Virtual TRAWOS research colloquium

The TRAWOS Institute has been involved in transformation processes since its foundation and can point to a wide range of research projects, conferences and publications. Building on this tradition, we would like to once again initiate a fundamental discussion on the orientation and further development of transformation research at our institute.

We cordially invite colleagues and researchers from other institutions to join us!

We welcome critical questions, objections and suggestions for further discourse on the following thesis, which has been prepared for the colloquium and is open for discussion:

"Transformations of societies or other human communities are always competitions for gains in sovereignty in accessing resources of a material, idealistic / cultural and political-creative nature. This competition initially depends on the decisions that determine which resources and instruments are actually available for solving problems, gaining relevant knowledge and dealing with change. Social tensions are increasing and the use of resources faces the challenge of being preventative, balancing and at the same time promoting innovation."

In addition, the dependence of research on its framework conditions and the respective focus of the funding system in relation to the justified prioritization of research topics from the perspective of the ("free") sciences should be addressed. This entails the risk that transformation research is limited to retrospection and retrospective-based generalization and that its opportunities for contributing to the solution of social development problems cannot be seized or can only be seized to a very limited extent.

This must nolens volens also be associated with a dispute over values, models, utopias/dystopias, or at least be possible and desired, without neglecting topics and projects that record, describe, analyse and, if necessary, generalize the potential of lived practice.

Introductory statements will be given by:

• Dr. Michael Thomas, sociologist and co-founder of the Berlin Institute for Social Science Studies (BISS e.V.),
• and Prof. Dr. Eckehard Binas, cultural philosopher and director of the TRAWOS Institute.
• Tobias Schlüter, M.A. from the TRAWOS Institute, will moderate the event.