Book launch: Problems of Antiracism.
Postcolonial Studies, Critical Whiteness and Intersectionality Research in Critique
When: 24.11.2022, 7.30 p.m.
Where: Programmschänke Bajszel, Emser Straße 8-9, Berlin Neukölln
With Andreas Benl (MFFB), Andreas Stahl and Jan Rickermann.
Not only since the protests of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020 has the debate on racism taken on a central role in public and academic debate. In particular, positions influenced by academic currents such as "critical whiteness", post-colonialism or post-structuralism have entered the social mainstream. Instead of a theoretical examination of the social conditions of racism, these approaches often attack universalism and reason or level the specifics of anti-Semitism and the Holocaust. In contrast, analyses and critiques of racism that argue socio-psychologically, ideology-critically and materialistically are apparently increasingly on the defensive. The volume presented, "Problems of Antiracism", highlights in particular the blind spots and distortions of prevailing antiracism and at the same time attempts to fill some gaps in contemporary racism theory.
The editors Jan Rickermann and Andreas Stahl will introduce the volume in more general terms, focusing on the concept of structural racism. The contribution by Andreas Benl revolves in particular around the "misery of culture" and the question of the historical-political change from cultural relativism to anti-Zionism.
Andreas Benl is a board member of the Mideast Freedom Forum Berlin and researches primarily on the history and present of Iran, cultural relativism and anti-Semitism. The interview conducted with him, "The Misery of Culture", as well as a corresponding epilogue, appeared in the presented volume.
Jan Rickermann lives in Bremen, studied social sciences in Osnabrück and philosophy in Oldenburg and is co-editor of the anthology "Probleme des Antirassismus". His research focuses on political philosophy and the history of ideas.
Andreas Stahl studies philosophy at the University of Oldenburg, has been active in political education for many years and is co-editor of the volumes "Konformistische Rebellen" (Verbrecher Verlag 2020), "Probleme des Antirassismus" (Tiamat 2022) and "Subjekt und Befreiung" (Verbrecher Verlag 2022).
The book can be ordered here.