Workshop 1

Nature, Technology, and the Body: Posthumanist Interfaces of the Networked Self

Our workshop will consist of three thematic clusters which will each be alloted one hour of discussion time: 1) Theoretical Perspectives on Posthumanism; 2) Posthumanist Narratives; 3) Posthumanist Politics. Each of these clusters will include 4-5 participants engaging in a critical discussion based on their paper proposals. Instead of conventional paper presentations, participants will be given up to 7 minutes to present their main arguments in a concise and precise way. Individual presentations will be followed by a roundtable/general discussion of about 30 mins. It is our aim to bring together a whole range of perspectives, identify prevalent theoretical positions, and explore the field of critical posthumanism in/for American Studies. We therefore want to encourage lively debates from a variety of different angles rather than only presenting a few selected perspectives.

1) Theoretical Perspectives on Posthumanism

Hanjo Berressem (Köln)
"We Have Never Been Human": Posthumanism Before Posthumanism

Laura Bieger (Freiburg)
Posthuman Belonging: Contemplating the Narrative Agency of Networking Self

Stefan Danter (Mannheim)
Tales of Multiplicity – Varieties of Posthumanism and their Effects on the Humanist Subject/Self

Shane Denson (Hannover)
Metabolic Images: Post-Cinematic Interfaces with a Postnatural World

Wojciech Malecki (Wrocław)
Nature After America, or Pragmatist Thought and Its Consequences for Posthumanism

2) Posthumanist Narratives

Alexandra Berlina (Duisburg-Essen)
Posthumanism, Surrealism and the Hybrid Self in Michael Cunningham's Specimen Days

Alexander Dunst (Paderborn)
Philip K. Dick's Posthumous Posthumanism

Michaela Giesenkirchen Sawyer (Utah Valley University)
Gertrude Stein's Posthumanism

Julian Henneberg (Berlin)
Posthuman Powers?

Manlio Della Marca (Rom/München)
"From Singular to Connected Paradigms of the Mind and Brain": Globally Networked Intelligence and Posthuman Civil Liberties in Ramez Naam's Nexus

3) Posthumanist Politics

James Dorson (Berlin)
Critical Posthumanism in the Posthuman Economy: The Case of Mr. Squishy

Frederike Offizier (Potsdam)
Securing the Human: Biotechnology and Identity Construction

Simon Schleusener (Berlin)
Posthumanist Politics: Ethics and Ontology in the Philosophy of the New Materialism

Florian Zappe (Berlin)
Lifelogging, Sousveillance and the Position of the (Post)human Subject

Chairs

Ulfried Reichardt
Universität Mannheim
Amerikanistik
Schloß EW 259
68131 Mannheim
ulfreich@rumms.uni-mannheim.de

Regina Schober
Universität Mannheim
Schloss EW 263
68131 Mannheim
rschober@mail.uni-mannheim.de