Universalizing Comparisons (S03*)

• Subject Area: Modern and Contemporary History ; General and Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies ; Political Science ; Sociological Theory ; Economic and Social History
• Term: since 2025
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 317664947

S03 investigates the role that practices of comparing play in processes of universalization, focusing on three aspects: 1) The de-particularization of particular meaning, or processes through which specific views, norms, or standards are presented as objective. 2) The genesis of claims to universality, i.e., of ambitions to comprehensively encompass an array of phenomena under a unified system of comparisons, despite differences in time, space, and social context. 3) The success of claims to universality, or the conditions under which others endorse or reject the assumptions underlying the first two aspects of universalization.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 1288: Practices of comparisons: Ordering and changing the world
• Applicant Institution: Universität Bielefeld
• Project Heads: Professor Dr. Mathias Albert; Professorin Dr. Angelika Epple; Dr. Birte Förster; Professor Dr. Peter Kramper; Dr. Réka Krizmanics; Dr. Thomas Müller; Professor Dr. Martin Petzke; Dr. Jørgen Sneis; Professor Dr. Carlos Spoerhase; Professor Dr. Tobias Werron