Transformation shock – Georg Diez interviews Steffen Mau

SCRIPTS Short Talk „Nervous Democracy“ #1

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	free of charge
	Please book your ticket in advance online or at the box office in the Foyer.
	14 years and older
	German
	Humboldt Lab, 1st floor
	Belongs to: After Nature

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free of charge
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SCRIPTS Short Talks – Nervous Democracy

How much nervousness can democracy tolerate before it loses its balance? Where do these tensions come from, from the centre to the political fringes and beyond? What forms of democracy do we need to unlearn, rethink or even reimagine in order to preserve its integrity? And where will we be in five years’ time?

The transformation shock of democracy after 1989; the tension between hysteria and reason using the example of the USA; and the politics of unrest, protest and revolt as essential elements of a living democracy – these are the topics and the state of the ‘democracy of the future’.

On three evenings, journalist Georg Diez will be interviewing SCRIPTS researchers on these topics and the state of ‘nervous democracy’ in a short talk.

#1 Transformation shock

Current crises of democracy are rooted in long-suppressed distortions. In the 1990s, these were concealed by promises of growth, but now contradictions between democracy and the market economy are erupting with anti-democratic force. The East German experience shows how transformation/change can succeed – or fail. Climate change, artificial intelligence, demographic ageing – our society will have to prepare for many changes.
In an interview with journalist Georg Diez, sociologist Steffen Mau answers questions on the path from transformation shock to transformation knowledge.

Participants

Scientists: Steffen Mau, Christian Volk, Lora Anne Viola

Georg Diez, Journalist and Author

Portrait of the sociologist and author Steffen Mau

Steffen Mau

Steffen Mau is a Professor of Macrosociology at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. In his award-winning work on the dynamics of modern societies, he explores social processes such as inequality, digitalization, borders, and migration. In 2021, he received the Leibniz Prize, and in 2023, he was awarded the Communicator Prize from the German Research Foundation. His recent books focus on the transformation processes in East and West Germany after reunification. Additionally, he conducts research as a Principal Investigator at the Excellence Cluster SCRIPTS.

Portrait of the author, journalist and curator Georg Diez

Georg Diez

Georg Diez is an author, journalist, and curator who has worked as a cultural critic and political editor for prominent German media outlets, including Spiegel Online, Süddeutsche Zeitung, and Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung. His books tackle the societal tensions and the shift to the right, technology and opportunities for democracy. Diez was a Nieman Fellow at Harvard, served as editor-in-chief at The New Institute, and curated the exhibition Survival on the 21st Century. He is currently a fellow at ProjectTogether and the Max Planck Society, where he focuses on issues of democratic innovation.