Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin - Stadt- und Regionalsoziologie

Conflicting temporalities, communal politics and governance of religious difference in Copenhagen

Das Think and Drink Kolloquium läd wöchentlich Wissenschaftler:innen aus dem In- und Ausland ein. Diese stellen ihre aktuellen Projekte im Bereich der Stadtforschung vor.
  • Wann 29.04.2019 von 18:00 bis 20:00
  • Wo Institut für Sozialwissenschaften; Universitätsstraße 3b; 10117; R002 (Erdgeschoss)
  • Teilnehmer Dr. Tatiana Fogelman, Roskilde University Denmark Prof. Talja Blokland, HU Berlin (Chair)
  • iCal

Title: Conflicting temporalities, communal politics and governance of religious difference in Copenhagen

Speaker: Dr. Tatiana Fogelman, Roskilde University Denmark

(Abstract below / Kurzbeschreibung s. unten)

ENGLISH
The Think and Drink Series is presented by the Georg-Simmel-Center for Metropolitan Studies @ HU Berlin
-> on Mondays 6pm ct Room 002 (Ground Floor)
-> Universitätsstraße 3b / 10117 Berlin
-> Free & open to anyone interested in Urban Sociology, no prior registration needed
-> Talks and discussions take place in English language (with few exceptions)

DEUTSCH
Die Veranstaltungen der Think and Drink Reihe werden präsentiert vom Georg-Simmel-Zentrum für Metropolenforschung an der HU Berlin.
-> immer Montags 18 Uhr ct. in Raum 002 (Erdgeschoss)
-> Universitätsstraße 3b / 10117 Berlin
-> Kostenlos und offen für alle stadtsoziologisch Interessierten, keine vorherige Anmeldung nötig
-> Mit wenigen Ausnahmen finden die Veranstaltungen in Englischer Sprache statt.

More info / weitere Infos:
https://www.sowi.hu-berlin.de/de/lehrbereiche/stadtsoz/think_drink

ABSTRACT
Most scholars and lay observers alike see Copenhagen as "a pioneering municipality and a role-model for other municipalities with respect to diversity" in Denmark (Andersen et al 2014: 4). In 2014 the city itself boasted that it had become the 3rd most inclusive city in Europe, according to the Intercultural cities index. It also claimed it was well on its way to achieve its goal to become "the most inclusive metropolis in Europe" by the year 2015. That very same year, however, left-leaning Copenhagen municipality decided to stop accommodating Denmark’s only Jewish nursery and preschool’s request for extra closing days (due to Jewish holidays), effectively forcing it to leave the public sphere, very much against the latter’s wishes. Drawing primarily on document analysis from the case in this talk I seek to understand city’s turnaround and resistance to the accommodation of religious difference against both, the background of self-proclaimed "diversity mainstreaming" in the city, and the existing conceptualizations of urban-scale governance as more progressive and inclusive in their minority and integration policies than national one. Focusing on this case of a communal institution of a religious minority and its navigation between minority and national temporalities, I discuss how difference, including religious difference, has come to be understood and sought to be governed at the municipal and national scale. I draw on concepts of post-secular city, and redistribution and recognition in order to highlight the ongoing difficulties of thinking equality beyond sameness in the Danish context.