Review 2023

The members of the LWC ReForm organized a conference, a panel discussion, two workshops and two lecture series in 2023.

We started the year with an internal workshop on the topic of “Georesource entanglements”. We addressed the question of how georesources are interwoven with their environment and different societies.

The second highlight of our year followed in June. Constance von Rüden, Frank Hillebrandt and Johannes Jungfleisch organized the international conference “Resource-Event-Practice” at the FernUniversität in Hagen. Prominent guests such as Ian Hodder, Oliver Harris, Christiane Schürkmann, Franka Schäfer, Stefan Schreiber, Reinhard Bernbeck and Susan Pollock discussed questions of New Materialism together with our PIs. You can find a detailed report on the conference by Johannes Jungfleisch HERE.

After the summer break, it was time to take to the stage – at least for Frank Hillebrandt. Professionally moderated by journalist Susan Zare, Stefan Laurin from the blog ‘Ruhrbarone’ and Asli Sevindim, one of the co-organizers of ‘RUHR.2010 – European Capital of Culture’, got into conversation with ReForm researchers Constanze von Wrangel, historian at the Institute for Social Movements at the Ruhr University Bochum, and Frank Hillebrandt, sociologist at the FernUni Hagen. The group engaged in a lively discussion with the audience on the question of how resources are actively involved in social change processes.

At the end of 2023, we welcomed our first ReForm scholar and Advisory Board member Timothy LeCain to Bochum. He used his stay for research for his new book, but also took the opportunity to talk to ReForm researchers and students at lectures and workshops.