Stammberger & Borck: Plädoyer aus der Provinz für non-disziplinäres Denken in den Kulturwissenschaften

Abstract: Over the past decade, cultural studies have been successful in establishing their own society, a dedicated journal, numerous degree programs, a range of institutes, faculties, and professorships. This could be celebrated as a remarkable institutional success, turning cultural studies into a proper academic discipline. Drawing on the examples of the Center for Literary and Cultural Research (ZfL) in Berlin and the International Research Center for Cultural Studies (ifk) in Vienna, this paper advocates, on the contrary, for a non-disciplinary model of cultural studies which acts by intervening into humanities and society. Based on experiences with the Center for Cultural Research Lübeck (ZKFL), we argue that cultural studies need to embrace openness, collaboration, and situated practices today more than ever for maintaining the power of their radical origins and continuing critical engagement.