The section comprises anthropologists, sociologists and philosophers of contemporary culture. Field research in various areas is supplemented with theoretical and methodological reflections on philosophical, sociological and anthropological notions and categories. From this perspective contemporary culture dates back to the turn of the 1980s and 1990s, a period characterized by a series of civilizational, economic and political transformations. Unlike epochs distinguished by history of culture, contemporary culture is still open and ready to accept what is coming from the future.
Members of the Section analyze contemporary culture from a Polish point of view, but situate these local phenomena in the context of broader processes, reaching far beyond national cultures. This allows them to investigate other societies and cultures, especially from the Nordic area (prof. Włodzimierz Pessel, dr Łukasz Bukowiecki) and Ukraine (dr Paweł Dobrosielski). They employ notions and categories from various academic disciplines of integrated humanities, which enables them to provide a multidisciplinary reflection on different systemic solutions, which serve as means for local social critique. The research projects undertaken by members of the Section focus also on phenomena lying outside main cultural trends, that often remain unrecognized and unacknowledged, at the same time questioning traditional notions and assumptions of the humanities. This diversity of interests within the Section is reflected in the teaching and academic endeavors of its members – including, among others, religious discourses, collective memory, reading practices, travel writing, new social movements, sub-cultures or urban studies, discourse analysis and critical theory.
The Section also inquires into the role of cultural anthropologists in the modern world, through critical reflection on the academic and scientific policies in Poland and in Europe.
Faculty
dr Łukasz Bukowiecki (Head of Cultural Studies and Social Arts Programmes), lukasz.bukowiecki@uw.edu.pl
dr hab. Roman Chymkowski (Institute Director), roman.chymkowski@uw.edu.pl
dr Paweł Dobrosielski, Head of Section, p.dobrosielski@uw.edu.pl
dr Marcin Gołąb, marcingolab@uw.edu.pl
dr hab. Marcin Napiórkowski, prof. ucz., marcin.napiorkowski@uw.edu.pl
dr hab. Włodzimierz Pessel, prof. ucz., w.pessel@uw.edu.pl
dr hab. Marta Zimniak-Hałajko, prof. ucz., m.zimniak@uw.edu.pl
Graduate students
mgr Kamil Aftyka, kc.aftyka@student.uw.edu.pl
mgr Joanna Anczaruk, j.anczaruk@student.uw.edu.pl
mgr Michał Bolek, mj.bolek@uw.edu.pl
mgr Paulina Dudzińska, p.dudzinska@student.uw.edu.pl
mgr Zofia Jakubowicz-Prokop, z.jakubowicz-prokop@uw.edu.pl
mgr Katarzyna Łatała, k.latala@uw.edu.pl
mgr Patrycja Pichnicka-Trivedi, patrycjapichnicka@uw.edu.pl
mgr Tomasz Sprycha, t.sprycha@student.uw.edu.pl
mgr Agnieszka Stecko-Żukowska, astecko@uw.edu.pl
mgr Ewa Wziętek, ewawzietek@student.uw.edu.pl