The best time is now for the humanities—book release

“The humanities contribute with knowledge which could nourish and be important for a sustainable democratic development. We are very proud of this book,” says Ulrika Serrander, senior lecturer in Swedish at the University of i Gävle.

Always human-centred

Ulrika Serrander and Peder Thalén took the initiative to encourage researchers within the humanities to contribute with a text to this anthology. Their texts have been collected in an anthology with the Swedish title Kunskap, motstånd och möjlighet. Humanistisk forskning idag, which could be translated into “Knowledge, resistance and possibility. Research in the Humanities today.” The words in the title are repeated in the form of headings for the three parts of the book, which each contains six or seven texts.

“An important common matter for all texts has been to demonstrate the importance of the knowledge with which the humanities can contribute. Research in the humanities is always human-centred,” Ulrika Serrander explains.

Knowledge

Ulrika states that the humanities engage in searching for knowledge about the human and the human condition; in short, the traditional ideal for education.

Resistance

“To offer resistance is natural within the humanities,” Ulrika claims. “Researchers offer resistance against existing orders both within society and within educational systems. We do so by highlighting injustices and describing how different groups are disadvantaged within the system because of their gender, class, ethnicity etcetera.”

Possibility

Finally, Ulrika points to the possibilities the humanities give us; we may see things in new ways and develop as a community and as individuals. It may concern new teaching methods, a new form of education for special groups, describing aspects in new manners or how to engage with a certain type of literature in teaching.

The humanities at University of Gävle

Swedish (including gender studies and comparative literature), English, religious studies and media and communication studies.

Book release 14 December

The Department of Humanities releases a new book:

"Kunskap, Motstånd, Möjlighet - Humanistisk forskning i dag"

(Editors Ulrika Serrander & Peder Thalén).

Date: Thursday 14 December 2017
Time: 01.00pm - 03.00pm
Room: Krusenstjernasalen in the Library

Programme:
01.15pm - 01.45pm Distinguished guest Henrik Bohlin (reader in philosophy and senior lecturer in i philosophy and in history of ideas) gives a lecture: "Humanioras bästa tid är nu".

14.00-15.00 Coffee, cake and mingling

All welcome!

No registration needed.

------------------------------------------------

For more information please contact:
Ulrika Serrander, senior lecturer in Swedish at the University of Gävle
Phone: 026-64 86 29, 073-270 74 45
Email: ulrika.serrander@hig.se

Peder Thalén, professor of religious studies at the University of Gävle
Phone: 026-64 86 45
Email: Peder.Thalén@hig.se

Text: Douglas Öhrbom