Project Details
Projekt
GRK 1456: Transformations of Civic Society. Japan and Germany in Comparative Perspective
Subject Area
History
Term
from 2007 to 2016
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 42226393
The central question pursued by the Research Training Group is how diverse respectively similar structures and operating patterns of civic society have emerged and developed in Germany and Japan. After the fundamental change marked by the year 1945 civic society evolved in both countries as a mode of social practice. Yet, in both cases the development of civic society is based on different historical and socio-cultural traditions, which lead to different shapes of civic society.
Comparing Germany and Japan is not only of high interest because of the similarities, which evolved in both countries at the same time and because of the differences in establishing and developing "civic society" in the aftermath of World War II. Furthermore, comparing those two countries offers the rare possibility of comparing an European society to a non-Western country without the necessity to pay attention to a (post)colonial path of the latter.
The Research Training Group can deepen our understanding of possible Eurocentric limitations of key concepts and interpretations of civic or civil society. Research will be divided into five major research fields:
(1) History of ideas and concepts;
(2) Actors and self-organisation;
(3) Relation between state and citizens;
(4) Civic society in a trans-national perspective;
(5) Historical and contemporary counter projects to civic society.
Joint research of German and Japanese historians and social scientists should be a starting point for empirical and theoretical approaches in binational cooperation. Supervision and scientific debate will be realised especially through regular joint workshops. The programme is expected to contribute to
(1) the internationalisation of research on civic society;
(2) a critical re-examination of theoretical concepts in European research in contrast to a non-Western case;
(3) qualifying postgraduate students for transdisciplinary and intercultural research cooperation.
Comparing Germany and Japan is not only of high interest because of the similarities, which evolved in both countries at the same time and because of the differences in establishing and developing "civic society" in the aftermath of World War II. Furthermore, comparing those two countries offers the rare possibility of comparing an European society to a non-Western country without the necessity to pay attention to a (post)colonial path of the latter.
The Research Training Group can deepen our understanding of possible Eurocentric limitations of key concepts and interpretations of civic or civil society. Research will be divided into five major research fields:
(1) History of ideas and concepts;
(2) Actors and self-organisation;
(3) Relation between state and citizens;
(4) Civic society in a trans-national perspective;
(5) Historical and contemporary counter projects to civic society.
Joint research of German and Japanese historians and social scientists should be a starting point for empirical and theoretical approaches in binational cooperation. Supervision and scientific debate will be realised especially through regular joint workshops. The programme is expected to contribute to
(1) the internationalisation of research on civic society;
(2) a critical re-examination of theoretical concepts in European research in contrast to a non-Western case;
(3) qualifying postgraduate students for transdisciplinary and intercultural research cooperation.
DFG Programme
International Research Training Groups
International Connection
Japan
Applicant Institution
Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg
IRTG-Partner Institution
The University of Tokyo
Spokesperson
Professor Dr. Manfred Hettling
Cooperation Partners
Professorin Dr. Toshiko Himeoka; Professor Yasutaka Ichinokawa; Professor Tetsurô Kaji; Professorin Dr. Yôko Katô; Professor Yoshikatsu Kawanago; Professor Dr. Tadashi Kimiya; Professor Dr. Hiroshi Mitani; Professor Dr. Yoshiki Mori; Professor Dr. Yûichi Morii; Professor Yûjirô Murata; Professor Tetsuya Sakai; Professor Dr. Takashi Shimizu; Professor Dr. Masaru Tonomura; Professor Dr. Naoshi Yamawaki
IRTG-Partner: Spokesperson
Professor Dr. Yûji Ishida
