Knowledge Systems and Collective Life

Researchers in the Department "Knowledge Systems and Collective Life" use historical and ethnographic methods to study the relationship between how we know and how we live together. We seek to foreground neglected histories, trace cross-cultural connections, question the boundaries of the political, challenge conventional definitions of science and technology, critically reflect on our own political and ethical commitments, engage with diverse publics, and experiment with new methods and media.

The research of the department centers on three themes: Environmental Knowledge in Times of Crisis, From Trust in Science to Knowledge in Relation, and Politics and Practices of Data. These themes inform the projects of individual researchers, as well as the collective projects of the department's working groups. Research on these themes is supported by the department’s Laboratory for Multimodal History, which offers an experimental space for inclusive and more-than-textual modes of scholarly collaboration and communication.

Open positions, fellowships and the department's First Research Article fellowship are advertised on the Institute-wide Career page.