behavioral paradigm (exposition to a novel
environment) was studied.
Our result suggest that afferent input from the entorhinal cortex generates a different profile
of responses in the dorsal vs the ventral DG, which may in turn relate to their possibly distinct
roles in synaptic information processing and memory formation. As the ventral DG has been
recently implicated in the pathophysiology of mood disorders, information contributing to
clarification of its physiological function could be of potential clinical interest.
LS_5
Methods: 18 younger and 20 older subjects completed a feedback learning task in which a 5
cent coin was hidden in one of 6 boxes (2 rows of 3 boxes) on each of 660 trials. After
choosing among two displays of preselected boxes, subjects could learn the hiding-rule
(hiding-place always in the lower row) via feedback (reward vs. non-reward). Throughout the
task, 30 scalp sites were used for electroencephalograpy recording.
Results: Older subjects learned more slowly than younger subjects. FRN amplitude was
generally reduced in older subjects and higher for unexpected compared to expected negative
feedback in both groups.
Conclusion: FRN amplitude was reduced in older subjects despite comparable performance
accuracy. The general FRN amplitude attenuation in older subjects is in line with reports of
age-related striatal and midbrain changes and suggests a reduced sensitivity to reward
magnitude.
LS_6
References:
[1] Yura T. et al., Annu Rev Microbiol, 1993, 47, 321-350.
[2] Narberhaus F. et al., FEMS Microbiol Rev, 2006, 30, 3-16.
[3] Waldminghaus T et al., Biol Chem, 2005, 386, 1279-1286.
LS_7
1
Department of Cell Physiology, Ruhr University Bochum, 22780 Bochum, Germany,
2
Ruhr University Research School, 3Department of General Zoology and Neurobiology,
Ruhr University Bochum, 22780 Bochum, Germany
Email: Matthias.luebbert@rub.de
LS_8
1
Department of Cell Morphology and Molecular Neurobiology, Ruhr University Bochum,
Germany
2
International Graduate School of Neuroscience, Ruhr University Bochum, Germany
3
Neurophysiology, Department of Medicine, Ruhr University Bochum, Germany
4
Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg,
Germany
e-mail: Veronika.Luft@rub.de
LS_9
1
International Graduate School of Neuroscience, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstr.
150, D-44780 Bochum, Germany; 2 Department of Neurology St.-Josef Hospital, Ruhr
University Bochum, 3Department of Nephrology, Heinrich-Heine-University Dusseldorf,
Germany
e-mail: arndt.manzel@t-online.de
References
LS_10
LS_11
1
Department of Neurology, St. Josefs Hospital, Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany
2
International Graduate School of Neuroscience, Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany
e-mail: Reick.Christiane@rub.de
LS_13
1
Department of Cell Morphology and Molecular Neurobiology, Faculty of Biology and
Biotechnology, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, 44780 Bochum, Germany
2
International Graduate School of Neuroscience, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, 44780
Bochum, Germany
3
Department of Neurophysiology, Faculty of Medicine, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, 44780
Bochum, Germany
e-mail: lars.roll@rub.de
Regeneration of the central nervous system (CNS) after lesion is severely limited in
mammals. One strategy pursued to improve function in the diseased CNS is the implantation
of neural stem or progenitor cells. The visual cortex represents an appropriate model system
for regeneration and plasticity studies due to its convenient accessibility and the extensive
knowledge about synaptic plasticity and reorganisation in this region.
In a first step, laser lesions of a defined size will be inflicted to the mouse visual cortex. Mice
offer the advantage of manifold available knock-out strains. This will allow to compare the
behaviours of different cell populations on the one hand and to detect possible differences in
knock-out situations on the other hand. A particular emphasis will be given to extracellular
matrix (ECM) molecules.
Implanted cells can be identified in the host tissue by green fluorescent protein (GFP)
expression. Cell division, migration, differentiation and integration of the implanted cells will
be analysed in vivo and in vitro in organotypic slice cultures of the visual cortex. This
combined approach will yield useful information about the repair potential of neural stem
cells in cortical lesions.
LS_14
1
Department of Cellphysiology; Ruhr-Universität Bochum, 44780 Bochum, Germany
2
Department of Physiology; University of Utah, School of medicine, Salt Lake City, USA
e-mail: Anna-Christina.Sondersorg@ruhr-uni-bochum.de
The trigeminal nerve constitutes the fifth cranial nerve and provides tactile, proprioceptive
and nociceptive afferences that innervate the facial skin, eyes, mouth and the nasal mucosa.
Previous work including studies on anosmic patients indicates a functional contribution of the
trigeminal nerve to odor detection in vivo. High concentrations of most odors typically
provoke trigeminal sensations in vivo, but only certain odors elicit responses in mouse
trigeminal monocultures. This leads to the suggestion that trigeminal perception may require a
transfer of sensory information via crosstalk with additional cell types of the peripheral
innervation area. The expression of several chemoreceptors such as olfactory receptor
proteins and TRP channels as well as their ability to respond to various odors favors the idea
that keratinocytes may participate in odor detection and subsequently transmit signals to
neighboring trigeminal fibers in the epidermis.
This study is designed to a) identify odorants and other chemical substances that activate
keratinocytes but fail to stimulate trigeminal neurons alone, b) to detect potential
communications between skin keratinocytes and trigeminal neurons induced by these
substances and c) to identify possible transmitter molecules.
Using the calcium imaging technique we screened substances with focus on odorants that
reproducibly elicit calcium responses in keratinocytes, but not in trigeminal neurons.
Sandalore and Sandranol, two derivates of sandalwood oil, as well as Histamine turned out to
be good candidates. In contrast to monocultures we could detect increased numbers of
calcium signals in trigeminal neurons in a co-culture approach induced by Sandalore and
Histamine. These results support our hypothesis of an information transfer from keratinocytes
to trigeminal neurons.
LS_15
1
Biochemistry I, Cation Channel Group, Ruhr-University Bochum, 44780 Bochum,
Germany.
2
Department of Physiology I, University of Tuebingen, 72074 Tuebingen, Germany.
3
Ruhr-University Research School and Graduate School of Chemistry and Biochemistry,
Ruhr-University Bochum, 44780 Bochum, Germany.
e-mail: Katja.Steinke@rub.de
The plateau phase of the ventricular action potential is the result of balanced Ca2+ influx and
K+ efflux in cardiac myocytes. The action potential is finally terminated by repolarising K+
currents. Under β-adrenergic stimulation both, the Ca2+ influx and delayed rectifier K+
currents IK are stimulated to maintain cardiac action potential length in a certain range to
allow a tightly controlled increase in net Ca2+ influx. The intracellular Ca2+ level is controlled
by a Calsequestrin2 (CASQ2)-ryanodine receptor complex, which serves as the most effective
Ca2+ store and is located in the sarcoplasmic reticulum. Here, we study the effects of CASQ2
mutations R33Q, F189L and D307H located in highly conserved regions on the functions of
cardiac potassium channels in Xenopus oocytes using two electrode voltage clamp. As a
result, CASQ2 wild type and CASQ2-mutants modulate the IKr current, based on the hERG
channel. Further, molecular dynamics simulations suggest alterations in the dynamic behavior
of the CASQ2 mutants compared to CASQ2 wild type. These in vitro data suggest a
regulatory role of CASQ2 for hERG channels which in turn may impact etiology of
Catecholamine-induced Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia (CPVT).
LS_16
1
Department of Biochemistry I – Receptor Biochemistry;
2
RUB Research School;
3
DFG Graduate School 736 – Development and Plasticity of the Nervous System;
Ruhr-Universität Bochum, 44780 Bochum, Germany
e-mail: jan.terhag@rub.de
family are known to interact with transmembrane AMPA receptor regulatory proteins
(TARPs), which are homologues to the VGCC γ subunits. There is evidence in the literature
that AMPA receptors form complexes with postsynaptically localized VGCCs and there
accessory subunits [1].
The aim of this work is to elucidate putative interactions of VGCC auxiliary subunits with
AMPA receptors. Here we show that the α δ subunit of VGCCs down-regulates the
2
LS_17
Large-scale geophysical monitoring systems raise the need for real-time feature extraction
and signal classification. We study support vector machine (SVM) classification of
hydroacoustic signals recorded by the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty's verification
network. Due to constraints in the early signal processing most samples have different feature
sets with values missing not at random. We propose kernel functions explicitly incorporating
Boolean representations of the missingness patterns through dedicated sub-kernels. Model
selection using gradient ascent on the kernel-target alignment and different extensions of
SVMs for multiple classes were employed. While too complex kernel functions led to
overfitting, SVMs with less flexible kernels outperformed baseline methods.
LS_18
1
Learning and Memory Research, Department of Neurophysiology; 2International
graduate school of Neuroscience; 3Research School; Ruhr-Universität Bochum, 44780
Bochum, Germany
e-mail: valentina.kopp@rub.de
|The acute application of NMDA receptor antagonists, such as MK801 (dizolcilpine), have
been shown to induce psychotic symptoms in humans and to give rise to an acute and short-
lasting behavioral state in rats, which mirrors many symptoms of schizophrenia. It has
therefore been adopted as an animal model of psychosis. In the present study we examined
changes in LTP after a single MK801 injection over a prolonged period. In control animals,
high frequency stimulation (HFS) elicited robust LTP that persisted for over 24h and was not
different from pretreatment LTP at any investigated point of time. One week after MK801
treatment, LTP was severely impaired, exhibiting a smaller induction magnitude and enduring
for ca. 2h. In the second and third weeks after MK801, application of HFS resulted in LTP
that was not significantly different compared to pretreatment LTP. Interestingly, by 4.5 weeks
after MK801-treatment, HFS elicited LTP that was again significantly impaired compared to
pretreatment LTP. These data suggest that a single MK801 injection elicits functional changes
that result in an initial LTP impairment, followed by transient recovery and subsequently by a
new reduction in the ability to express synaptic plasticity. These changes may reflect
cognitive disturbances that occur in episodes of psychosis.
LS_19
1
Department of Biochemistry I, Ruhr-University Bochum, 44780 Bochum, Germany
2
Graduate School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Ruhr-University Bochum Research
School
3
Center of Excellence for Cardiovascular Safety Research & Mechanistic Pharmacology,
Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research and Development, Division of Janssen
Pharmaceutica N.V., B-2340, Beerse, Belgium
e-mail: Eva.Wrobel@rub.de
Cardiac potassium channels are membrane proteins that enable controlled ion passage through
cellular membranes to allow electrical control of the cardiac cell. In a variety of acquired as
well as inherited channelopathies, the function of these channels is altered. Thus, channel
modulators that restore normal channel function are promising candidates for the treatment of
these potentially fatal diseases. However, to date only a limited set of channel inhibitors and
few channel activators are known. In cardiac myocytes the repolarizing potassium current
results from the two currents IKr (Kv11.1) and IKs (Kv7.1+KCNE1). The concerted activity of
these currents is crucial for the precise timing and efficiency of cardiac repolarization,
indicating a functional interaction of these two channels. Furthermore, recent studies
suggested that there might be a more direct modulation of IKr and IKs. A novel compound
reported to inhibit cardiac IKs channels is JNJ-303. Consistently, binding of 3H-JNJ-303 could
be detected in a binding assay. Here, we report that JNJ-303 modulates IKs channel gating.
Further, we want to clarify if co-expression of Kv11.1 α-subunits alters the effective
inhibiting concentration of JNJ-303 on IKs channels. Finally, we have started to gain insights
into the molecular mechanisms underlying these effects by 3D-homology modeling, drug
docking and all-atoms-mobile molecular dynamic calculations.
.
LS_20
1
Medical Faculty, Department of Neurophysiology, 2International Graduate School of
Neuroscience; Ruhr-Universität Bochum, 44780 Bochum, Germany; 3University of
Szeged, Dept. of Medical Chemistry, Dóm tér 8. H-6720 Szeged Hungary.
e-mail: Honghong.Yang@rub.de
Adult male rats were implanted with a stimulating electrode in the medial perforant path and a
recording electrode in the hippocampal dentate gyrus. Abeta (1-42) or vehicle was applied via
the ipsilateral cerebral ventricle. High frequency stimulation (HFS, 200 Hz), applied 30min
after vehicle injection elicited LTP that lasted for at least 24h. In young adults, Abeta
injection resulted in LTP that lasted for <3h. The initial (induction) phases of LTP remained
intact. In aged rats, HFS given 30min after Abeta resulted in a similarly impaired LTP that
lasted no longer than 3h. These data suggests that a single injection of oligomeric Abeta has
an accute effect on the ability of the hippocampus to express LTP both in young and aged
adults.
Humanities and Social Sciences
HSS_01
In a sustainable value in use, the full cost of goods and services should be taken into account.
The full cost of water is composed of 5 items
Operational and management cost, and capital charges which are covered by private cost.
Opportunity cost, economic and environmental externalities which are some parts of social cost
of water.
The main idea of my research is to study the distance between private and social cost of water
supply in agriculture, emphasizing on the economic and environmental externalities. The main
feature of external effects, and the main difficulty for evaluating them, is that there is no market.
To reach to this goal,
• The externalities of agriculture water consumption should be defined.
• The best technique for estimating the externalities among different available techniques is
chosen. The choice depends on the time, financial resources, social and cultural setting
within the area etc.
• Then the cost of externalities is estimated.
HSS_02
CINDERELLA’S BIRTH
THE FOUNDING OF COLLECTIONS OF MEDICAL
HISTORICAL DEPARTMENTS AND INSTITUTES OF
GERMAN UNIVERITIES IN THE 20TH AND 21TH
CENTURY
Karin Bastian
Institute for Medical Ethics and History of Medicine; Ruhr-Universität Bochum, 44780
Bochum, Germany
e-mail: karin.bastian@rub.de
In scholarship, collections of universities have been summarized under the term “Cinderella
Collections”. This linguistic analogy is supposed to illustrate the negligence of many valuable
collections in the daily routine of university.
My dissertation aims to depict an earlier picture of these collections. I will not examine the
current cinderellean status of the university collections but rather focus on the act of founding
and formation or, to stay within the linguistic analogy, their birth, using the example of the
discipline of History of Medicine.
To date, no comprehensive study of the formation of medical historical collections exists.
Individual studies, limited to only a few institutes, are available but scattered. A large number
of histories of origin have not been academically treated at all, yet.
The treatise will examine medical historical object collections at medical historical chairs of
German universities. The focus will be laid on the analysis and interpretation of files as well
as on Oral History as means of source creation. A comparison of the different histories of
origin should demonstrate whether mutual catalysts of formation exist or whether every
collection is unique in its history of origin.
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND THE PRESS AT
GERMANY AND ITALY IN 1968
Florian Bock
Abstract: This PhD project analyzes the relationship between the Catholic Church and the
mass media in Germany and Italy during the time after the Second Vatican Council: The
dissertation project points out the history of the Catholic weekly “Publik“, which was
published in Germany for only three years – from 1968 to 1971. Financed by the German
bishops, “Publik“ positioned itself between the church and the (secular) world to realize the
“Aggiornamento“ of the Second Vatican Council. This idea, however, was not very
successful: “Publik“ died young, officially because the costs were too expensive. But what
were the exact reasons for this ending? A completely different picture of the relationship of
the Catholic Church and the press one can observe in Italy: The Catholic daily “Avvenire“,
also founded in 1968 and financed by the Italian bishops, is even today one of the most
popular newspapers there. So a comparison makes sense. In this part of the dissertation
working methods of “oral history“ (interviews with contemporary witnesses) should be used.
Purpose
Physical activity is essential in maintaining general health of elderly people. Lower body
strength and coordination are meant to be predictors of mobility and general physical activity.
The aim of this study was to assess the association between results of different functional tests
and objectively measured physical activity in elderly primary care patients.
Methods
Forty-eight community-dwelling persons (n=27 females, n=21 males) aged between
70 and 86 (mean 76.3) years were recruited through the surgeries of 6 different general
practitioners. All subjects were able to walk with (n=3) or without a walking aid (n=45). As a
measure of general physical activity subjects were instructed to wear a pedometer (with an
internal memory chip storing 7 days of data in 1-day epochs) close to the hip for the following
7 days (morning till evening). Mean number of steps per day (Steps/d) was calculated. If
possible, the following lower body functional tests were performed as measures of lower body
strength and coordination: Timed Up-and-Go (TUG: time to rise from a chair, walk 3 meters,
turn, walk back, sit down again), Chair Rising (CR: time to complete five repetitions of rising
from a chair, arms folded across the chest, and sitting down), Tandem Stand (TS: timed
attempt (maximum 10 sec) to maintain feet in the tandem position, heel of one foot directly in
front of the other foot), Tandem Walk (TW: step count of the attempt (maximum 8 steps) to
walk heel of one foot directly in front of the other foot). Spearman’s correlation was used to
assess the association between Steps/d and functional test results.
Results
All subjects (n=48) wore the pedometer for a minimum of 4 days (mean 6.6 days). Mean
Steps/d were 5492±3281 (409-14819) steps. The functional test results were (mean±SD):
TUG (n=48): 13.2±4.9 sec; CR (n=46): 16.6±6.5 sec; TS (n=48): 9.2±2.1 sec; TW (n=44)
5.3±2.9 steps. The following correlation coefficients were found between Steps/d and: TUG:
r=-0.55 (p<0.05); CR: r=-0.44 (p<0.05); TS: r=0.11 (p=0.46); TW: r=0.53 (p<0.05).
Conclusion
The results of the functional tests TUG, CR and TS are associated to objectively measured
physical activity. Training interventions aiming to improve lower body strength and
coordination of elderly primary care patients might also lead to an increase of their general
physical activity level.
References:
[1] Nelson, M. E., Rejeski, W. J., Blair, S. N., Duncan, P. W., Judge, J. O., King, A. C.,
Macera, C. A. & Castaneda-Sceppa, C. (2007). Physical activity and public health in older
adults: recommendation from the American College of Sports Medicine and the American
Heart Association. Med Sci Sports Exerc, 39(8), 1435-1445.
[2] Guralnik, J. M., Ferrucci, L., Pieper, C. F., Leveille, S. G., Markides, K. S., Ostir, G. V.,
Studenski, S., Berkman, L. F. & Wallace, R. B. (2000). Lower extremity function and
subsequent disability: consistency across studies, predictive models, and value of gait speed
alone compared with the short physical performance battery. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci,
55(4), 221-231.
HSS_04
DAS 'AUDIOVIDUUM'
EINE DISKURSGESCHICHTE DES
ANTHROPOMORPHEN IN AUDIOVISUELLEN
MEDIEN
Julia Eckel
Abstract: Stars on screens, men on monitors, persons in pixels – nearly all audiovisual media
present graphically and acoustically perceptible forms, which are identified as (human)
individuals. In the discourse of media theory, however, it is a widely and diversely discussed
topic how these “creatures” could or should be described and theoretically comprehended.
Therefore, my dissertation project wants to trace the historic discourse of anthropomorphic
figures in audiovisual media and theory, hereby dealing with the question of how far the
actually spreading digitalization implies a new impulse to the theoretical constitution and
reflection of this 'audiovisual individuals' (in short: 'audioviduals').
Menschen auf Monitoren, Figuren in Filmen, Personen aus Pixeln – fast alle audiovisuellen
Medien präsentieren grafisch-akustische Wahrnehmungs-Konfigurationen, die als
(menschliche) Individuen identifiziert werden. Die Frage allerdings, wie sich diese „Wesen“
beschreiben und theoretisch fassen lassen, ist innerhalb medientheoretischer Diskurse vielfach
und mit unterschiedlicher Schwerpunktsetzung verhandelt worden. So wird von Filmfiguren
und -stars gesprochen, von parasozial interaktionsfähigen TV-Personae, von Amateuren im
Kontext von Super-8- und Videotechnik und von Synthespians, Avataren und Vloggern im
Zeitalter des Digitalen. Gerade letztere Konzepte sind dabei als Bemühung zu Lesen
„neuartige Spezies“ innerhalb der audiovisuellen Medien in Worte zu kleiden. Sie sind ein
aktuelles Beispiel für den diskursiven Begriffsfindungsprozess, der sich seit dem Aufkommen
analoger Aufzeichnungsverfahren um die anthropomorphisierten Inhalte audiovisueller
Medien entfaltet. So erscheint die Geburt neuer Bild-und-Ton-Geschöpfe stets einherzugehen
mit der Geburt neuer Begrifflichkeiten und neuer Namen. Mein Dissertationsprojekt will
diese Diskursgeschichte des Anthropomorphen in den Medien nachzeichnen und überprüfen,
inwieweit die aktuell fortschreitende Digitalisierung einen neuen Impuls für die theoretische
Konstitution und Reflektion audiovisueller Kreaturen bedeutet.
Um den damit sehr breit gefassten Gegenstand der Betrachtungen begrifflich auf einen
Nenner zu bringen und dabei die Abgrenzung der medial vermittelten „Individuen“ von nicht-
medialen Individuen zu ermöglichen, wird der Begriff des „Audioviduums“ vorgeschlagen. Er
soll als ein Begriffsinstrument, als eine Metapher dienen, um die „Audio-Video-Individuen“
terminologisch als das zu fassen, was sie in erster Linie sind: eine sichtbare Oberfläche
und/oder hörbare Laute. Ein „Audioviduum“ wäre demnach ein medien-vermittelt akustisch-
visuelles Phänomen, das als Individuum mit menschlichen oder wesenhaften Zügen
interpretiert wird.
BORDER CONFLICTS, TERRORISM AND TRAUMA
IN SCREEN NARRATIVES OF VIOLENCE
Sophie Einwächter
Kaplan, E. Ann (2001): Melodrama, Cinema and Trauma. In: Screen 42,2 (2001), pp. 201-
205.
McIlroy, Brian (1998): Shooting to Kill. Filmmaking and the 'Troubles' in Northern Ireland.
Trowbridge, Wiltshire: Flicks Books 1998; rev. ed. 2001.
Saksena, Ritu (2006): Mapping Terrorism: Amorphous Nations, Transient Loyalties. Ph.D.-
Thesis, College Park, MD: University of Maryland 2006.
Sharma, Alpana (2008): Paradise Lost in Mission Kashmir: Global Terrorism, Local
Insurgencies, and the Question of Kashmir in Indian Cinema. In: Quarterly Review of Film
and Video 25,2 (2008), pp. 124-131.
RESSOURCEN UND RESTRIKTIONEN – DIE
BEDEUTUNG RELIGIÖSER
VERGEMEINSCHAFTUNG FÜR DIE INTEGRATION
RUSSLANDDEUTSCHER AUSSIEDLER
Frederik Elwert
Abstract: The integration of ethnic German migrants differs from the integration of other
migrant groups in some crucial aspects. After World War II, the official integration policy
was oriented towards a permanent stay and the integration into welfare state institutions.
With the rise of ethnic German immigration around 1990, the reduction of welfare state
benefits and a growing hostility of the host society lead to the formation of a self-
consciousness of ethnic Germans as a distinct group. The dissertation project deals with the
role religious communities play for the integration of ethnic Germans, both on a structural
and socio-cultural level. Applying approaches from resource theory, the benefits, but also the
restrictions arising from religious community formation are studied.
Die Integration russlanddeutscher Aussiedler in die deutsche Gesellschaft hat bereits eine
höchst wechselvolle Geschichte. Anders als bei den Arbeitsmigranten der 60er und 70er Jahre
wurde die Bleibeabsicht dieser Migrantengruppe von Anfang an vorausgesetzt.
Dementsprechend war auch die Integrationspolitik der Bundesregierung von Anfang an auf
die möglichst vollständige Inklusion der Aussiedler ausgerichtet (vgl. Bommes 2000). Mit
dem Anstieg des Aussiedlerzuzugs aus dem Gebiet der ehemaligen UdSSR um das Jahr 1990
werden die staatlichen Leistungen jedoch reduziert und die Ablehnung innerhalb der
Mehrheitsbevölkerung nimmt zu. Gleichzeitig wird die Kriminalität jugendlicher
Spätaussiedler zu einem Thema in der öffentlichen Debatte und der kriminologischen
Literatur. Die (Spät-)Aussiedler werden zunehmend als Gruppe wahrgenommen und
identifizieren sich selbst zunehmend in Abgrenzung zur deutschen Mehrheitsgesellschaft. Es
kommt zu einer Prozessen, die man nach Esser mit den Begriffen Schließung und
Ethnisierung bezeichnen kann (vgl. Esser 2008). 1
Im Dissertationsprojekt wird der Einfluss religiöser Vergemeinschaftung auf den Prozess der
Integration russlanddeutscher Aussiedler untersucht. Dabei werden analytisch strukturelle
Integration (Platzierung, Zugang zu gesellschaftlichen Funktionssystemen) und sozio-
kulturelle Integration (kulturelle, interaktive und identifikative Faktoren) unterschieden,
jedoch auch ihre wechselseitigen Abhängigkeiten in den Blick genommen.
1 Der Begriff der Ethnisierung ist natürlich in diesem Kontext nicht unproblematisch, sind die Aussiedler doch
»ethnisch Deutsche«. Dennoch lässt sich die Konstruktion einer eigenen kulturellen Identität beobachten, die
unabhängig von der »Volkszugehörigkeit« ist. Die Frage, ob Religion hier eine bedeutende Rolle spielt, ist
Gegenstand der Untersuchung.
Vor dem Hintergrund eines ressourcentheoretischen Ansatzes werden Leistungen religiöser
Gemeinschaften für die Integration von Aussiedlern in den Blick genommen. Religion scheint
insbesondere auf drei Ebenen potenziell Ressourcen zur Verfügung zu stellen. Über a)
normative Vorgaben werden Richtlinien erwünschten Verhaltens vermittelt. Diese können die
Wahrscheinlichkeit devianten Verhaltens reduzieren und somit Konflikte vermeiden. Daneben
können b) kulturelle Kompetenzen und Fähigkeiten vermittelt werden. Diese »soft skills« sind
über den religiösen Kontext hinaus generalisierbar und erhöhen die Chancen für eine
erfolgreiche Platzierung in den Institutionen der Aufnahmegesellschaft. Die c) sozialen
Beziehungsgeflechte innerhalb der religiösen Gemeinschaft selbst bieten dagegen konkrete
Unterstützungsnetzwerke, die ihren Mitgliedern spezifische Ressourcen zur Verfügung stellen
(vgl. Warner 2007).
Das Potenzial religiöser Gemeinschaften, starke Bindungen ihrer Mitglieder untereinander zu
stiften und als Identitätsmarker zu fungieren, kann jedoch die Abgrenzung von anderen
sozialen Zusammenhängen befördern und somit die sozio-kulturelle Integration behindern.
Dies schließt jedoch die Integration auf der strukturellen Ebene nicht aus. Daher bleibt offen,
ob eine solche Situation negativ bewertet werden muss, ohne Konsequenzen bleibt sie jedoch
in der Regel nicht.
Dabei verläuft religiöse Vergemeinschaftung nicht immer gleich, pauschale Aussagen über
die Leistungen religiöser Gemeinschaften und die von ihnen verursachten Restriktionen
verbieten sich daher. Viel eher müssen die spezifischen Bedingungen in den Blick genommen
werden:
• Neben der Gründung eigener (Migranten-)Gemeinden bietet sich für die Aussiedler
auch die prinzipielle Möglichkeit, sich bestehenden freikirchlichen oder
landeskirchlichen Gemeinden anzuschließen. Die Rolle dieser Gemeinden ist dabei
nicht rein passiv, sie bilden zum Teil eine eigene Politik im Umgang mit den
Aussiedlern aus.
• Die Bedingungen ändern sich, wie eingangs angesprochen, im zeitlichen Verlauf. Es
sind daher die spezifischen Bedingungen zu verschiedenen Migrationszeitpunkten in
den Blick zu nehmen: In welcher Zeit finden die Gemeindegründungen statt? Welche
Rolle spielen Kettenwanderungen? Wie gehen die Gemeinden selbst mit dem
Spätaussiedlerzuzug um?
• Um Aussagen über die Wirkung religiöser Vergemeinschaftung treffen zu können, ist
der Vergleich mit nichtreligiösen Gemeinschaften und nicht gemeinschaftlich
eingebundenen Individuen notwendig. So ist beispielsweise zu klären, ob tatsächlich
religiös begründete Normen deviantes Verhalten verhindern.
References:
There is consensus among scholars that openness and integration into the world economy is
essential to realize the potential gain from trade. International trade brings a substantial positive
change in the income growth of a trading country. There is extensive theoretical and empirical
literature supporting this argument. Given constant returns to scale, perfect competition and the
absence of distortions, traditional trade theory suggests that there are considerable welfare gains
from market integration through trade. Though the majority of empirical studies confirm the
notion that international trade brings about a substantial welfare gain, the findings are not always
robust. For the same degree of openness some countries are more likely to benefit from trade than
others. Redding and Venables (2002) indicate that during the last quarter century there have been
wide variations in countries’ export performance. As a case in point, East Asian countries real
export increased by more than 800% since the early 1970s, while the share of those of sub-
Saharan Africa increased just by 70%.
The dramatic increase in export of East Asian countries brings a spectacular economic
growth for the respective countries, while most of sub-Saharan Africa and Latin American have
been less able to harness the benefits of the openness of their countries (Borrmann et al, 2006).
The main question evolving around this welfare discrepancies would be what are the
prerequisites for a positive linkage between trade and growth and thus a successful trade
liberalization strategy? A number of policy prerequisites would help to harness the benefits of
trade. Countries that have better macroeconomic stability, well-functioning infrastructure and
competitive markets may trade more than countries where these conditions are not met.
In addition, to the above prerequisites, there are other important factors for a successful
dismantling of trade barriers. One of the requirements is having institutions of high quality. As,
Levchenko (2007) reveals an important feature of North-South trade is that it occurs between
strikingly dissimilar countries and one of an important source of dissimilarity is institutional
quality. The discrepancy in the quality of institutions might be one of the reasons for unequal
distribution of the benefits of trade between North and South.
The term institution is highly associated to the work of Douglass North. Institutions can
be defined as humanly devised constraints that shape human interactions (North, 1990 p. 3). It is
the rules of the game and enforcement mechanism in a society as defined by the prevailing
explicit and implicit behavioral norms and their ability to create appropriate incentive
mechanisms for desirable economic behavior.
Researches aimed at studying the impact of institution on export performance are very
limited. When they are available, the manner in which institutional quality is analyzed does not
capture any of the formal aspect of the institutional setting and most of these researches are
limited to cross country analysis relating institutional quality and growth. Therefore, this research
is aimed at investigating how the degree of institutional quality affects the performance of the
export sector based on selected econometric identification techniques. In addition, the research
tries to investigate if institutional quality helps to translate good export performance into tangible
economic success.
The research has the following specific objectives:
- Develop measurement techniques to test the impact of institutions on trade and
economic growth,
- Provide empirically supported hypothesis about the impact of institutional quality on
export performance,
- Contributes to the policy debate on: ‘do institutions matter and how?’
ASPECTS OF BOUNDARY CROSSING IN THE EARLY
WORK OF ITALO CALVINO
Julia Fisahn
The topic of boundary crossing within narratological texts has always been of interest and yet
represents one of the prevailing issues in the field of Narrative Studies. In particular, the
Postmodern Italian Literature attaches much importance to cross-border arguments as
intermedial contact between literature on the one hand and photography, film and music on
the other hand. While most of the recent studies concentrating on Contemporary Italian
Literature focus on intermedial references in the literature of the so called giovani scrittori
generation, this paper seeks to outline boundary crossing in the early work of Italo Calvino.
The early work of Calvino – normally seen in strong correlation to his political involvement
in Italy's anti-war resistence movement – can be categorized at a first glance as undoubtfully
neorealistic. Aside from typical neorealistic topoi, e.g. the poetics of immediacy, another
characteristic of Calvinos debut novel Il sentiero dei nidi di ragno (1947) consists in the
application of various narrative techniques in order to reflect the transposition of reality into
text: By doing so, Calvino's debut novel can be described as unmistakably neorealistic (if we
outline roughly the meaning of 'neorealism'), at the same time we are faced with stylistic and
narrative experiments which open the text to further questions as the immediate reference of Il
sentiero dei nidi di ragno to anti-fascistic reality.
To verify this thesis it is challenging to have a closer look at boundary crossing phenomena in
Il sentiero dei nidi di ragno (1947), e.g. at the scene when one of the protagonists rushes up
the stairs (chapter 11). At this point it is useful to resort to concepts and approaches from the
field of Intermedial Studies:
What approaches to research can be useful for the analysis of intermedial references in the
field of Italian Literature Studies? Could it be helpful to implement methods and concepts
from other disciplines, e.g. Film and Cultural Studies? What gains and difficulties will we
come up against by trying to broaden the perspective of Literary Studies?
References:
Calvino, Italo (1993a): Il sentiero dei nidi di ragno. Milan: Mondadori. [1947]
Calvino, Italo (1993b): „Presentazione“, in: id.: Il sentiero dei nidi di ragno. Milan:
Mondadori, 5–25. [1964]
Corti, Maria (1978): „Neorealismo“, in: ead.: Il viaggio testuale. Le ideologie e strutture
semiotiche. Turin: Einaudi, 25–110.
Nelting, David (2010): „‚Un gioco di specchi‘ – Unmittelbarkeit und Medialisierung in der
Erzählpoetik des frühen Italo Calvino (‚Il sentiero dei nidi di ragno‘)“, erscheint in:
Germanisch-Romanische Monatszeitschrift.
Rajewsky, Irina O. (2003): Intermediales Erzählen in der italienischen Literatur der
Postmoderne. Von den ‚giovani scrittori’ der 80er zum ‚pulp’ der 90er Jahre. Tübingen:
Narr.
Werner, Paul (2000): Film noir und neo-noir. Munich: Vertigo.
THE INTERNAL GERMAN BORDER
- A LITERARY CATEGORY?
Johanna M. Gelberg
The division of Germany into two countries between 1949 and 1990 has had an enormous
influence on society. People were separated from each other and a feeling of estrangement
seems to have dominated the German-German relationship. This becomes obvious in the high
amount of prejudices and stereotypes about the respective ‘other Germans’ in society and
media, which partly seem to exist until today. The separation of the countries tended to
separate the people; this went so far, that people in East and West Germany turned their backs
on each other.
The division of Germany, symptom of which was the internal German border - and from 1961
on especially the Berlin Wall -, coined Germany in the second half of the 20th century.
In 1961, just before the building of the Berlin Wall, the German author Uwe Johnson called
the border a “literary category”. 1 He supposed the border to influence not only society, but
also art, which should actually be regarded as essential part of society.
A glance at the works of this specific author proves his thesis to be true: almost any text ever
written by Johnson includes the division of Germany to certain extend. Already the first novel
Ingrid Babendererde. Reifeprüfung 1953, which was written in the 1950s but only published
after Johnson’s death in 1984, tells the story of a young couple that escapes the ideological
pressure in the German Democratic Republic. The political suppression in school draws
Ingrid to a public act of resistance; her flight from the GDR is a logical consequence. Still, the
arrival in West Berlin does not appear as the arrival in a blessed country. Johnson succeeds
already at this early stage of work in drawing a complex picture of the German situation of
division, which shows more than just black and white portraits. The following novels
Mutmassungen über Jakob, Das dritte Buch über Achim and the tetralogy Jahrestage take up
the topic of the German division as well.
What is more important than including the boundary as a topic in literature, is its potential as
literary category influencing the poetics of the work. The best example of Johnsons work
seems to be Das dritte Buch über Achim. The novel has the structure of a dialogue. The
journalist Karsch reports about his experiences during a stay in East Berlin and his attempt to
write a biography about a cyclist from the GDR. The dialogical structure gives the
opportunity to question and criticize whatever is told by Karsch. This structure is one of
connection rather than division. The dialogic structure is important for the report of Karschs
experiences. The dialogue partner mirrors the expectations Karsch had, when he first arrived
[1] Johnson, Uwe. „Berliner Stadtbahn (veraltet)“ In: (ders.) Berliner Sachen. Frankfurt a.M.: Suhrkamp. 1975.
S. 10: „Eine Grenze an dieser Stelle wirkt wie eine literarische Kategorie. Sie verlangt die epische Technik und
die Sprache zu verändern, bis sie der unerhörten Situation gerecht werden.“
in East Berlin. In the retrospective, Karsch is able to prove those expectations – like the
supposed observation by the intelligence service SSD of the GDR – to be wrong. Instead of
the stabilization of common West-German stereotypes, Karsch succeeds in taking over an
almost objective point of view. He experiences the GDR in an almost naïve way and can thus
report about authentic experiences of difference and even attempts of influence on his
journalistic work. The novel draws a complex picture of Karsch’s visit of the GDR and
impressively shows the experience of estrangement. 2 The structure of the dialogue than takes
into account, that only one point of view is not sufficient for the depiction of a divided reality.
To prove Johnson’s thesis of the internal boundary to be a literary category, the analysis of
the works of other German authors of the period of division and after is unavoidable. One
example is Arno Schmidt, an author who – like Johnson - is supposed to be solitary in literary
history. In Schmidt’s early work, he is very much concerned with reality. In several novels,
Schmidt picks up the topic of the ideological division of the world. In Das steinerne Herz, Die
Gelehrtenrepublik and Kaff auch Mare Crisium the structure of division - of Germany, of the
world on an island and even of the moon - is taken up.
In the 1950s there are several authors, apparently only from West Germany, who deal with
the German division. Besides Schmidt and Johnson, Erich Nossack and others take up the
topic in some novels. Nossack integrates even mystic elements; by taking up the structure of a
“Doppelgänger”, the duplication of the protagonist and biography corresponds to the
duplication of states and ideologies and offers the possibility to show a more complex
perspective.
The influence of the internal border, of the division, of the concurrence of two ideological
systems is obviously an important topic in literature. The thesis of the border as literary
category is to be proven, also with regard to authors from East Germany and literature beyond
the period of division. Nevertheless, there is an impact of the historical fact on literature; it
seems to influence content, structures and poetics of several authors besides Johnson.
In Deutschland ist der durch religiöse Aufladung – nicht nur im Mittelalter, sondern noch
heute – an Popularität gewinnende Wigalois Wirnts von Grafenberg bis in die frühe Neuzeit
rezipiert und bearbeitet worden. So existieren mehrere Drucke der Prosabearbeitung Wigoleis
vom Rade (15./16. Jh.). Eine weitere Bearbeitung findet sich im Buch der Abenteuer des
Ulrich Füetrer (15. Jh.). Im Januar 2006 entdeckte Christoph Fasbender das auf 1455 datierte
Erfurter Fragment Wigelis, das von den Abenteuern des Wigalois erzählt. Zudem existiert ein
jiddischer Versroman Widuwilt (16. Jh.), der wiederum in einem frühneuzeitlichen
Prosaroman von Johann Ferdinand Roth eine Bearbeitung gefunden hat: Vom Koenige Artus
und vom bildschoenen Ritter Wieduwilt. Ein Ammenmaehrchen. Noch um 1910 erschien ein
Jugendbuch Die Abenteuer des Ritters mit dem Rade Guy von Waleis, 1994 zudem eine
moderne Nacherzählung von Gernot Wildt: Wigalois, der Ritter mit dem Rade. Auch geht der
deutschen Tradition eine französische Fassung des Erzählstoffes, der Bel Inconnu des Renaut
de Beaujeu, voraus, der wiederum in einer späten englischen Fassung bearbeitet wird, im
Libeaus Desconus. Für mein Dissertationsprojekt wird die gesamte Tradition des
Erzählstoffes thematisch mit Blick auf Topographien des Himmels, der Hölle und des
Fegefeuers untersucht. Dabei werden räumliche Darstellungen vor dem Hintergrund des
„spatial turn“ aus kulturwissenschaftlicher und literaturwissenschaftlicher Perspektive als
Bedeutungsträger verstanden, die sich diachron vom europäischen Mittelalter bis zur Frühen
Neuzeit durch den jeweils unterschiedlichen kulturellen Kontext transformieren. Die
räumlichen Imaginationen von Himmel, Hölle und Fegefeuer in den einzelnen Texten zeigen,
dass sich diese im Laufe der Zeit durch kulturelle, literarische und nicht zuletzt religiöse
Implikationen verändern.
FINANCIAL RISK AND RESPONSIBILITY
Simone Heinemann
Previous philosophical studies on risk have focused primarily on technical, ecological and
medical risks. Very little attention has been given to the question of how to deal with financial
risk from an ethical perspective. Who is responsible for the risks generated on financial
markets? Which aggregate level of financial risk does the community or society have to bear?
These questions have particular ethical relevance – especially in times of the current financial
crisis: Recent months have seen a flood of losses reported by banks, corporations, state and
local governments that took a chance on risk. Such cases symbolize the hazards financial
instruments – especially derivatives – can pose to the financial health of those who trade in
them. If that prospect were not cause enough for concern, derivatives speculation poses an
ethical problem by increasing the level of risk in the portfolios of those to which (mostly risk
aversive) depositors, investors, and pensioners entrust their savings. As empirical evidence
implies, increasing risk rather than reducing it may have a destabilizing impact by spreading
to the real economy, negatively affecting economic activity (employment, income level, etc.).
Consequently, the ones speculating in financial markets aren´t necessarily the ones bearing
the costs incurred.
The dissertation deals with an important policy issue concerning financial derivatives, which
have been involved in most of the recent financial debacles. 1 Derivatives are a particular kind
of tradable contract. Their trade value is tied to the value of other assets, historically
commodities but also corporate shares, currencies, interest rates, etc. Most importantly
derivatives can be used in two different ways against the unpredictable elements of chance
that affect these forms of fluctuating financial risk: They can either be employed to minimize
losses from fluctuations in the underlying asset by hedging or they can be used to speculate on
fluctuations hoping for considerable gains, but thereby maximizing the potential loss. 2 The
derivatives market’s notional value today is estimated at over $614 trillion (compared to $220
trillion in 2004) 3 – amounting to about $100,000 in derivatives contracts for every person on
the planet. Such developments highlight the importance of understanding the risks inherent in
derivatives as well as their effects on society.
1
Cp. Stout, Lynn A.: How Deregulating Derivatives Led to Disaster, and Why Re-Regulating Them Can Prevent
Another. In: Lombard Street 1, 7 (06.07.2009), pp. 4-9.
2
Cp. Dubina, Daniel E. / Unger, David L.: Derivatives: How To Monitor the Risk. In: Outlook 63, 1 (1995), pp.
24-28, p. 2.
3
Cp. Bank for International Settlements: Semiannual OTC Derivatives Statistics in December 2009, Amounts
Outstanding of Over-the-Counter (OTC) Derivatives. In: BIS Quaterly Review (Dec. 2009),
http://www.bis.org/statistics/otcder/dt1920a.pdf (21.10.10).
Economists in recent years have devoted an extraordinary amount of time and attention to the
study of financial derivatives. Still, the symptomatology of derivatives trading reveals them to
be rather an ethical, not just an economic or mathematical, problem. The dissertation aims at
taking up the economic suppositions on derivatives in order to gather their normative
assumptions, to reflect on them and, if necessary, to challenge their accuracy.
The investigation is organized around two distinct themes. First, it argues that the peculiar
nature of the dangers posed by derivatives still remain poorly understood. Whereas carefully
chosen derivatives deals may reduce the risk inherent in doing business, e.g. by hedging, there
are transactions which can provide powerful leveraged mechanisms for creating risk with a
negative influence on economic stability. The dissertation assumes that speculative
derivatives trading used for gambling purposes may increase the risk-bearing of both parties
to the contract, just as gamblers increase their risk by betting. 4 There is empirical evidence
that this is likely to result in increased market risk, reduced investor returns, price distortions
and bubbles which diminish social welfare. 5 For further investigation it seems necessary to
analyze the widespread (moral) resentments against derivatives gambling and speculation on
financial markets as they might provide criteria for dealing responsibly und justly with
financial risk.
Second, the dissertation focuses on the normative dimensions of financial risk. The lack of a
qualified ethical analysis is probably one of the major reasons why so many mistakes have
been made in the management of financial risk. Unfortunately, neither deontological nor
rights-based moral theories have the means to deal adequately with the moral problems of
risk. 6 The dissertation argues that moral theories have to be extended so that they cover
actions whose outcomes are not determinable beforehand. It suggests that decisions on
investments and activities on financial markets can only be understood against the
background of the risks involved and the people affected. As Hansson points out, several
morally relevant aspects of situations of risk and uncertainty have to be taken into
consideration: A moral analysis of risk should go beyond the information provided by
probabilities and deterministic utilities and operate on person-related aspects such as agency,
intentionality, consent, etc. 7 Therefore it proves necessary (a) to reveal the conditions under
which the right not to be exposed to risk may be overridden and (b) to detect those conditions
under which there are no sufficient reasons for accepting the risk as such. In this context it
might be useful to understand derivatives trading as an exchange system embedded in the
reciprocal orders of society. 8
Theoretically and practically this approach provides us with new and important insights into
areas as diverse as economic ethics, the philosophy of risk, and the structure of financial
markets.
4
For example, if a person not presently owning the stock of a company sells it forward (goes short), then the
risk-bearing of both parties to the contract is increased. A large number of the individuals and institutions that
trade in derivatives do so in hope of earning quick profits by predicting price changes.
5
Cp. Stout, Lynn A.: Why The Law Hates Speculators: Regulation and Private Ordering In The Market For
OTC Derivatives. In: Duke Law Journal 48 (1998/99), pp. 701-786.
6
Cp. Hansson, Sven Ove: Ethical Criteria of Risk Acceptance. In: Erkenntnis 59,V (2003), pp. 291-309, p. 293
ff.
7
Hansson, Sven Ove: Philosophical Perspectives on Risk. In: Techné: Research in Philosophy and Technology
8,1 (2004), pp. 10-35, p. 29f.
8
Cp. Hansson 2003 and 2004: Referring to Hansson, the exposure of a person to a risk can be regarded as
acceptable if it is part of an equitable social system of risk-taking that works to her advantage.
THE IMPACT OF AID FOR TRADE FACILITATION
ON THE COSTS OF TRADING
Ruth Hoekstra, Matthias Busse and Jens Koeniger
As tariffs and non-tariff trade barriers have fallen in recent decades, interest in other trade
costs have been growing. These other trade costs, for example, those related to trade
regulations, the trade infrastructure, distribution, or communications, can be much higher than
traditional trade barriers and may impede many countries, in particular developing countries,
to take advantage of international trade. 1
Partly as a response to this problem, the Aid for Trade (AfT) initiative has been launched in
December 2005 at the Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in
Hong Kong. AfT is development assistance targeted at helping developing countries to better
harness the benefits from international trade. It aims to harmonize and ameliorate existing
structures of trade-related aid activities, taking into account both policy- and supply-related
constraints that developing countries face. One major mechanism within the WTO’s AfT
initiative is trade facilitation, which aims at reducing transaction costs in international trade.
Aid directed towards trade facilitation measures (Aid for Trade Facilitation, AfTF) has
become a key element of the broader AfT initiative. It not only defines new trading rules but
also involves the provision of resources to assist developing countries to better integrate into
the world trading system and in meeting the new obligations that are expected to arise from a
WTO trade facilitation agreement.
The amount of foreign aid involved is by no means small. Between 2002 and 2008, donors’
total Aid for Trade disbursements amounted on average to 19.3 billion US$ (constant 2008
prices), a share of around one third of sector allocable Official Development Assistance
(ODA) (OECD 2010). Furthermore, it can be expected that the relative share of AfT in
overall ODA is going to increase over the medium term.
Given that trade costs matter and that considerable aid resources have been or will be
provided in the years to come, it is not surprising that there is a growing interest in the
effectiveness of the AfT initiative. Previous empirical studies on AfT and AfTF can be
divided into two strands of literature. The first one consists of a number of studies that
investigate the impact of either trade costs or trade facilitation on trade flows. Using various
empirical techniques, such as cross-country econometric analysis, computable general
equilibrium (CGE) models, and country case studies, most of these studies find that both trade
1
See, for example, Anderson and Wincoop (2004).
costs and trade facilitation are important determinants of trade flows – with trade costs
reducing them noticeably. 2 The second strand of literature focuses on the effects of AfT and
AfTF on trade flows. Again, the studies usually find that resources spent on AfT and AfTF
increase trade flows in recipient countries to a considerable degree. 3 Similar to the previous
strand, the different papers use either case studies and/or econometric studies to assess the
impact of AfT and AfTF on exports and imports.
This paper combines the two strands by empirically examining the impact of AfT and AfTF
on trade costs. We argue that Aid for Trade can be a powerful and effective tool to lower
trade costs in developing countries and thus to increase trade flows. We also investigate the
impact of Aid for Trade on the time of trading. 4 Apart from the impact of Aid for Trade on
trade costs and the time of trading, our analysis also matters with respect to the aid
effectiveness debate. Since donors try to increase the effectiveness of aid resources spent and
the funds involved are relatively large, we address a highly relevant policy issue in our
empirical investigation. We use a large panel dataset for almost 100 developing countries and
up to six years of data (2004-2009). We find that aid for trade reduces trade costs and that the
effect is of statistical and economic significance. However, the impact depends on the
particular aid category. For the time of trading, the evidence is less robust, but still some
evidence of a reduction in the time of trading due to our aid measures can be found.
References:
Anderson, James and Eric Wincoop (2004), Trade Costs, Journal of Economic Literature
42(3), 691-751.
Bloningen, Bruce and Wesley Wilson (2008), Port Efficiency and Trade Flows, Review of
International Economics 16(1), 21-36.
Brenton, Paul and Erik von Uexkull (2009), Product Specific Technical Assistance for
Exports – Has it been Effective?, Journal of International Trade and Economic Development
18(2), 235–254.
Djankov, Simean, Caroline Freund, and Cong Pham (2010), Trading on Time, Review of
Economics and Statistics 92(1), 166-173.
Helble, Matthias, Catherine Mann, and John Wilson (2009), Aid for Trade Facilitation, World
Bank Policy Research Paper 5064.
Iwanow, Tomasz and Colin Kirkpatrick (2007), Trade Facilitation, Regulatory Quality and
Export Performance, Journal of International Development 19(6), 735-753.
Iwanow, Tomasz and Colin Kirkpatrick (2009), Trade Facilitation and Manufactured Exports:
Is Africa Different?, World Development 37(6), 1039-1050.
Limao, Nuno and Anthony Venables (2001), Infrastructure, Geographical Disadvantage and
Transport Costs, World Bank Economic Review 15 (3), 451-479.
Lederman, Daniel, Marcelo Olarreaga, and Lucy Payton (2010), Export Promotion Agencies:
Do They Work?, Journal of Development Economics 91(2), 257-265.
2
See, for example, Limão and Venables (2001), Wilson et al. (2003), Walkenhorst and Yasui (2005), Blonigen
and Wilson (2008), Martinez-Zarzoso et al. (2008) and Iwanow and Kirkpatrick (2007, 2009).
3
See Nelson and Silva (2008), Brenton and Uexkull (2009), Helble et al. (2009), and Lederman et al. (2010).
4
Djankov et al. (2010) show that the time of trading has a significant impact on the trade volume.
Martinez-Zarzoso, Inmaculada, Eva Maria Perez-Garcia, and Celestino Suarez-Burguet
(2008), Do Transport Costs Have a Different Effect on Trade at the Sectoral Level?, Applied
Economics 40(24), 3145-3157.
Nelson, Douglas and Simone Silva (2008), Does Aid Cause Trade? Evidence from an
Asymmetric Gravity Model, Working Paper 21/2008, University of Nottingham.
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) (2010), Creditor
Reporting System Aid Activity Database.
Walkenhorst, Peter and Tadashi Yasui (2005), Benefits of Trade Facilitation: A Quantitative
Assessment, in Susan Dee and Michael Ferrantino (eds.), Quantitative Methods for Assessing
the Effects of Non-tariff Measures and Trade Facilitation, Singapore: World Scientific
Publication, 161-192.
Wilson, John, Catherine Mann, and Tsunehiro Otsuki (2003), Trade Facilitation and
Economic Development: A New Approach to Quantifying the Impact, World Bank Economic
Review 17(3), 367-389.
HSS_06
It is thought that human capital is the most important factor of production in today’s
economy. Improvement in human capital is crucial to achieving increases in GDP. Human
capital includes both male and female. The contribution of both is needed to improve the
economic condition of a country.
As per the Labor Force Survey of Pakistan 2003-04, women represent almost 49 percent of
the total population and working age group in Pakistan, but their participation in the economic
activity is very low at 11.2 percent. It is in fact, the lowest in the South Asian region. As a
result the gender gap in economic participation is highest in Pakistan amongst regional
countries. According to the World Bank data of 2008, the percentage of females actively
participating in the labor force in Pakistan was 21.2 percent in comparison to 31.2 percent in
Iran, 33.1 percent in India, 58.3 percent in Bangladesh, 63.2 percent in Nepal, 51.2 percent in
Bhutan and 67.5 percent in China. Even the most war trodden country Afghanistan, was
ahead of Pakistan by having a female participation rate of 33 percent. World Development
Indicators (2010)
The role of female education and employment in the economy of Pakistan is analyzed in the
light of the following research questions.
1. What are the effects that a country has to face if she ignores half of its population i.e.
females?
2. Human capital involves both male & female parts of population. How the, roughly
speaking, 50% of population i.e. females have contributed in the economic growth of a
developing country e.g. Pakistan?
3. What are the determinants of female labor supply in a developing economy?
The macroeconomic analysis is based on the Solow model of economic growth. A cross
section as well as panel estimations of the developing countries’ data is done, in order to find
out the effects of participation of female labor force on the economic growth of countries.
Whereas the microeconomic analysis is based on the field research data obtained from Dera
Ismail Khan District of Pakistan. The females and their household heads were interviewed
and the data was then analyzed through Logit regressions to find out the determinants of
female labor supply in a developing region in Pakistan.
CROSSCUTTING RELIGION
A SURVEY OF RELIGIOUS INTERGROUP RELATIONS
IN DORTMUND
Nelly C. Joppich
Mainly due to massive immigration, The Ruhr region experiences vital religious pluralism
nowadays. This pluralism has not yet been empirically accounted for in science. Rather, an
exclusive focus on Islam and Christianity as culturally and normatively incompatible
antidotes promotes the perception of a bright and in various aspects of society salient religious
boundary which divides „us“ – the democratic German civil society – from „them“ – the
immigrated strangers who threaten the socio-cultural cohesion of society, the political system
and the established legal order. This does not only obscure the diversity of the religious field
in Germany but also the difference between ascribed and actual social boundaries based on
religion.
Having become salient in the context of immigration, religious boundaries are always being
discussed in combination with integration in Germany. The political awareness of the
relevance of organizations for the integration of people with an immigrant background
recently resulted in an expansion in the research on migrant organizations. 1 But this research
is still rare and has been limited to the political sphere. It is composed of studies about the
relations between migrant organizations and political or state institutions and on the role of
migrant organizations in the general development of migrants’ political integration in
Germany.
Based on the assumption that in a religiously plural society, interreligious cooperation has to
be understood as an expression of integration to the host society, my Ph.D. project tests for
the following hypotheses: 1. The public focus on the conflict between Islam and Christianity
leads to a high integration pressure on these two groups. 2. In order to meet these demands for
integration, Muslim and Christian organizations increase cooperation with each other and
consequently promote integration. 3. Not being addressed by the public and governmental
pressure, other religious groups are excluded from these intensified integration efforts. 4.
These other religious groups cooperate with each other in order to gain more societal
influence. 5. Interreligious clusters of cooperation between the two quantitatively dominant
religious groups on the one hand and smaller religious groups on the other occur.
The theoretical framework for testing these hypotheses is a combination of core concepts
from relational sociology and the study of social boundaries. More Explicitly, I study the
1
Pries, Ludger, und Zeynep Sezgin, hrsg. 2010. Jenseits von ‚Identität oder Integration'. Wiesbaden: VS Verlag
für Sozialwissenschaften.
relation of cooperation relations and boundaries between cooperating actors to religious
boundaries. By accounting for the embedding of actors and cultural influences on the
probability of cooperation, I follow a pragmatically relational perspective. 2
The empirical approach is a combination of ego-centered network analyses of distinctively
religious affiliated (migrant) associations, based on data from qualitative face-to-face
interviews, and cluster analyses of the whole network of the religious organizational field in
Dortmund, North Rhine-Westfalia, based on data from a standardized questionnaire.
2
Vgl. Fuhse, Jan, und Sophie Mützel. 2010. “Einleitung: Zur relationalen Soziologie. Grundgedanken,
Entwicklungslinien und transatlantische Brückenschläge.” in Relationale Soziologie. Zur kulturellen Wende der
Netzwerkforschung, herausgegeben von Jan Fuhse und Sophie Mützel. Wiesbaden: VS Verlag für
Sozialwissenschaften. und Vásquez, Manuel A. 2008. “Studying Religion in Motion: A Networks Approach.”
Method and Theory in the Study of Religion 20:151-184.
SPANISCHE UND DEUTSCHE CHATS IM VER-
GLEICH – NEOGRAFIE ALS GRENZE, KONFLIKT
UND INNOVATION
Daniel Kallweit
Dass sich im Internet und vor allem in der quasisynchronen computervermittelten Kommuni-
kation, d.h. dem Chat, Schriftlichkeit und Mündlichkeit (Koch / Oesterreicher 1985) stark
vermischen, ist in der Linguistik eine vielfach untersuchte Tatsache (vgl. beispielsweise
Dürscheid 2003 oder Storrer 2001). Diese Vermischung hat in verschiedenen Sprachen zu
unterschiedlichen Ergebnissen, d.h. unterschiedlichen Strategien der Chat-Nutzer geführt, um
die Illusion einer Face-to-Face-Kommunikation (Cabedo Nebot 2009) – möglichst schnelle
und ökonomische Antwort, um Diskurs „in Echtzeit“ beizubehalten – für sich selbst und das
Gegenüber aufrechtzuerhalten. Während man in deutschsprachigen Chatkanälen vornehmlich
verschriftete Umgangssprache bzw. verschrifteten Dialekt findet (Kilian 2002), lässt sich in
spanischsprachigen Kanälen eine starke Veränderung der Schreibweisen erkennen, welche als
Neografie bezeichnet werden soll (Anis 2003, 2007).
Diese neuen Schreibungen lassen sich nun – in Anknüpfung an das Thema des diesjährigen
Section Day – in dreierlei Hinsicht klassifizieren: Erstens stellen sie eine Grenze für viele
Fremdsprachenlerner des Spanischen, aber auch für Teile der spanischsprachigen Bevölke-
rung selbst dar, die mit den teils kryptischen Abkürzungs- bzw. Schreibverfahren nur wenig
oder gar nicht vertraut sind1. Auch wenn diese Grenze durch Erlernen der neuen Strategien
(und Konventionen?) überwunden ist, steht die Neografie doch zweitens immer noch in Kon-
flikt zur offiziellen Orthografie des Spanischen, was zu Interferenzen bei der Textproduktion
außerhalb der computervermittelten Kommunikation (beispielsweise in der Schule oder Uni-
versität) führen kann. Drittens stellen alle neografischen Schreibungen schließlich in gewis-
sem Maße eine Innovation dar, da sie – wie der Name schon sagt – neue Schreibweisen sind,
die zwar teilweise aus älteren Traditionen schöpfen, aber dennoch stets innovatives Potenzial
in sich tragen.
1 So hatte sich 2006 – wohl nach französischem Vorbild – ein Comité Contra las Faltas de
ortografía Voluntarias y el Lenguaje Sms (Komitee gegen willentliche Rechtschreibfehler und
SMS-Sprache) gebildet, das sich gegen die Verwendung der neuen Schreibweisen in Internet-
foren einsetzte. Diese Aktivität wurde jedoch 2008 eingestellt; seitdem existiert lediglich ein
Blog, der ähnliche Ambitionen verfolgt (vgl. http://ccfvls.wordpress.com/2008/07/24/ccfvls/
[Stand 24.8.2010]).
Im Rahmen des Vortrags möchte ich verschiedene Beispiele aus spanischen und deutschen
Chats geben und zeigen, inwiefern die gefundenen Phänomene – wie eben beschrieben – als
Grenze, als Konflikt oder als Innovation gedeutet werden können. Des Weiteren wird ein
Vergleich der in beiden Sprachen genutzten Strategien angestrebt (wobei der Schwerpunkt auf
dem Spanischen liegen wird), um so bestehende Unterschiede aufdecken und ggf. erste Erklä-
rungen für sie finden zu können. Übergeordnet ist dabei die Frage, ob so etwas wie eine
„Neografie des Deutschen“ möglich wäre und – wenn dies der Fall ist – warum sich diese in
der deutschsprachigen computervermittelten Kommunikation nicht finden lässt. Neuere Stu-
dien zu nicht romanischen Sprachen lassen vermuten, dass dies mit dem recht hohen Decodie-
rungsaufwand (es dauert zwar deutlich kürzer, Nachrichten mithilfe der Neografie zu verfas-
sen, jedoch ist der Leseprozess im Vergleich zu einer in Standardorthografie verfassten Nach-
richt um einiges
zeitaufwändiger) und den daraus resultierenden häufigeren Lesefehlern zusammenhängen
könnte (vgl. zum Englischen Kemp 2010). Abstract für den Section Day 2010der Research
School: Grenzen – Konflikte – Innovationen am 5.11.2010
References:
No matter from what field one approaches metaphor, there is an inevitable connection to other
disciplines such as linguistics, psychology, cognitive and social sciences. These connections
are highly necessary in order to take all the different implications of metaphor into account.
The contribution of a wide range of disciplines is therefore not only an optional consideration
but a must for any scientific work on metaphor. Various tensions arise from this approach,
however, as “[w]hat is metaphorical to the linguist threatens to be not metaphorical to the
psycholinguist” 1 . These tensions need to be resolved within the respective projects but only
by working on and with them can one gain full insight into the phenomenon of metaphoric
transfer.
To the same extent that interdisciplinary work is necessary for scientific research on
metaphor, metaphor is relevant to every scientific discipline as it is omnipresent in human
thinking (constructing analogies and making connections between ideas) and language (to
explain and denote abstract ideas or to find indirect but powerful ways of conveying
opinions). By investigating the use of metaphors, one can reveal how people conceptualize the
world and thereby discover their perspective on a particular topic or object. Disciplines should
therefore reflect upon and critically question the metaphors that occur regularly in their
discourse, often without the user noticing their metaphoric origin. At this point
interdisciplinary collaboration becomes important as an analysis from an external position can
be revealing.
In my PhD project I am working on a way to integrate the work on metaphor into foreign
language classrooms. Metaphors play a particular role in this environment as, for example,
most of the conventional metaphoric expressions of the target language start by being
innovative again. The foreign language students do not only profit from their metaphoric
competence in the context of language learning but take their language awareness into the
discipline they choose for their professional career. Because of its relevance to all fields,
metaphor is thereby a phenomenon that bridges the gap between religion, literature, art,
media, politics, management, law, economics, health, education, and natural sciences.
1
Steen, Gerard (2008): „The Paradox of Metaphor: Why We Need a Three-Dimensional Model of Metaphor”,
in: Metaphor and Symbol 23.4: 220.
HSS_07
The central research question of this PhD project is: “What potential does the work with
metaphors in foreign language classrooms hold for foreign language learners?” The work with
metaphors is important because metaphors are omnipresent in literary and everyday language.
Therefore foreign language learners constantly have to detect, interpret and produce
metaphors. Moreover metaphorical competence is part of the intercultural competence that
learners should acquire in foreign language classrooms because metaphors provide a
productive starting point to reveal, discuss and question cultural conventions.
In the PhD project a definition of the metaphor for the foreign language classroom will be
generated in the first chapter using the strengths of existing definitions. In a second part, the
didactic potential of metaphors for foreign language learning will be systematically worked
out. Thirdly, the current status of metaphors in foreign language classrooms will be identified
by means of an extensive analysis of textbooks in use at German secondary school in North
Rhine-Westphalia for the first four or five years. In the last part, based on the results of the
textbook analysis, a number of suggestions for a more extensive work with metaphors in
foreign language classrooms will be developed and exemplified using the potential of
metaphors to foster the learners’ language abilities in various domains.
PREMISES OF AID FOR TRADE
Jens Königer, Matthias Busse and Georg Koopmann
The objective of the Aid for Trade Agenda is to enable developing countries to benefit from
trade liberalization. Aid for Trade (AfT) seeks to build bridges between the development and
trade communities as well as between the public and private sector. It involves external or
foreign assistance to developing countries in the negotiation, design, implementation and
assessment of policies aimed at
• helping economic actors – firms and households – in developing countries to benefit
from and cope with structural change in international trade; and at
• “mainstreaming” international trade into domestic economic development.
The underlying principle is that trade has the potential to substantially increase economic
welfare. Exploring comparative advantages of particular goods, using economies of scale in
production or taking advantage of technology spillovers, all these actions are likely to boost
economic growth rates. Based on various theoretical models, abundant empirical literature has
examined the welfare effects of trade (volumes) on income levels and growth rates. If
anything, the majority of studies show that trade is positively associated with growth rates.
This view of trade fostering economic development, however, is not undisputed. It has been
shown that trade does not automatically lead to economic development, but rather only if
certain preconditions are fulfilled, e.g., with respect to business regulations or institutional
quality.
Our analysis contributes to this debate by exploring the prerequisites for a positive trade-
growth nexus. More specifically, in an empirical analysis the relevant parts of the Aid for
Trade agenda will be examined with respect to their potential to boost economic growth rates
through trade. More specifically, we identify variables in three different areas that are crucial
for the AfT agenda: institutions, infrastructure and human capital. As resources are not
unlimited, it is especially important to find out which of the different areas reveal an empirical
influence of trade on economic growth. Most, if not all, of these variables clearly have a direct
effect on economic development. Better institutions, better infrastructure and more human
capital lead to higher economic growth. But the objective of AfT is to improve conditions in
those areas which, apart from these direct effects, lead indirectly to higher economic
development through the channel of trade. For example, an improvement in physical
infrastructure facilitates trade, and the resulting increase in trade leads in turn to higher
economic development. The crucial question in the discussion on AfT is in which areas such
indirect effects can be found. To answer this research question, we constructed a
comprehensive econometric model designed to explain growth differentials between
countries. The empirical analysis uses a large data set, covering about 100 countries from
1971 to 2005.
It is intuitively obvious that a better educated population, a better infrastructure or higher
quality institutions may result in higher GDP per capita growth. But one cannot rule out
reverse causality, that is, that as countries get richer, e.g., as measured by GDP per capita
growth, they invest more in education and infrastructure and experience an improvement in
the quality of institutions. In econometric terms, such a situation is called an endogeneity
problem, which is, to say the least, unfavourable for econometric analyses. Normally, in
econometric modelling one would look for a situation with one variable of interest and then
explain differences in that variable across countries and time using a set of explanatory
variables that are independent of the variable of interest. But in our case, most of the control
variables are very likely to be endogenous, including trade and unfortunately also the areas of
top priority for the AfT Agenda, such as education, infrastructure, and institutions. Obviously,
the indirect effects through trade of the AfT agenda are then also endogenous. The Aid for
Trade variables, the trade variable as well as some of our control variables not only influence
the dependent variable, but are also influenced by the development of per capita growth over
time. As a result, it is difficult to disentangle cause and effect for these crucial variables.
Because standard econometric techniques would lead to biased results and cast doubts on
reliability, a more sophisticated estimation approach is called for.
Overall, we find that education and institutions are the most important areas. More
specifically, we find strong results for primary and secondary education (rather than tertiary
education) and for political institutions, proxied by constraints on the political executive of a
country. In fact, these results underline the fact that countries have to have a well educated
workforce and high quality institutions if they are to maximise the benefits from trade. For the
third area, the (physical) infrastructure, proxied by the number of telephone lines, the network
of paved roads or railways, and the power generating capacity, we did not find any significant
results. However these results should be treated with caution, as it is quite difficult to find an
adequate measure of both the quality and quantity of infrastructure. The indicators we have
used only record the existence of infrastructure, but not their quality or the extent of their
usage.
INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND GLOBAL POWER
SHIFT
Jan-Frederik Kremer
The study of ‘power’ is probably among the most arduous tasks in the realm of IR; defining
power “remains a matter of controversy” (Waltz 1986: 333). Especially when it comes to
explain power shift in contemporary world politics existing concepts of power in political
science (hard and soft power) are shortcoming (Nye / Keohane: 2001, Keohane: 2003), either
because of the fact that existing concepts are lacking at the level of operationalization (soft
power), or because of the act that existing approaches (hard power) are no longer suitable to
explain the whole range of empirical power phenomena in 21st century international relations,
characterized by global interdependence and a setting of mutual integration of actors.
International trade is maybe the most interdependent sector of international relations,
characterized by mutual dependence of the states involved. By looking at hard or soft power
capabilities, power shift in international trading system can only be explained in rudimentary
ways. This project is going to address this problems, by focusing on the policy of three most
important trading entities (the U.S., EU and China), in contemporary world politics
accounting for approx. 33% of total global share in trade (WTO: Trade Statistics, Bonn Power
Shift Monitor: 2010), and tries…
This paper presents one aspect of my research project about the Jathika Hela Urumaya-
movement in Sri Lanka. The JHU or “National Sinhala Heritage Party” is a new political
party, which is led by Buddhist monks.
The entry of Buddhist monks into national elections in April 2004 represented a “radical
departure” from the practices of the so- called Theravāda-Buddhism.
In no other Theravāda Buddhist society have monks enjoyed constituted political authority or
ever organized themselves systematically to take control of the political realm.
While it is generally held, by the majority of the Sinhalese, that in earlier times monks acted
as advisors to political rulers and thereby wielded considerable influence, never before had
monks sought to enter the political sphere competing with the laity in the struggle for power.
According to the Sinhalese concept, a monk can take the role of a “worldly” leader or, from a
common Sinhalese term, as “the guardian deity of the nation,” in case the Sinhalese people
and their Buddhist culture is threatened. In this case, the Sri Lankan clergy have a
responsibility to assume leadership, as „inscribed“ in the religio-historic chronicle of the
Mahāvamsa.
In March 2004, things changed. Monks of the “Jathika Hela Urumaya” (“National Sinhala
Heritage Party”), an organisation which had been established rather hastily, appeared before
the election authorities and handed in nomination papers to contest in the April 2004
elections. As a result, they hold nine seats in the new parliament. The most remarkable
feature of the JHU is their official denial of seeking power. Instead, they claim that they are
making a sacrifice, and going on a journey, or rather a pilgrimage, to achieve a ”dharmarajya”
– a righteous state-, and a ”bauddha rajyaya” – a buddhist state -, after which they will return
to their natural vocation of ministry and personal spiritual development. In making this claim,
they have skillfully used a cluster of symbols, metaphors and terms derived from the
vocabulary of Buddhism. For example, they use an existing political party, the Sinhala
Urumaya, as a „raft“ to lawfully enter the electoral competition, utilizing to the full the
associations of that metaphor in Buddhist literature, which include commitment, and
detachment. As their party symbol they have selected the conch, a symbol associated with
victory and auspiciousness in Hindu-influenced Buddhist royal ritual. Their election
campaign was not made of rallies like those of other political parties, but of „Buddhist
seminars“. Their electoral campaign itself was termed a ”paramita”, appropriating the widely
known Buddhist term that denotes the perfections achieved by the Buddha in his previous
births as the Bodhisattva. They called their election campaign a ”paramita perahara” – a
religious procession that progresses undistracted towards the achievement of a ”dharmarajya”.
Their effort was termed an ”adhistana puja” – offering of determination.
The JHU monks describe themselves as apolitical and it is obvious that they are using a
religious terminology to demarcate themselves from a political sphere.
It is widely accepted among the Sinhalese that they serve as the custodians for true Buddhism.
The question of what constitutes authentic Buddhism has always been debated.
Such public debates, in which an urban middle class regularly engaged, became the venues
for defining and contesting the notion of true Buddhism. The JHU monks have become the
centre for renewed debates over the proper roles and conduct for Buddhist monks. Within
these debates the JHU-monks have to authorize political engagement by religious terms. They
have to purify the parliament along moral Buddhist lines or to disrobe. This means either to
become secular members of the parliament or to sacralize the political sphere.
GAZING UPON THE BORDER OF LIFE AND DEATH:
PHOTOGRAPHY OF THE REAL AND ITS
DIALECTICAL POTENTIAL FOR IDEOLOGICAL
CHANGE IN SALLY MANN’S WHAT REMAINS
Jacob Lange
This paper is focused on exploring the potential of art photography, and by extension general
art practice, in disrupting modes of dominant ideology in order to bring about positive social
and ideological change. It has involved a significant study of the theories of Slavoj Zizek and
his unique Lacanian-Hegelian-Marxist approach to creating a meta-philosophy of the Real. As
such, it is particularly focused on Zizek’s notion of ‘the act’, or of ‘subjective destitution’. He
posits that such an ‘act’ is the only primary process by which revolutionary ideological
change can forcibly occur, via active engagement by a subject (individual and collective) with
the Lacanian order of Real, and involving a complete transgressive disengagement with the
Symbolic order that constitutes ideology (Myers, 2003: 59-61; Porter, 2006: 70). This paper
seeks to first outline Zizek’s theory of subjective destitution and then investigate its viability
via a case study of the photographic work of artist Sally Mann, including critical responses to
her work.
Photography is one of the few areas of popular media culture that Zizek has not prolifically
explored in his writings, and this paper seeks to find scope for new and original thought
connecting Zizek’s theories with contemporary art photography culture and practice. More
importantly, however, is that the photographs examined are from one of Mann’s recent
collections of work, What Remains (2003), which engages as directly as possible with the
subject matter of death. Death itself is can be described as the ‘ultimate limit’ of the Symbolic
order, the “one last great taboo” (Critchley, 2010). As it can never be truly known it stands
fully outside of the Symbolic order and thus continually disrupts and antagonizes ideology.
As such, death is perhaps the most powerful manifestation of the Real, and the one most
strongly rejected by the ideology it threatens to usurp. While Zizek argues that the Real, and
by conjecture death, can never be fully articulated or expressed within the Symbolic, he
emphatically argues that it can and should be approached as directly as possible as the first
step in a process of engagement that can bring about individual and collective ideological
disruption and change. (Zizek, 2000: 149-150) While an explicit engagement with the Real is
at best difficult and at worst both absolutely terrifying and socially isolating, he argues that
this is the cost to be paid to bring about such a change. This paper argues that Sally Mann’s
beautiful and disturbing images of death can be seen as an example of such an effort, as they
transgress our contemporary society’s attempt at repressing the Real of death and dying at
almost every turn. More importantly, it argues that if Mann’s audience push themselves
through the difficulty of confronting and rationally engaging with her terrible images, they
will have embarked on the first step of a dialectical process of ideological change, as their
notions of the boundaries between the Symbolic and the Real regarding the subject of death
will have shifted. This argument is supported by an analysis of a selection of critical
responses to Mann’s work (Green, 2004; Wright, 2004). Finally, the paper argues, this
difficult dialectical process of confrontation can then be similarly repeated across other areas
of ideological change.
DIE INNOVATIVE FLASHBACKSTRUKTUR VON
HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER
Bernd Leiendecker
Ein normales filmisches Flashback kann als eine audiovisuelle Wiedergabe einer narrativen
Vergangenheit definiert werden, also als die Wiedergabe einer Zeit, die derjenigen vorangeht,
die als narrative Gegenwart etabliert wurde. Ein Flashback wird häufig durch einen Charakter
ausgelöst, der sich an diese narrative Vergangenheit erinnert oder sie erzählt, so dass
theoretisch eine subjektive Version des Geschehenen präsentiert wird. Allerdings ist das
Standardflashback nur leicht subjektiviert. Die Ereignisse werden meistens aus einer
objektiven Perspektive gezeigt, so dass sich die Frage nach einer Diskrepanz zwischen dem
Gezeigten und dem Geschehenen normalerweise nicht stellt.
Da in How I Met Your Mother ein fünfzigjähriger Mann seinen Kindern die Geschichte
erzählt, wie er seine Frau kennenlernte, ist es keine Überraschung, dass ein Großteil der
Handlung in Flashbacks erzählt wird. Während die meisten Flashbacks nicht von der Art von
Flashbacks abweichen, die seit den Anfängen des klassischen Kinos genutzt werden,
präsentieren einige narrative Innovationen, welche zu interessanten Fragen über die
allgemeine Theorie des Flashbacks führen.
Die erste Abweichung von der bereits gegebenen Definition liegt darin, dass manche
Flashbacks in How I Met Your Mother nicht die diegetische Wahrheit, sondern Lügen
darstellen. Auch wenn lügende Flashbacks vereinzelt in jedem Abschnitt der Filmgeschichte
beobachtet werden können, sind sie doch meist den Falschaussagen von Kriminellen oder
Wahnsinnigen vorbehalten. Die erste große Innovation von How I Met Your Mother ist, dass
die Serie positiven Charakteren erlaubt, lügende Flashbacks zu generieren, ohne dass darunter
die Beliebtheit der Charaktere leidet. Es soll gezeigt werden, dass dies durch die Konzepte der
Charakterkonsistenz und der Attraktivität der resultierenden Handlungsentwicklung gelingt.
Die zweite interessante Neuheit im Erzählen durch Flashbacks ist, dass How I Met Your
Mother eine Variante des Flashbacks einführt, in der der Inhalt des Flashbacks nicht
ausschließlich auf den erzählenden Charakter oder die zentrale narrative Instanz
zurückgeführt werden kann. Stattdessen ist es das diegetische Publikum des Erzählten,
welches die begleitenden Bilder generiert. Es ist noch zu klären, ob dies einen neuen Trend
oder nur eine einzelne Anomalie darstellt. In Jedem Fall führt es zu interessanten Fragen, die
einer Diskussion bedürfen.
HSS_08
Jedes Überschreiten einer Grenze bringt das Risiko eines Konfliktes mit sich. Unabhängig
vom Terrain, ob geo-politische, soziale oder religiöse Grenzen, Grenzen zwischen Weltan-
schauungen, zwischen Geschlechtern und zwischen historischen Vorgegebenheiten, oder gar
die Grenze des guten Geschmacks – sie alle trennen mehr oder weniger unterschiedliche, un-
abhängige und häufig verfeindete Systeme und Größen von einander.
Nach 9/11 ist der Islam zu einem Synonym einer solchen Grenzüberschreitung und allen da-
mit verbundenen Konflikten geworden. Eine Religion, die als ein System und Werkzeug des
internationalen Terrorismus dargestellt wird, steht am öffentlichen Pranger des Westens und
wurde zum Sündenbock der westlichen Medien.
Der Islam hatte es schon immer etwas schwieriger. Entstanden im 7. Jahrhundert in Arabien,
fand er sich auf einer Religionskarte etablierter Glaubenssysteme des spätantiken Nahen Os-
tens und musste sich in diesem Milieu behaupten um zu überleben. Grenzen mussten über-
schritten, neue Wege gefunden werden, um die eigene Attraktivität ins Licht stellen zu kön-
nen. Dabei waren die Idee des absoluten Monotheismus sowie die Formen der Glaubensaus-
übung gar nicht revolutionär. Der Islam wurde nicht ernst genommen, nicht anerkannt und
von vielen als eine jüdische oder christliche Sekte verspottet und später schlicht als Synkre-
tismus abgestuft.
Auch der muslimische Alltag ist von Grenzüberschreitungen geprägt. Fünfmal täglich wird
zum Gebet gerufen und erwartet, dass der Zustand der rituellen Reinheit wieder hergestellt
wird. Ein Betender passiert somit mehrere Grenzen, um schließlich ins Sacrum des Kontaktes
mit Gott zu gelangen. Fünf Kreise der Reinheit – und somit fünf Grenzen – trennen einen
meist rituell unreinen Alltag von dem Weihezustand eines Betenden und diese finden auch
ihre Parallelen in dem konfliktreichen Überschreiten – und Bestimmen – der Grenzen zwi-
schen der jungen Religion des Islam und seinen etablierten Herausforderern.
Die rituell reinen Kreise – der Gebetsort, die Kleidung, der Körper des Betenden, die Speisen,
die er zu sich nahm und schließlich die reine Absicht, ein Gebet zu sprechen – bilden eine
mehrstufige und komplizierte Grenze zwischen dem Profanum des Alltags und dem Sacrum
des Gebets.
Vom Ort der Entstehung des Islam, dem spätantiken Hiğāz, über die Kleidung der Traditionen
und Rituale, die den Islam eindeutig in den interreligiösen Kontext des spätantiken Nahen
Ostens integrieren bis hin zum mehrmals täglich gewaschenen Unreinheiten auf dem Körper
erstrecken sich die äußeren Grenzen zwischen dem Islam und seinem Umfeld. Die Speisen
seiner Ideen, aber auch der Ideologien, die um diese Religion gewachsen sind und schließlich
die Absicht, sich gegenseitig zu tolerieren und zu akzeptieren, bilden ein Äquivalent zu den
inneren Reinheitskreisen.
In der Mitte dieser Kreise steht ein Mensch, der vor Gott seinen Glauben leben und manifes-
tieren will. Durch die vielen Grenzen getrennt zeigt sich der Islam der Welt, in der er Aner-
kennung sucht. Langsam versucht der Islam eine Öffnung der bewahrten Grenzen zu wagen
und somit die Überwindung der angewachsenen und inzwischen schon etablierten Konflikte
mit der Außenwelt anzustreben.
COSMOPOLITAN SPACES / SPATIAL
COSMOPOLITANISMS IN TRANSATLANTIC
AMERICAN CULTURES
Dennis Mischke
My dissertation project is part of a larger research plan that tries to historicize transnational
North American Literature outside image-schematic dichotomies of center/periphery relations
and strict national boundaries. In this context my project inquires how cosmopolitan forms of
writing in American Literature can be seen as contributing to a transnational canon of
American Literature. By way of analysis my research examines US American literary
representations of transnational spaces and global processes in the 19th century. The central
concern of my thesis is the ancient question of whether one can legitimately assume a
common, transnational and cosmopolitan identity beyond cultural differences. Recent critical
work on cosmopolitanism in the light of postcolonial studies has coincided in the insight that
many theories of cosmopolitanism are fraught with aporias and internal contradictions. These
contradictions revolve around the problem of legitimacy, bias, cultural hegemony and
geopolitical embeddedness. I want to approach and tackle this problem by studying literary
cosmopolitanism from a spatial perspective, arguing that actually existing forms of
cosmopolitanism have to be anchored in the complex specificity of particular geographical
circumstances. As primary objects of my research I will study literature from the 19th century
that deals with an explicitly cosmo-political and intercultural frame of reference: the ocean. In
particular, my dissertation focuses on the transnational poetic imagination of Hermann
Melville and his literary negotiation of intercultural encounters. I seek to establish parallels
between Melville’s writing and Jean-Luc Nancy’s co-existential ontology, which both state
that ‘existence’ has to be understood as ‘co-existence’ and that meaning is always a
collaborative product and a collective imagination of the ‘in-between’.
GENERAL PRACTITIONER ADVICE ON PHYSICAL
ACTIVITY: ANALYSES IN A COHORT OF ELDERLY
PRIMARY CARE PATIENTS (GETABI)
Anna Moschny, Timo Hinrichs, Ulrike Trampisch, Petra Platen
The following work is part of the dissertation project: Physical activity in old age – analyses
of a nationwide epidemiological study in elderly primary health care patients with regard to
everyday physical activity (PA) patterns, correlates of PA and barriers to increase PA as well
as general practitioner (GP) advice on PA.
Background: Although the benefits of PA for health and functioning are recognized to
extend throughout life, the PA level of most elderly people is insufficient compared to current
guidelines [1]. The primary health care setting may offer a chance to influence older adults’
PA behaviour. The GP is able to reach a large proportion of the elderly population as a high
percentage of elderly people regularly consult a GP for health problems. Furthermore, studies
reveal that the GP is the most trusted source of physical activity information especially among
older adults and those with multiple chronic diseases. Finally, the GP knows the patient’s
health status and is able to judge on the individual eligibility for physical activity [2].
A number of PA counselling programmes administered through primary health care have
been shown to be feasible and cost-effective strategies to promote PA [3]. However,
systematic reviews concluded that there is conflicting evidence regarding the effectiveness of
physician counselling on PA [4]. Nevertheless, the concept seems to be widely accepted and a
number of professional organisations (including the American College of Preventive
Medicine, the American Heart Association [AHA] and the American College of Sports
Medicine [ACSM]) state that PA advice should be incorporated into routine patient visits in
primary health care as a first step in raising the PA level of patients [1,5]. In 2007, ACSM and
AHA even launched the global-wide initiative “Exercise is MedicineTM” that calls on
physicians to prescribe exercise to their patients (www.exerciseismedicine.org).
Currently, data concerning general practitioner (GP) advice on PA in Germany is missing.
Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the rate and characteristics of elderly patients
receiving PA advice from their GP.
Methods: In a prospective, cohort study in the primary care setting in Germany (German
epidemiological trial on ankle brachial index, getABI), 6,880 randomly selected patients aged
65 years and above are followed up since October 2001. Within the 7-year follow-up
telephone interview, 1,937 patients were asked whether their GP had given them advice to be
regularly physically active within the past twelve months. The interview also included socio-
demographic and life style variables, medical conditions, and physical activity. Logistic
regression analyses (unadjusted and adjusted for all covariables) were used to examine factors
associated with receiving advice. Analyses comprised only complete cases with regard to the
analysed variables. Results are expressed as odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals
(95% CI).
Results: Out of 1,627 analysed patients (median age 77; 72-93 years; 52.5% women), 534
(32.8%) stated that they had received advice to be regularly physically active. In the adjusted
model, those more likely to receive GP advice on PA were men (OR [95% CI] 1.34 [1.06-
1.70]), those suffering from pain (1.43 [1.13-1.81]), coronary heart disease and/or myocardial
infarction (1.56 [1.21-2.01]), diabetes mellitus (1.79 [1.39-2.30]) or arthritis (1.37 [1.08-
1.73]), and those taking a high (>5) number of medications (1.41 [1.11-1.80]).
Discussion: Only about one third of elderly primary care patients stated that their GP had
given them advice to be regularly physically active within the past year. This rate is much
lower than desirable but it is in line with findings of previous studies performed in the U.S.
and in Australia that generally report counselling rates of lower than 40% [6]. A number of
barriers to GP counselling about PA have been reported: competing demands of providing a
broad range of preventive and non-preventive services, time constraints during consultations,
lack of educational resources and of formal clinician training in PA counselling, preference of
patients for drug treatment, and lack of reimbursement [6,7]. These findings suggest that
future counselling programmes for the primary care setting will have to find ways to reduce
the burden on GPs.
The differences in advice rates in association to patient characteristics suggest that GP
counselling behaviour is influenced by those characteristics. The present study revealed that
the presence of diabetes mellitus, CHD and/or myocardial infarction, arthritis, a high (>5)
number of medications, and pain were independently associated with receiving GP advice on
PA. Summing up the evidence from literature, research suggests that GPs tend to counsel
patients whose health is already compromised and who they judge as benefiting from PA
[8,9]. Especially patients with heart disease, diabetes mellitus or overweight seem to profit
from GPs’ counselling behaviour. Unfortunately, GPs seem to neglect the potential benefit of
PA: 1. in the prevention of diseases, 2. as a therapeutic measure in other medical conditions.
Conclusions: The study revealed a relatively low rate of elderly primary care patients
receiving GP advice on physical activity. GPs seemed to focus their advice on patients
suffering from chronic medical conditions. There are likely many more patients who would
benefit from advice.
References:
[1] Nelson ME, Rejeski WJ, Blair SN, Duncan PW, Judge JO, King AC, Macera CA,
Castaneda-Sceppa C: Physical activity and public health in older adults: recommendation
from the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association.
Circulation 2007, 116:1094-1105.
[2] Saß AC, Wurm S, Ziese T: Inanspruchnahmeverhalten. In Beiträge zur
Gesundheitsberichterstattung des Bundes: Gesundheit und Krankheit im Alter. Edited by
Böhm K, Tesch-Römer C, Ziese T. Berlin: Robert Koch-Institut; 2009:134-159.
[3] Calfas KJ, Ling BJ, Sallis JF, Wooten WJ, Pratt M, Patrick K: A controlled trial of
physician counseling to promote the adoption of physical activity. Prev Med 1996,
25:225-233.
[4] Hudon C, Fortin M, Soubhi H: Single risk factor interventions to promote physical
activity among patients with chronic diseases - Systematic review. Can Fam Physician
2008, 54:1130-1137.
[5] Jacobson DM, Strohecker L, Compton MT, Katz DL: Physical activity counseling in the
adult primary care setting - Position statement of the American College of Preventive
Medicine. Am J Prev Med 2005, 29:158-162.
[6] Eakin E, Brown W, Schofield G, Mummery K, Reeves M: General practitioner advice on
physical activity - Who gets it? Am J Health Promot 2007, 21:225-228.
[7] Stange KC, Fedirko T, Zyzanski SJ, Jaen CR: How do family physicians prioritize
delivery of multiple preventive services? J Fam Pract 1994, 38:231-237.
[8] Bull FCL, Schipper ECC, Jamrozik K, Blanksby BA: Beliefs and behavior of general
practitioners regarding promotion of physical activity. Aust J Public Health 1995, 19:300-
304.
[9] Kreuter MW, Scharff DP, Brennan LK, Lukwago SN: Physician recommendations for
diet and physical activity: Which patients get advised to change? Prev Med 1997, 26:825-
833.
EINE GEMEINDE VON ABWESENDEN?
RELIGIÖSER AUSTAUSCH IM INTERNET
Anna Neumaier
Abstract: Internet is the new medium in our everyday life. But it is also interesting for
scholars of religion as it offers a new space for religious needs beside institutionalised
religious traditions. Special features like anonymity and a low-threshold access are
additional arguments for a religious use of the internet. From a scientific point of view, the
field is as unknown as it is exciting. The dissertation project therefore explores it under the
focus of three central questions: a) Online participation – how does it work and what are the
users’ motives? b) New “communities” – in which way do members socialise and how can we
describe emerging social formations? c) Relevance and context – which importance has the
online participation for the users’ “real life”, and how does it connect to religious activities
offline, e.g. in local churches?
The results of the qualitative study are expected to also give answers to larger questions of
modern religiosity, religious communities and institutions as they emerge from debates about
secularisation or the “return of religions”.
Das Internet ist ein Medium, das uns allen bestens vertraut ist. Seit einigen Jahren hat es einen
Siegeszug in unser Alltagsleben vorgenommen und sich inzwischen einen festen Platz in
unserem täglichen Umgang mit der Welt erobert. Es bietet dabei auch Rahmenstrukturen für
ganz spezifische Anliegen unterschiedlichster Nutzergruppen – darunter auch religiöse
Bedürfnisse, die von Informationsangeboten der institutionalisierten Religionen über Online-
Gottesdienste und die Vermittlung von Gebetsanliegen über das Internet bis hin zu online
individuell durchführbaren Voodoo-Zaubern reichen.
Aus religionswissenschaftlicher Sicht ist das „Feld Internet“ daher ein neues und wichtiges
Forschungsgebiet, weil es neben den institutionalisierten Formen religiösen Austausches vor
Ort auch einen Raum bereitstellt, der von (beinahe) jedem Individuum potentiell frei gestaltet
werden kann, und dabei sowohl orts- und zeitunabhängig ist als auch die unterschiedlichsten
Kommunikationsformen und damit Austauschmöglichkeiten bietet. Darüber hinaus
ermöglicht es – so die Hypothese der vorliegenden Untersuchung – durch seine spezielle
Beschaffenheit Umstände, die in der Gemeinde vor Ort kaum gegeben sind: Man kann
anonym bleiben, weitgehend unsanktioniert übliche soziale Grenzen überschreiten, die
Partizipation kann niedrigschwellig aufgenommen und ebenso einfach wieder beendet
werden.
Das vorliegende Dissertationsprojekt widmet sich diesem Gebiet mit besonderem Fokus auf
den religiösen Austausch. Es gibt im Internet eine Vielzahl von Seiten, die dies ermöglichen,
und allein die größte deutschsprachige Seite in diesem Bereich hat über 120.000 registrierte
Nutzer und damit mehr als so manche kleinere Religionsgemeinschaft. Solche Seiten aber –
und ebenso das, was dort passiert – sind bisher weitgehend unerforscht. Die vorliegende
explorative Untersuchung widmet sich ihnen also mit den folgenden forschungsleitenden
Fragen:
Î Online-Partizipation: Mit welcher Motivation melden sich Nutzer an? Wie gestalten
sie ihre Aktivität?
Î Sozialkontakte & religiöse Vergemeinschaftung: Knüpfen die Nutzer dort Kontakte zu
anderen Nutzern? Wie lassen sich diese beschreiben?
Î Relevanz & Verhältnis zu Offline-Aktivitäten: Welchen Stellenwert hat die
Partizipation am Online-Angebot für das „reale“ Leben der Nutzer? Wie verhält sich
das Engagement dort zur Beteiligung an „klassischen“ religiösen Gemeinschaften vor
Ort?
Die qualitative Studie beinhaltet Interviews, die die Erzählungen der Nutzer erheben sollen
ebenso wie die Analyse ausgewählter Online-Inhalte und die teilnehmende Beobachtung der
Online-Kommunikation.
Ergebnisse aus der ersten Interviewserie liegen bereits vor. Dabei traten nicht nur erwartete
Ergebnisse zutage, im Gegenteil: Im Mittelpunkt der Forschung stand am Anfang vor allem
die Frage nach dem Potenzial von Online-Angeboten für eine religiöse Gemeinschaft bzw. ein
mögliches Äquivalent zu bestehenden Gemeinschaften. Als mindestens ebenso spannend hat
sich zudem aber ein anderer Komplex erwiesen, nämlich die Erzählungen der Befragten vom
Verhältnis ihrer Online-Partizipation zu einem religiösen Engagement offline, also in
traditionellen Kirchengemeinden. Denn die meisten Internetnutzer haben ganz schlagende
Gründe dafür, dass sie zusätzlich oder ausschließlich ihre Religiosität im Internet leben: Zum
Teil sind dies ganz pragmatische Gründe, etwa wiederholte Ortswechsel und damit verbunden
häufige Gemeindewechsel – bis irgendwann Zeit oder Lust fehlen, wieder eine enge Bindung
zu einer Gemeinde vor Ort aufzubauen. Oft sind es aber auch einschneidende Erlebnisse, die
zu einem Bruch mit der Gemeinde vor Ort führen; negative Erfahrungen, die dafür sorgen,
dass man Abstand zu Pfarrer oder anderen Gemeindemitgliedern sucht, und die in ihrer
Konsequenz die gesamte religiöse Verortung des Einzelnen in Frage stellen können. Und
zuletzt ist es oftmals die zusätzliche Suche nach dem „Blick über den Tellerrand“ – das
Interesse an anderen religiösen Traditionen oder Konfessionen oder weitergehend die Suche
nach religiöser Heterogenität, die man in der eigenen Gemeinde vermisst. Diese
Heterogenität, so zeigt sich in der Online-Kommunikation, kann gewinnbringend genutzt
werden, um die eigene (religiöse) Identität zu schärfen – eine Gelegenheit, die von den
Nutzern im Kontext homogenerer Gemeinden so nicht gesehen wird.
Die Ergebnisse dieser Studie sollen dabei auch für allgemeinere Theorien von Religion in der
Gegenwart relevant werden. Sie lassen sich eingliedern in die umfassendere Debatte um
Säkularisierung, um Sichtbarkeit oder Unsichtbarkeit von Religion in der Moderne. Diese
wird in der Religionswissenschaft wie in der Öffentlichkeit gleichermaßen geführt: Wie
verhält sich Religiosität zur Moderne? Nimmt Religiosität ab oder verschwindet sie im
Bereich des Privaten? Oder transformiert sie sich und wird aber in anderen, neuen Bereichen
der Öffentlichkeit wieder sichtbar? Religiosität, die im Internet ausgelebt wird, ist ein
Beispiel, das zu diesen Themen Stellung nehmen kann – denn das Internet bietet hier ein
neuartiges Angebot für Gläubige, oder solche, die auf der Suche nach Religion oder
Austausch darüber sind. Dabei kann es spezifische Bedürfnisse befriedigen, wie sie in der
Diskussion um Religiosität in der Moderne immer wieder aufgeworfen werden: Auf
besonders ausgeprägte Weise kann sich der Nutzer im Internet vorrangig an seinen
individuellen Bedürfnissen orientieren, dabei aber gleichzeitig in einer religiösen
Gemeinschaft verbleiben, auf die auf unvergleichlich zwanglose Weise immer
zurückgegriffen werden kann, wenn es dem einzelnen Nutzer erforderlich scheint.
LOST IN HYPERTEXT?! CROSSING THE LINE WITH
A NEW CONCEPT OF NARRATION?
Daniela Olek/Christine Piepiorka
Evoked by the emergence of new media like the internet and the convergence of established
media, an aesthetic transformation has occured in the last decade and a new kind of
audiovisual narration, emanating in particular from television and film and indicated by an
increasing transgression of media borders, has been formed.
Following the advances in technology and media, more and more narrations nowadays are
conceived in the tradition of complex fictional worlds like the Star Wars universe, for
example. This means that those narrations are not only limited to a single medium, but are
distributed over several connected media like television, comics, video games etc. Henry
Jenkins (2006, 95) called this transmedia storytelling.
Such narrations are no longer linearly and causally arranged, but develop their story over
these diverse media. With such a presentation the viewers do more than simply watch: instead
they must actively seek out the fragments, crossing the borders of widely-varying media
platforms, and construct them into a coherent story.
Consulting W u l f f s (2007, 42) premise, that the diegesis is the condition for a narration, we
ask whether and how the narrative and structural divergence exceed the diegetic borders of
the audiovisual text. Is S o u r r i e a u ’ s t e r m “diegesis”, hitherto used, sufficient to describe
these specific phenomena, or are new concepts like Matt H i l l s ’ (2002, 147) “hyperdiegesis”
needed? In fact, we would like to discuss whether a transgression of the term diegesis itself
can be seen, and if so, whether it has occured and how could it be understood.
Furthermore we want to consider the implications for existing concepts of the ‘viewer’,
because we argue that the innovations of narration are always accompanied by new cultural
and social forms of media usage, which supersede existing forms. With the help of
contemporary US television series, we want to analyse these issues, because such series lend
themselves to a diversified spectrum of transmedial extensions.
Furthermore this range of topics allows the borders of media studies to be crossed and an
interdisciplinary perspective to be reached.
References:
Based within the field of media studies this project concentrates on the broadcast work of
Hans Flesch and Ernst Schoen. Both are important figures of the first ten years of German
broadcasting and German radio history in general. The central aim of the thesis is to lay open
their outstanding vanguard ideas, practices and achievements and thus to describe their media
theory in detail, review their role in the intellectual history and work out the impulses they
gave to German culture.
Although both are understood as German broadcast pioneers they haven‘t yet received
detailed scientific attention covering their whole work, showing their whole importance or
using all preserved and provided material. Up to now historiography concentrated mainly on
programme history and institutional history and was thereby neglecting their contribution to
theory (e.g. of perception, of the medium) and how they influenced other important theorists
(e.g. B. Brecht and W. Benjamin).
Considering the radio as an ‘epistemic thing’ I try to approach Flesch and Schoen, their work
and the medium itself from various angles: media studies, technology, zeitgeist, intellectual
history, biography and positioning, art and literature, musicology etc. to enlighten the subject.
Used sources are mainly scientific literature, contemporary broadcast magazine articles as
well as unpublished archive material like personal estates or records of relevant broadcast
stations.
WOMEN IN THE ARMED UKRAINIAN
UNDERGROUND, 1942-1954
Olena Petrenko
This dissertation seeks to contribute to the discussion of a contested chapter of Soviet history,
which has taken a central place in “the struggle for history” of post-socialist Ukraine. Since
Ukraine’s emergence as a sovereign state in 1991, the story of the armed underground in
West-Ukrainian territories between the 1930s and the 1950s has become a major political
issue. The public debate around the place of the nationalist resistance movement in Ukrainian
history is inseparable from Ukraine’s highly mythologized collective cultural memory, which
is developing in divergent trajectories in the pro-Russian Ukrainian East and the pro-Western
Ukrainian West. While the participants of the armed underground, and above all, the members
of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) and the soldiers of the Ukrainian
Insurgent Army (UPA) still fall under the category of Nazi-collaborators and “bandits” in the
East, West Ukrainian population celebrates the resistance fighters as national heroes, which
first fought against the German occupiers and then turned against the Red Army.
Within this framework of ever-increasing volume of scholarship regarding the history of
OUN-UPA, this study will seek to explore the hitherto ignored female presence in the armed
underground of the 1940s and 50s. Memories of that role are still present in public culture,
which, as a rule, highlights their peerless heroism as an extension of the Ukrainian people’s
collective martyrdom. The representations of women’s lives are thus often frozen into
predetermined patterns. In this context, women appear generally as icons and their lives as
allegories of heroism rather than individual, multi-faceted experiences.
Herein lies the intervention of this dissertation. Operating outside of the East-West
ideological framework and without these and other conventional blinders, it will seek to
reconstruct their contribution to the armed Ukrainian underground. What motivations and
circumstances led them to join the armed resistance? Did patriotism really play a central role
in their decisions? What kind of assignments were given to those women and were they
subject to modification? To what extent were these women used by the Soviet security
apparatus in the defeat of UPA? Finally, how do we explain the obvious contradiction
between the selective and superficial celebration, on the one hand, and the silencing of
women’s participation, on the other?
THE IMPACT OF NATURAL RESOURCE
ABUNDANCE ON INSTITUTIONAL TRANSITION
AND ECONOMIC GROWTH
Elkhan Sadikhzadeh
There is a broad consensus that the resource curse does not lie in resource richness per se, but
in the combination of inefficient institutions and resource abundance. But there is not enough
empirical evidence which institutions are the primary transmission channels of resource curse
and how they impact other institutions that strengthen or weaken the symptoms of resource
curse.
The theoretical analysis on the basis of a self-developed mathematical model of rent-seeking
shows that an increase of the natural-resource revenues impacts negatively institutional
quality. In the framework of theoretical analysis it has been prooven that a higher level of
diversification of economy and especially a large manufacturing sector alleviates the level of
rent-seeking of a resource abundant economy.
The main finding of the dissertation project is that the structure of the economy before and
during resource-boom and the planing horizon of the government are the pivotal factors in
explaining why natural resource abundance sometimes causes higher long-run economic
growth and sometimes deindustrialization accompanied by relatively low economic growth.
In the next step the findings of the theoretical analysis should be tested empirically with
special attention to the oil and gas-rich post-Soviet republics like Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan,
Turkmenistan and Russia. The majority of the existing studies about the institutional
transmission mechanisms of resource curse are dedicated to the experiences of resource‐rich
African, Latin American and Middle Eastern countries, Norway, Australia and Canada. But
there was no serious attempt to survey the quality and dynamics of institutional change in the
resource abundant post‐Soviet republics. Because of their unique historical and
socio‐economic features it is of a great theoretical interest to understand the impact of
resource‐richness on the institutional transition processes of resource-based post-Soviet
Republics.
DAS VERHÄLTNIS VON SPRACHE, KULTURELLER
IDENTITÄT UND IHRER VERMITTLUNG IM 18.
JAHRHUNDERT AM BEISPIEL JAKOB MICHAEL
REINHOLD LENZ
Judith Schäfer
Jakob Michael Reinhold Lenz (1751-92) beschäftigt sich in seinem literarischen Werk schon
früh mit der Frage, wie individuelle und kollektive Identität über Sprache vermittelt und
verfestigt (d.h. umgrenzt) werden. Der soziale Ort, der jedem Mitglied einer Gesellschaft
durch seine Herkunft zugewiesen wird, enthält einen sprachlichen Code, den der Mensch sich
aneignen muss. Doch nur die Beherrschung der kommunikativen wie der sozialen Codes
insgesamt, d.h. grenzübergreifend aller Schichten ermöglicht es dem Einzelnen, mündiger
Teil der Gesellschaft bzw. seiner Gesellschaftsschicht zu sein. Lenz interessiert, was
geschieht, wenn diese Codes entweder nicht erkannt, nicht beherrscht oder aber bewusst
unterwandert werden. Er findet in seinen Dramen dafür verschiedene Szenarien. Auf die
jeweilige Schicht, in der sie sich abspielen, wirkt dies Unvermögen oder Fehlverhalten eines
Einzelnen höchstens als eine milde Erschütterung. Vielleicht erleidet eine involvierte Familie
dadurch die Unannehmlichkeit eines vorübergehenden schlechten Rufes; der unzulänglich
oder missbräuchlich Sprechende aber verliert zumeist seinen Platz in der Gesellschaft –
mitunter sogar sein Leben: So endet die Bürgerstochter Marie Wesener aus dem Drama Die
Soldaten als Bettlerin, die von ihrem Vater auf der Straße aufgelesen wird. Ihre mangelnde
Sprachkompetenz gegenüber einer vom Adel gesprochenen höfischen Verführungssprache hat
ihren Blick auf ihre reale Situation verstellt und sie in den gesellschaftlichen Abstieg geführt.
Die Fähigkeit zum reflektierten Sprachgebrauch ist Lenz Zeichen eines mündigen Charakters.
Sprechen und Handeln sind eng miteinander verwoben: Nur wer das Sprechen reflektiert,
wird auch angemessen handeln und die Begrenztheit der ihm zugewiesenen Rolle nutzen oder
gar erweitern können. Bewusstsein und Selbstbewusstsein setzt der Autor so in ein komplexes
Wechselverhältnis.
Autonomie des Menschen ist für den Aufklärer Lenz auch in theoretischen
Auseinandersetzungen und in seinen (sozialen) Reformprojekten ein großes Anliegen. Ein
Weg dieser Auseinandersetzung führt über das Projekt einer Deutschen Sprachgesellschaft,
die er 1775 in Straßburg gründet und die dabei helfen soll, den zersplitterten deutschen
Sprachraum über ein gemeinsames Hochdeutsch zu vereinen. Dabei geht es Lenz nicht
vorrangig um das Großprojekt einer ‚Deutschen Nation‘, sondern um die Abwendung einer
latenten Gefahr: Fehlt den Menschen eine gemeinsame Sprache, wird es immer zu
Missverständnissen, Vorurteilen und Feindseligkeiten kommen. Der Abbruch der
Kommunikation, die für alle Beteiligten elementar ist, wäre die Folge. Solange diese
Bedrohung schwelt, kann es keinen andauernden Frieden geben. In seinem Prosatext Ueber
Delikatesse der Empfindung setzt Lenz diesen Gedanken literarisch um und spielt anschaulich
die Folgen misslingender Kommunikation durch. Sowohl das Individuum als auch die
Gesellschaft, in der es sich bewegt, geraten durch den Abbruch der Kommunikation in eine
prekäre Lage: Der Einzelne, der die kommunikativen Regeln nicht befolgt, wird isoliert und
gilt als Fremder – als solcher ist er stigmatisiert und erfährt eine gewaltvolle Einschränkung
seiner Autonomie und Handlungsmöglichkeiten. Die Gesellschaft aber, die dies mit
verursacht hat, beschneidet sich über die Verweigerung des Austauschs mit dem ‚Fremden‘
selbst. Sie verarmt und verhärtet sich, wo sie in Bewegung, d.h. lebendig bleiben sollte. Im
Bestreben, ihre Identität vor unvorhersehbaren Einflüssen zu schützen, zementieren der
Einzelne und die Gesellschaft soziale und kulturelle Grenzen und letztlich einen
menschenunwürdigen Zustand. Der Angst vor dem ‚Anderen‘ und dem ‚anderen‘ Sprechen
muss, so Lenz, offen und reflektiert begegnet werden, damit diese Grenzen eines Tages
überwunden werden können.
HSS_10
This thesis project is a replication study to Monika Deutz-Schroeder’s and Klaus Schroeder’s
investigation „Soziales Paradies oder Stasi-Staat? Das DDR-Bild von Schülern – ein Ost-
West-Vergleich“ 1 . Schroeder et al. stated that East German pupils glorify the GDR and
feature deficit knowledge with regard to the GDR. Although Schroeder's investigation was
criticised by scientific side for methodical defects, it had crucial educational consequences.
The aim of this project is to certify Schroeder’s study regionally on the basis of Thuringian
pupils. By a quantitative survey, students’ concepts and attitudes about the GDR can be
determined. Furthermore reasons for different representations of History should be
ascertained. The focus will be placed on the teaching of history.
In a comparative analysis it will be examined whether specific effects of intensity or form of
curricular dealing with the GDR can be identified so that didactical consequences can be
formulated.
1
DEUTZ-SCHROEDER, MONIKA/ SCHROEDER, KLAUS: Soziales Paradies oder Stasi-Staat? Das DDR-Bild von
Schülern - Ein Ost-West-Vergleich. Stamsried 2008.
PEDAGOGICAL INNOVATICS AS A NEW BRANCH
OF EDUCATION SCIENCE
Alena Schulz-Fiodarava
Selected References:
[1] Jusufbeckova, N.R. (1991): Obschije osnovy pedagogicheskoj innovatiki. [General Basics
of Pedagogical Innovatics], Moscow: Academy of pedagogical sciences of the USSR.
[2] Karpovich, E.I.; Tsyrkun, I.I. (2006): Pedagogicheskaja Innovatka [Pedagogical
Innovatics], Minsk: M.Tank-BSPU.
[3] Kchutorskoy, A.V. (2008): Pedagogicheskaja Innovatka [Pedagogical Innovatics],
Moscow: publishing centure “Academia”.
[4] Tsyrkun, I.I. (2000): Sistema innovationnoi podgotovki specialistov gumanitarnoi sfery.
[The System of innovation training for the specialists of the humanities], Minsk: Technologia.
TOWARDS A NEW UNDERSTANDING OF BORDERS:
BEYOND TERRITORIAL BORDERS, FROM
BORDERS TO BORDERING
Bastian Sendhardt
This paper aims to contribute to the discussion on borders by addressing rather theoretical
aspects concerning the ‘nature’ or the ‘character’ of borders. More precisely, this paper
departs from the almost banally sounding question “What is a border”?
Intuitively, when thinking of borders, one would probably think of state borders or
boundaries as political geographers call them, meaning “the lines that enclose state
territories” (Newman 2003: 123). Following this understanding, borders have a rather closed
character and their main function is to separate different entities, e.g. states. More precisely, in
this case, one should speak of territorial borders. However, territorial borders (such as state
borders) are but one type of border. Other types include, for example, functional or symbolic
borders (Stetter 2005b; Ferrer-Gallardo 2008). “Functional borders separate different
functional systems, such as politics, law, science, economy, sports, love or the health system”
(Stetter 2005b: 5), whereas symbolic borders “constitute collective identities and allow to
differentiate between the ‘self’ and the ‘other’. Through the marking of symbolic borders[,]
forms of political, ethnic or religious identity emerge” (Bonacker as cited in Stetter 2005b: 5;
see also Stetter 2005a: 335; Paasi 1996: 12–5). These three types of borders, however, do not
necessarily coincide. Therefore, territorial borders are in a “complex relationship with cross-
cutting functional (and, at times symbolic) borders” (Stetter 2005b: 5). In a nutshell, instead
of clear-cut lines separating different (state) territories, borders have a rather ‘fuzzy’ character
which is a consequence of the interplay of the three aforementioned border types (see
Christiansen et al. 2000).
From this perspective, it seems more promising to shift the focus from an understanding of
borders as fixed and static entities to an analytical concept that emphasizes the ‘process-like’
and socially constructed character of borders, as for instance, the concept of debordering and
rebordering. Within this concept, debordering “is understood as an increasing permeability of
[territorial] borders together with a decreasing ability of states to shut themselves off” from all
kinds of cross-border activities (Albert and Brock 2000: 20). In other words, debordering
refers to the transgression of territorial borders, for example by functional systems (e.g.
economy) or symbolic systems (e.g. cross-border identities) and can be described as “the
dissolution of the territorial congruence of state, economy and society” (Brock 2004: 89). The
affected political entities – mostly states but also other political entities such as the European
Union – have to react to these challenges posed by debordering processes. One state
“response to this increasing permeability of borders” is the “adaptation of statehood” and the
adjustment of policies to debordering processes. Adaptation can result “in the emergence of
new political spaces that transcend territorially defined spaces [i.e. state borders] […], e.g. in
the ―emergence of multilevel systems of governance in transstate contexts” such as the
European Union (Albert and Brock 2000: 20).
At the same time, processes of debordering are accompanied (and seemingly contradicted) by
rebordering processes, such as a tightening of (new) borders, an increase in border controls
and the re-territorialization of space (Albert and Brock 2000: 39-40). But the simultaneity of
debordering and rebordering processes does not necessarily have to be considered a
contradiction. Instead, processes of rebordering can be described “as social phenomena within
the framework of an overall debordering of the world of states[,] […] as a specific reaction to
the debordering processes that are actually taking their course within the framework of
globalization. Viewed in this light, demarcation (rebordering) would be, first and foremost, a
way of regulating the process of transformation, not of arresting it” (Albert and Brock 2000:
42–3).
References:
Albert, Mathias and Lothar Brock (2000), ‘De-bordering the world of states. New spaces in
international relations’, pp. 19–43 in Mathias Albert (ed), Civilizing world politics. Society
and community beyond the state. Lanham, Md.: Rowman & Littlefield Publ.
Brock, Lothar (2004), ‘World society from the bottom up’, pp. 86–102 in Mathias Albert and
Lena Hilkermeier (eds), Observing international relations.
Niklas Luhmann and world politics. London: Routledge.
Christiansen, Thomas, Fabio Petito and B. E.N. Tonra (2000), ‘Fuzzy Politics Around Fuzzy
Borders: The European Union's 'Near Abroad’, Cooperation and Conflict 35(4): 389–415.
Ferrer-Gallardo, Xavier (2008), ‘The Spanish-Moroccan border complex: Processes of
geopolitical, functional and symbolic rebordering’, Political Geography 27(3): 301–21.
Newman, David (2003), ‘Boundaries’, pp. 123–37 in John A. Agnew, Katheryne Mitchell and
Gearóid Ó Tuathail (eds) A companion to political geography. Malden, Mass.: Blackwell
Publ.
Paasi, Anssi (1996), Territories, boundaries, and consciousness. The changing geographies of
the Finnish-Russian border. Chichester: Wiley.
Stetter, Stephan (2005b), Theorising the European Neighbourhood Policy: Debordering and
Rebordering in the Mediterranean. San Domenico di Fiesole: EUI Working Papers RSCAS
(34).
Stetter, Stephan (2005a), ‘The Politics of De-Paradoxification in Euro-Mediterranean
Relations: Se-mantics and Structures of 'Cultural Dialogue'’, Mediterranean Politics 10(3):
331–48.
HSS_11
What Harry Potter and Twilight most obviously have in common is their commercial success
as mass entertainment. This is, in large part, due to the conservative nature of these texts.
Why then, should they be labelled “transgressive”?
These works of fiction transgress boundaries in three ways: Harry Potter and Twilight both
have transgressed the border of the medium, multiplying the literary text into a multitude of
texts dispersed across different media and thus building a franchise. They have also
transgressed the borders of nations with their international success stories. Last but not least,
they have transgressed the border between children’s and adult’s literature. This last
transgression is the one that has received most critical attention and has helped the
proliferation of the term “kidult”. Though children’s literature had always addressed both
children and their parents, the adult consumption of children’s literature in the cases of Harry
Potter and Twilight has added fuel to the flames of the discussion about the infantilization of
adults through consumer capitalism.
The dissertation project will focus on the adult/child distinction in these works of fiction and
in the meta-discourse about them. The startling paradox between the clear-cut distinction of
children and adults in these fictions and the fears about the blurring of this distinction voiced
in real life will be the subject of analysis.
HSS_12
Das hier vorgestellte Dissertationsprojekt beschäftigt sich mit der Frage nach der medialen
Inszenierung bzw. Konstruktion von Geschlecht in Comicverfilmungen. Dabei soll vor allem
der intermedialen Beziehung von Comic und Film besondere Beachtung geschenkt werden.
Unter Berücksichtigung der wechselseitigen Beziehung der Performativität von Gender und
der Medialität des Performativen sowie dem Rückgriff auf aktuelle Theorien der Gender- und
Queer Studies wird der übergeordneten Fragestellung nachgegangen, wie die mediale
Präsentationsform die Repräsentation von Gender in Comicverfilmungen verändert bzw.
beeinflusst.
Während die Comicforschung in den letzten Jahren sowohl im deutschen als auch im
internationalen medienwissenschaftlichen Diskurs zunehmend an Bedeutung gewonnen hat,
haben sich nur wenige wissenschaftliche Werke mit der intermedialen Beziehung der beiden
Medien Comic und Film auseinander gesetzt. Betrachtet man den aktuellen Stand der
Forschungsliteratur, wird deutlich, dass sich die wenigen Werke, die sich (ausschließlich) mit
dem Phänomen Comicverfilmung beschäftigen, in der Regel damit begnügen, ihren Lesern
einen historischen Überblick über die Entwicklung von Comicverfilmungen zu liefern bzw.
die Wechselbeziehung der beiden Medien Comic und Film zu untersuchen, ohne eine
treffende Antwort auf die Frage zu geben, was eine Comicverfilmung überhaupt erst zu einer
Comicverfilmung macht. Neben mangelnder Definitionsversuche wird in der vorhandenen
Forschungsliteratur auch die Frage nach der Repräsentation von Gender in
Comicverfilmungen meist nur beiläufig oder überhaupt nicht behandelt. In den seltenen
Fällen, in denen der Gender-Frage Beachtung geschenkt wird, wird in der Regel davon
ausgegangen, dass die Repräsentation von Gender im Comic bzw. in Comicverfilmungen von
Gender-Stereotypen geprägt ist, die sich vor allem im Superhelden-Genre vorfinden lassen.
Infolgedessen haben Comicverfilmungen, genau wie z.B. der Horrorfilm, mit dem Vorwurf
zu kämpfen, dass sie ihren Zuschauern ein ganz bestimmtes stereotypes Männlichkeits- bzw.
Weiblichkeitsbild präsentieren. Bereits dieser kurze Überblick verdeutlicht, dass innerhalb
des wissenschaftlichen Diskurses nicht nur in Bezug auf das Medium Comicverfilmung,
sondern insbesondere im Hinblick auf die mediale Konstruktion von Geschlecht in
Comicverfilmungen erheblicher Forschungsbedarf besteht.
Ziel der Arbeit ist es, die durch den Prozess der Remedialisierung beschriebene
Performativität der Medien in einen direkten Zusammenhang mit der Repräsentation von
Gender in Comicverfilmungen zu bringen. Innerhalb der Gender- und Queer Studies wird der
Begriff der Performativität als gesellschaftlich sanktionierte Aufführung bzw. Wiederholung
geschlechtlicher Identitäten verstanden 1 . Geht man nun – dem aktuellen Forschungsstand
folgend – von der wechselseitigen, diskursiven Hervorbringung von Gender und Medien aus2
so stellt sich die Frage, wie die beiden Medien Comic und Film sich im Falle einer
Comicverfilmung generieren und was dies für Auswirkungen auf die mediale Inszenierung
von Gender hat. Lässt sich überhaupt eine allgemein gültige Aussage über die Repräsentation
von Gender im Medium Comic bzw. in Comicverfilmungen formulieren? Wenn ja, wodurch
zeichnet sich diese aus? Ist diese Repräsentation in erster Linie von Gender-Stereotypen
durchzogen oder ist hier subversives Potential vorzufinden? Und welche Rolle übernimmt
hierbei die Technik? Anders formuliert: Wie verändert bzw. beeinflusst die mediale
Präsentationsform die Repräsentation von Gender?
Bibliografie
1
Vgl. Seier, Andrea (2005)
2
Vgl. Seier, Andrea (2006)
A LATE MEDIEVAL PERSIAN FROM AN ANGLE:
DISCOVERING PERSPECTIVES ON MAÉD AL-DÏN
AL-FÏRØZÀBÀDÏ
Vivian Strotmann
My subject of enquiry is a Persian scholar on the threshold to Early Modernity. MaÊd al-DÐn
al-FÐrÙzÁbÁdÐ (1329-1415) - protected traveller, revered religious authority, powerful
politician, celebrated scholar and controversial lexicographer – has now lain buried in the
sands of the Yemeni desert for over half a millennium. At first sight, we are therefore faced
with a man long dead, whose scholarly endeavours seem of interest and relevance merely for
those involved in this field of enquiry. The fact most striking about this scholar seems the
almost complete lack of established facts. His great lexicon, the QÁmÙs al-muÎÐÔ, brought
him fame beyond death, but detailed information is largely wanting and – when extant –
contradictory. Besides collation of what little we know, what can be expected from
examinations of this man?
It is at this point that my thesis makes its departure. For the field of Oriental and Middle
Eastern Studies, clarification of his vita and establishment of his oeuvre presents a gain in
itself. They are, however, not goals in themselves. More important still than the erudition of
biographical and scholarly fact about the ÑÁÎib al-QÁmÙs are the issues which surface in the
process. Above all else, al-FÐrÙzÁbÁdÐ is remembered as a luÈawÐ and what examinations
we have of him are predominantly centred on this facet of his scholarly profile. As indicated
above, however, there is much more to this scholar than initially meets the eye. These aspects
of the famous scholarly personality are imbedded in – and therefore have to be studied against
– a variety of backgrounds both within and beyond Oriental sciences.
Ultimately, there emerges the mosaic of a Late Medieval Persian scholar whose life had
repercussions beyond the borders of his time and the reaches of his travels, whose scholarship
gained influence even unto the emancipation of a philological discipline. Sketching these
interconnections of backgrounds is the incentive of my proposed presentation.
ENTWICKLUNG UND EVALUATION DES
FRAGEBOGENS PRISCUS-PAQ ZUR ERFASSUNG
DER KÖRPERLICHEN AKTIVITÄT VON PERSONEN
IM ALTER VON 70 JAHREN UND ÄLTER
Ulrike S. Trampisch
Faculty of Sport Science; Department of Sports Medicine and Sports Nutrition; Ruhr-
Universität Bochum, 44780 Bochum, Germany
e-mail: ulrike.trampisch@rub.de
In der Bundesrepublik Deutschland leben ca. 16 Millionen Menschen im Alter von 65 Jahren
und älter (19% der Gesamtbevölkerung). Aufgrund des demografischen Wandels ist davon
auszugehen, dass die Anzahl der Älteren bis zum Jahr 2050 auf ca. 23 Millionen (33%)
ansteigen wird [1]. Der körperlichen Aktivität im Alter sind nach einhelliger Meinung der
Wissenschaft vielfältige positive Wirkungen im Sinne einer gesund erhaltenden Lebensweise
zuzuschreiben [z.B. 2,3-5]. Obwohl diese positiven Effekte körperlicher Aktivität bekannt
sind, existieren bisher weltweit erstaunlich wenige Daten über das Aktivitätsverhalten von
Personen im Alter von 65 Jahren und älter. In Deutschland fördert das Bundesministerium für
Bildung und Forschung seit 2008 Forschungsvorhaben zum Thema „Gesundheit im Alter“.
Unterstützt wird auch das Projekt PRISCUS („Prerequisites for a new health care model for
elderly people with multimorbidity“, http://www.priscus.net), bei dem der Lehrstuhl für
Sportmedizin und Sporternährung der Ruhr-Universität Bochum ein Teilprojekt betreut.
Dieses ermöglichte bereits die Erfassung der körperlichen Aktivität älterer Personen in einer
großen epidemiologischen Studie: der seit dem Jahr 2000 laufenden Studie „German
epidemiological trial on ankle brachial index“ (getABI) [6]. In der Verlaufsuntersuchung nach
etwa sieben Jahren sollte die Erfassung der körperlichen Aktivität von ca. 1.800 Personen im
Alter von 70 Jahren und älter im Telefoninterview ermöglicht werden. Hierfür wurde ein
valides Erfassungsinstrument gesucht.
Daher wurde in der hier vorliegenden Arbeit zunächst eine systematische Literaturrecherche
für einen geeigneten Fragebogen zur Erfassung der körperlichen Aktivität von älteren
Personen zum Einsatz in einer epidemiologischen Studie im Telefoninterview durchgeführt.
Insgesamt wurden fünf Fragebögen für Personen im Alter von 70 Jahren und älter gefunden:
Modified Baecke Questionnaire for Older Adults [7], Zutphen Physical Activity
Questionnaire [8-9], Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly [10], Yale Physical Activity
Survey [11] und CHAMPS Physical Activity Questionnaire for Older Adults [12]. Diese
wurden vergleichend dargestellt und hinsichtlich ihrer Eignung für den Einsatz in
epidemiologischen Studien begutachtet. Keiner der beschriebenen Fragebögen erschien
jedoch hinreichend geeignet, um die körperliche Aktivität älterer Personen zu erfassen. Somit
stellte sich heraus, dass es zum Zeitpunkt der Analyse keinen Fragebogen gab, der sich zur
Erfassung des Aktivitätsverhaltens von älteren Personen eignete. Daher wurde ein neuer
Fragebogen speziell für diese Altersklasse entwickelt und seine Testgüte bestimmt. Eine sehr
umfangreiche Vorversion des Fragebogens wurde zunächst in einer Voruntersuchung an
Teilnehmern der Studie getABI eingesetzt. Aufgrund der Ergebnisse dieser Voruntersuchung
wurde der finale, deutlich gekürzte Fragebogen PRISCUS-PAQ entwickelt. Die Güte des
neuen Fragebogens hinsichtlich Retest-Reliabilität und kriterienbezogener Validität wurde
abschließend in der Hauptstudie der vorliegenden Arbeit ermittelt und bewertet.
Die Voruntersuchung wurde an 136 Teilnehmern der Studie getABI durchgeführt. Die
Auswertung der deskriptiven Statistik und einer Hauptkomponentenanalyse sowie qualitative
Aspekte der langen Fragebogen-Vorversion führten zu der Auswahl von zehn Hauptfragen zu
sitzenden Tätigkeiten, zum Tagschlaf, zum Putzen, zur Hausarbeit, zum Fahrrad fahren, zur
Gymnastik, zu Sport in Gruppen, zu sonstigem Sport, zu Wegen zu Fuß und zur Gartenarbeit
für den finalen Aktivitäts-Fragebogen PRISCUS-PAQ. Dieser sollte eine valide Darstellung
des Aktivitätsverhaltens und die Ermittlung des wöchentlichen Energieverbrauchs
ermöglichen. Die Testgütekriterien des PRISCUS-PAQ wurden an 137 Teilnehmern ermittelt.
Die Retest-Reliabilität lag für den PRISCUS-PAQ-Gesamtscore bei ICC = 0,59 (95% KI:
0,43-0,71) und die kriterienbezogene Validität, ermittelt durch Akzelerometrie, bei r = 0,28
(95% KI: 0,10-0,44). Aufgrund allgemein bestehender Schwierigkeiten bei der Erfassung der
körperlichen Aktivität sowohl mittels Fragebögen als auch mittels Akzelerometrie können
diese Ergebnisse als insgesamt akzeptabel bezeichnet werden. Dies gilt insbesondere im
Vergleich zu internationalen Fragebögen für diese Altersgruppe.
Zusammenfassend wurde in der vorliegenden Arbeit mit dem PRISCUS-PAQ ein ausreichend
valider Fragebogen zum Einsatz im Telefoninterview für große epidemiologische Studien, der
die Häufigkeit und Dauer der körperlichen Aktivitäten der vergangenen Woche von Personen
im Alter von 70 Jahren und älter erfasst und die Darstellung des wöchentlichen
Energieverbrauchs ermöglicht, entwickelt und evaluiert.
References
[1] Statistische Ämter des Bundes und der Länder. Demografischer Wandel in Deutschland,
Heft 1: Bevölkerungs- und Haushaltsentwicklung im Bund und in den Ländern. Wiesbaden:
Statistisches Bundesamt; 2007
[2] Fries JF. Physical activity, the compression of morbidity, and the health of the elderly. J R
Soc Med 1996; 89: 64-68
[3] Chodzko-Zajko WJ, Proctor DN, Singh MAF, et al. Exercise and Physical Activity for
Older Adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2009; 41: 1510-1530
[4] Manini TM, Everhart JE, Patel KV, et al. Daily activity energy expenditure and mortality
among older adults. JAMA 2006; 296: 171-179
[5] Taylor AH, Cable NT, Faulkner G, et al. Physical activity and older adults: a review of
health benefits and the effectiveness of interventions. J Sports Sci 2004; 22: 703-725
[6] Diehm C, Schuster A, Spengel FA, et al. Get ABI: German epidemiological trial on ankle
brachial index for elderly patients in family practice to dedect peripheral arterial disease,
significant marker for high mortality. Journal of Vascular Diseases 2002; 31: 241-248
[7] Voorrips LE, Ravelli ACJ, Dongelmans PCA, Deurenberg P, Vanstaveren WA. A
Physical-Activity Questionnaire for the Elderly. Med Sci Sports Exerc 1991; 23: 974-979
[8] Westerterp KR, Saris WHM, Bloemberg BPM, et al. Validation of the Zutphen Physical
Activity Questionaire for the elderly with doubly labeled water. Med Sci Sports Exerc 1992;
24: 68
[9] Caspersen CJ, Bloemberg BPM, Saris WHM, Merritt RK, Kromhout D. The Prevalence of
Selected Physical Activities and their Relation with Coronary Heart-Disease Risk-Factors in
Elderly Men - the Zutphen Study, 1985. Am J Epidemiol 1991; 133: 1078-1092
[10] Washburn RA, Smith KW, Jette AM, Janney CA. The Physical-Activity Scale for the
Elderly (PASE) - Development and Evaluation. J Clin Epidemiol 1993; 46: 153-162
[11] DiPietro L, Caspersen CJ, Ostfeld AM, Nadel ER. A survey for assessing physical
activity among older adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc 1993; 25: 628-642
[12] Stewart AL, Mills KM, King AC, et al. CHAMPS physical activity questionnaire for
older adults: outcomes for interventions. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2001; 33: 1126-1141
DIE AUSEINANDERSETZUNG MIT DEM
APARTHEIDREGIME IM WESTDEUTSCHEN
PROTESTANTISMUS, 1959-1994
Sebastian Tripp
As early as in the 1950s the moral challenge of apartheid led to the formation of anti-
apartheid movements in the Western world. From the very beginning, Christian groups and
initiatives played an important role in this transnational movement. Although the anti-
apartheid movement included many non-religious groups most of the leading members were
church people.
In Germany, however, anti-apartheid activism started only in the 1970s in the wake of
students’ protests and the continuous discourse on ‘Vergangenheitsbewältigung’. Although
Christian, and especially Protestant, groups played a leading role in the anti-apartheid
movement in Germany, too, this participation was highly contested. Despite an almost
unanimous agreement on the moral flaws of the apartheid regime, the question in how far
Christian groups and the churches themselves should take part in public protest against
apartheid was one of the major issues discussed in West German Protestantism.
In my thesis I analyse these debates consulting various published and unpublished sources. In
order to reconstruct the fullest possible picture I will look at protestant newspapers (e.g.
Deutsches Allgemeines Sonntagsblatt, Lutherische Monatshefte, Evangelische Kommentare,
Junge Kirche) as well as at records and minutes of Church Boards of several regional
Churches (‘Landeskirchen’). Furthermore, documents of associations arguing either for (e.g.
Evangelische Frauenarbeit in Deutschland) or against (e.g. Arbeitsgemeinschaft Christen für
Partnerschaft statt Gewalt) direct political action of Church organisations, such as call for
boycotts.
I argue that the significance of this discourse arises from the fact that most of the current
theological, political and societal debates, e.g., gender roles, post-colonial responsibilities,
anti-communism vs. critique of capitalism, intermingled and were discussed using the subject
of ‘apartheid’ as a foil. In times when Christianity underwent a “marking rupture as profound
as the Reformation” (Hugh McLeod), the discourse on ‘apartheid’ was used to dispute the
future role of the churches and religion in a transforming society.
One of the major questions discussed was that of political responsibility of the churches. How
must the relation between churches and political authorities be shaped? Should or even must
churches interfere in political questions? Under which circumstances should this be the case?
Where should the line be drawn between politics and religion? In these debates not only
present and future developments of the Protestant Churches in Germany were disputed. They
also represented an act of ‘Vergangenheitsbewältigung’ for the churches as the responsibility
of the Protestant Church in the Third Reich and the heritage of the ‘Kirchenkampf’ and the
‘Bekennende Kirche’ were constantly referred to in this discourse.
DIFFERENZERFAHRUNGEN UND
UMGANGSSTRATEGIEN BEI DEUTSCHEN
JUGENDLICHEN UND JUGENDLICHEN MIT
MIGRATIONSHINTERGRUND
Astrid Utler
Als theoretische Grundlage dient das Konzept der Differenzerfahrungen [1 u. 2]; diese bilden
ein nicht untypisches Phänomen milieuüberschreitender Interaktionen, d.h.
Differenzerfahrungen können sich zwischen den Angehörigen von Generationen,
Geschlechtern oder Kulturen, usw. ereignen. Differenzerlebnisse stellen für alle Beteiligten
eine Herausforderung dar, in ihrer erfolgreichen Bewältigung liegt jedoch eine Chance für die
Überwindung eben dieser Differenzen – daher kommt den Differenzerfahrungen auch im
Migrationskontext eine wichtige Bedeutung zu. Bohnsack [1] und Nohl [2] unterscheiden
zwei Arten der Fremdheits- bzw. Differenzerfahrung: die erste bildet die (Fremd-)
Konstruktion sozialer Identität, bei der es sich insbesondere um Erlebnisse der Ethnisierung
durch Dritte handelt. Die zweite bezieht sich auf eine habitualisierte Alltagspraxis, also auf
Erfahrungen, die implizit im Rahmen alltagspraktischen Handelns gesammelt werden. Neben
den explizit geäußerten Differenzen sind für mich v.a. auch diese impliziten Erfahrungen
kultureller Differenz von Interesse, welche die Jugendlichen möglicherweise zwar erleben,
aber unter Umständen gar nicht als solche deuten. Um der Wechselseitigkeit des
Integrationsprozesses Rechnung zu tragen, gehe ich zudem nicht ausschließlich auf die
Perspektive der Jugendlichen mit Migrationshintergrund ein, sondern beziehe auch die
deutsche Seite mit ein.
Folgende Forschungsfragen leiten dabei mein Vorgehen: Wie konstituiert sich die Beziehung
in Milieus, an denen Jugendliche mit und ohne Migrationshintergrund teilhaben? Welche
Differenzerfahrungen machen Jugendliche mit Migrationshintergrund und deutsche
Jugendliche in der Interaktion miteinander? Wie werden diese Erfahrungen attribiuert und wie
wird damit kollektiv und individuell umgegangen?
Als methodologischen Ansatz wähle ich eine rekonstruktive Herangehensweise, da diese mir
gewährleistet, Antworten über das wie des Zusammenlebens zu erhalten. Methodisch basiert
mein Herangehensweise auf einer Triangulation aus Gruppendiskussionen und narrativen
Einzelinterviews. Gruppendiskussionen haben angesichts meiner Fragestellung folgenden
Vorteil: Die Jugendlichen haben die Möglichkeit aufeinander Bezug zu nehmen, sie steigern
sich gegenseitig in der Bearbeitung des Themas, so dass die Jugendlichen in der Interaktion
auch ihren sozialen Kontext herstellen [3], der für meine Arbeit von besonderem Interesse ist.
Im Fokus meiner Untersuchung stehen dabei Gruppen Jugendlicher im Alter von 13-15
Jahren und 16-18 Jahren und zwar sowohl aus dem schulischen, als auch aus dem
Freizeitbereich.
Meine Arbeit soll Aufschlüsse über kollektive und individuelle Umgangsstrategien mit
Differenzerfahrungen in Familie und Peer-Gruppen leisten und damit einen wichtigen Beitrag
zur Verbesserung der Beziehungen zwischen Mehrheitsgesellschaft und Migranten leisten.
Darüber hinaus soll meine Dissertation wichtige Impulse für die psychologische
Theorienbildung in diesem Forschungsfeld liefern, das bislang vor allem auf quantitativer
Forschung basiert.
Bibliografie:
[1] Bohnsack, Ralf (2003). Differenzerfahrungen der Identität und des Habitus. Eine
empirische Untersuchung auf der Basis der dokumentarischen Methode. In Burkhard, Liebsch
& Jürgen, Straub (Hrsg.). Lebensformen im Widerstreit. Integrations- und Identitätskonflikte
in pluralen Gesellschaften (S.136-160). Frankfurt: Campus
[2] Nohl, Arnd-Michael (2001). Migration und Differenzerfahrung. Junge Einheimische und
Migranten im rekonstruktiven Milieuvergleich. Opladen: Leske + Budrich.
[3] Bohnsack, Ralf (2008). Rekonstruktive Sozialforschung. Einführung in qualitative
Methoden. (7.Auflage). Opladen: Barbara Budrich.
HSS_13
References:
[1] Adler, Jeremy; Ernst, Ulrich: Text als Figur. Visuelle Poesie von der Antike bis zur
Moderne, 3. Aufl. Aufl., Weinheim 1990.
[2] Bohn, Willard: “Theory and Practice of Visual Poetry.” Neohelicon, 17/2 (1990), S. 229-
237.
[3] Cózar, Rafael de: Poesía e imagen. Formas difíciles de ingenio literario. Univ., Diss.--
Sevilla, 1984., Sevilla 1991.
[4] Fernández Serrato, Juan Carlos: ¿Cómo se lee un poema visual? Retórica y poética del
experimentalismo español (1975 - 1980), Sevilla 2003.
[5] Higgins, Dick: Pattern Poetry, New York 1987.
[6] Lanza Rivera, Juan José: “La poesía experimental en España: historia y reflexión teórica.“
Iberoamericana, Vol. 16 (1992), S. 52–70.
1
Bohn, Willard: “Theory and Practice of Visual Poetry.” Neohelicon, 17/2 (1990), S. 229-237.
TWO PHILOSOPHICAL THEORIES OF THE MORAL
SIGNIFICANCE OF STATE BORDERS
Thomas Weitner
Most people, especially politicians, attach great moral weight to state boundaries. Concerning
issues of economic, foreign or immigration policy, it is taken for granted that the interests of
our compatriots take priority in comparison to the interests of foreigners. Following this
maxim, foreigners are excluded from the territory of a state, the scope of social security
systems like health care and unemployment insurance is limited to fellow countrymen and the
right to vote is denied to non-citizens, to name only a few examples.
Philosophers usually invoke two conflicting theories in order to justify the moral significance
of state borders and the priority for compatriots, respectively. The theory of instrumental
value says, that state borders carry moral weight only in a derivative sense. According to this
approach, the state-system, ideally conceived, is a better means to protect the basic human
rights of every person globally than any other political system (e.g. a world state). All special
duties to compatriots can therefore be reduced to general moral duties, which we owe in
principle to anyone in the world. On the other hand the theory of intrinsic value argues, that
the relationship between the members of a state is of moral importance. Since we do not share
this relationship with foreigners, there are special duties to fellow citizens, which are not
reducible to general duties.
I try to resolve the dispute between the two views by demonstrating, that neither of them is
sufficient to give us a plausible justification of the moral significance of state borders by
itself. While the theory of instrumental value is well-suited in the field of human rights, the
theory of intrinsic value is more useful when it comes to the field of justice. Therefore, both
of them have to be combined, in order to yield a robust philosophical theory, which can
justify at least some degree of national partiality.
TEMPORALLY GRADED MEMORY
RECONSOLIDATION IN HUMANS
Sonja Wichert 1,2, Oliver T. Wolf 1,2, Lars Schwabe 1
1
Department of Cognitive Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr-Universität Bochum,
44780 Bochum, Germany
2
International Graduate School of Neuroscience, Ruhr-Universität Bochum,44780
Bochum, Germany
e-mail: sonja.wichert@rub.de
Background:
The phenomenon of memory reconsolidation has made researchers question the traditional
view that consolidated memories are safely stored in the brain, being resistant to disruptions.
According to the concept of memory reconsolidation, the retrieval of a consolidated,
apparently stable memory can return it to a labile state, necessitating another period of
stabilization, named reconsolidation [1-3]. Memory reconsolidation suggests that
modifications during or shortly after retrieval may provide a means of changing unwanted
emotional or traumatic memories.
Indeed, recent studies indicate that psychological and pharmacological manipulations
shortly after the reactivation of a conditioned fear memory reduce the fear significantly and
lastingly in healthy participants [4, 5]. These promising findings raise the question whether
there is a critical time window for such manipulations: Are younger and older memories
likewise sensitive to modifications during reconsolidation?
Evidence from rodent studies shows that older memories are less susceptible to post-
reactivation manipulations than younger ones and that the vulnerability of memories
decreases as the time interval between initial learning and memory retrieval increases [6, 7].
However, these findings remain controversial, as other animal studies did not find an effect of
memory age [8, 9]. Evidence for a temporal gradient in human memory reconsolidation is
missing.
Methods:
To assess whether recent and older memories are likewise susceptible to alterations after
reactivation, healthy participants learned a set of pictures and reactivated it 1, 7, or 28 days
later. Immediately after retrieval of the previously learned pictures, participants learned a
second set of pictures, a manipulation that altered memory performance in earlier studies [10,
11]. Twenty-four hours later, participants completed a free recall test for the pictures they had
initially learned. Memory performance was expressed as (i) the number of remembered
pictures and (ii) the number of remembered details.
Results:
New learning after memory reactivation reduced memory performance when there was a 1-
day-interval between initial learning and reactivation. After an interval of 7 days, the effect of
new learning after reactivation was less pronounced than after a 1-day-interval but still
present for the number of pictures that were recalled. The impairing effect of new learning
after memory reactivation disappeared when the interval between initial learning and
reactivation was 28 days.
Conclusion:
Our findings indicate that older memories are less susceptible to reconsolidation effects than
recent memories. The present pattern of results is consistent with findings from animal studies
showing that as the time interval after initial learning increases, memories become
increasingly resistant to post-reactivation interfering disruptions [6, 7, 12]. These findings
represent the first evidence of a temporal gradient in memory reconsolidation of humans.
Why are older memories less susceptible to the disruptive effects of new learning after
their reactivation than younger memories? Initial information encoding and storage depends
on the hippocampus. With the passage of time, these memories become consolidated in
neocortical structures and completely [3, 13] or partially [14] independent of the
hippocampus. Reactivation of recent, not completely consolidated memories may result in
reengagement of those neural circuits that are involved in encoding and short-term storage,
with the effect that “the initial memory is partially overwritten in the interest of storing more
recently acquired information” [15]. Older memories, however, are stored in neocortical brain
areas that are different from the encoding circuits and are therefore less readily modifiable.
In this study we showed that the temporal dynamics of memory reconsolidation in
humans are dependent on the age of the memories, such that older memories are less sensitive
to modifications after their retrieval (i.e. during reconsolidation) than recent memories. These
findings may have important implications for the potential use of reconsolidation
manipulations as a treatment for anxiety disorders, such as PTSD [5, 16]. They suggest that
the possibility for therapeutic interventions after the reactivation of a memory of a traumatic
event may be most promising within a short time window after this event has happened.
References:
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) which is caused by the Human Immunodeficiency
Virus (HIV) is not only an epidemiological problem but also one of the developmental challenges in
developing countries. The epidemic is affecting severely the productive part of the population (15 to
49 age range), that is believed to be ‘the motor of development’.
Ethiopia is one of the Sub-Saharan African countries whose economy is affected by the epidemic.
The country is assigned along with India, China, Nigeria and Russia as the ‘next wave of
HIV/AIDS’ for having a large population at risk of HIV/AIDS that will overtake the current
epidemic prevalence rate in central and southern Africa. The epidemic is also among the challenges
of the agriculture sector of the country where half of the GDP is derived out of it. Although
agriculture is the backbone of the economy, little effort is done in estimating the impact of the
epidemic and many existing studies focus on urban areas. Therefore, this research has its own
contribution in assessing the extent and channels of the impact of HIV/AIDS on agricultural
production. The research measured the extent of the impact of the epidemic on factors of production
such as labor, capital stock and land use, which are the determinants of agricultural production.
The research has been conducted in Ada’a district in Eastern Showa province, in Ethiopia which is
one of the highly agricultural production areas of the country and also one of the vulnerable areas for
HIV/AIDS.
Two stages of ordinary least square (OLS) estimation were done. The first stage was to estimate
the impact of HIV/AIDS on production factors whereas the second stage estimation was done to
estimate the impact of HIV/AIDS on output (income) of farmers via the impacts on factors of
production.
The findings of the analysis indicated that HIV/AIDS has been affecting the production and
income of farmers via its effect on factors of production, i.e. by reducing labor-hours, depleting
the capital stock of farmers and by its impact on the use of land. According to the finding, on
average, the affliction of an individual by HIV/AIDS has reduced labor-hours by 0.37%. Similarly,
the affliction of an individual with HIV/AIDS has caused a reduction of capital stock by 0.53%.
The prolonged morbidity nature of the epidemic has caused for requirement of much financial
capital (savings). Draft animals were sold to cover medication and burial costs. The rate of
investment among HIV/AIDS afflicted households on agriculture compared to non-afflicted
households has been decreasing significantly. Moreover, the result has indicated that affliction of
an individual in HIV/AIDS has caused a reduction in the amount of land cultivated by 0.16%.
HIV/AIDS was found to decrease the area of farm under cultivation indirectly via affecting the
labor-hours and capital stock of farmers. Labor intensive cereal crops such as Teff have a higher
price and bring higher income for the farmers. However, HIV/AIDS afflicted households produce
Teff in poor management resulting poor yields and low income. The overall income estimation
shows that 79.9 % of change in income level is explained by the change in labor, capital stock and
land use. According to the calculations made, on average HIV/AIDS affliction has reduced income
of farmers by 11.98%
This research has been further extended and the implications of the epidemic on poverty levels of
households are being investigated to see the overall effects of HIV/AIDS with respect to
alterations in factors of production and what it looks like among the poor groups of the
community.
Key words
HIV/AIDS, impact, agriculture, production, income, land, labor, capital stock, morbidity, Ada’a
district, Eastern Showa province, Ethiopia.
Participants
Natural Sciences and Engineering
Name Abstract Poster Email
Alexander Meurer alexander.meurer@rub.de
Alexandra Becker yes NSE_02 alexandra.becker@bci.tu-dortmund.de
Anas Showk yes NSE_19 anas.showk@is.rub.de
Anastasia Shchegolikhina yes NSE_18 anastasia.shchegolikhina@rub.de
Bernhard Roth yes NSE_17 bernhard@ep1.rub.de
Brankica Sikimic yes NSE_20 Brankica.sikimic@rub.de
Carlo Vinci yes NSE_25 vinci@lkm.rub.de
Dirk Ribbrock yes NSE_16 dribbrock@gmail.com
Felix Mackel yes NSE_10 felix.mackel@ep5.rub.de
Helma Kleinhorst yes NSE_07 helma.kleinhorst@rub.de
Henrik Bahre yes NSE_01 hendrik.bahre@rub.de
Ihor Petrov ihor.petrov@yahoo.de
Jan Schulze jan.schulze@rub.de
Jennifer Hold yes NSE_05 jennifer.hold@web.de
Jens Oberrath yes NSE_13 oberrath@tet.rub.de
Julia Lorke julia.lorke@rub.de
Katharina Stapelmann yes NSE_23 stapelmann@aept.ruhr-uni-bochum.de
Kathrin Faak yes NSE_04 kathrin.faak@rub.de
Ke Xu yes NSE_26 cocoxuke@hotmail.de
Lanying Jin yes NSE_06 lanying.jin@rub.de
Mahmoud Ashour Sliem yes NSE_21 mahmoud.ashour@rub.de
Marina Prenzel yes NSE_14 marina.prenzel@rub.de
Meike Mischo yes NSE_11 meike.mischo@rub.de
Mengmeng Zhou mengmeng.zhou@rub.de
Michael Leyhe michaell@ep1.rub.de
Olesia Vreshch olesia.vreshch@rub.de
Patrick Kurzeja yes NSE_08 patrick.kurzeja@ruhr-uni-bochum.de
Patrick-B. Bök yes NSE_03 patrick.boek@iis.rub.de
Philipp Junker philipp.junker@rub.de
Rüdiger Reuter yes NSE_15 ruediger.reuter@rub.de
Sarah Müller yes NSE_12 sarah.mueller@ep5.rub.de
Stefan Lier yes NSE_09 stefan.lier@fluidvt.rub.de
Stefan Spitz yes NSE_22 stefan.spitz@rub.de
Teodor Toader yes NSE_24 teodor.toader@rub.de
Tobias Simon tobias.simon@rub.de
Usama Al-Anbaki usama.al-anbaki@rub.de
Vinay Sharma vinay.sharma@rub.de
Life Sciences
Name Abstract Poster Email
Ashti Baghaei Kaveh kavehbaghai@gmail.com
Anna Christina Sondersorg yes LS_14 Anna-Christina.Sondersorg@ruhr-uni-
bochum.de
Annika Cimdins yes LS_3 annika.cimdins@rub.de
Arndt Manzel yes LS_9 arndt.manzel@t-online.de
Arne Buschler yes LS_1 a.buschler@gmx.de
Bastian Molitor bastian.molitor@rub.de
Christiane Reick yes LS_12 Christiane.Reick@gmx.de
Daniela Busse yes LS_2 daniela.busse@rub.de
Delia Saffian aska-sheda@gmx.de
Eva Margarethe Wrobel yes LS_19 Eva.Wrobel@rub.de
Honghong Yang yes LS_20 yanghonghong@gmail.com
Jan Terhag yes LS_16 jan.terhag@rub.de
Jana Kenney yes LS_4 jkenney@biomed.cas.cz
Janina Wolf Janina.Wolf@rub.de
Katja Steinke yes LS_15 katja.steinke@rub.de
Lars Roll yes LS_13 Lars.Roll@rub.de
Laven Mavarani mavarani@bph.rub.de
Maren Geissler maren.geissler@rub.de
Marion Andre marionandre@hotmail.com
Matthias Lübbert yes LS_7 matthiasluebbert@gmx.de
Matthias Tuma yes LS_17 matthias.tuma@rub.de
Michael Storcksdieck Michael.storcksdieckgenanntbonsmann@rub.de
Nils Kasties nils.kasties@gmx.de
Stefan Kobza yes LS_5 Stefan.Kobza@rub.de
Stefanie Krajewski yes LS_6 stefanie.krajewski@rub.de
Steffen Pahl yes LS_11 steffen.pahl@rub.de
Svenja Pacherneggg yes LS_10 Svenja.Pachernegg@rub.de
Valentina Wieschollek yes LS_18 valentina.kopp@rub.de
Veronika Luft yes LS_8 Veronika.Luft@rub.de