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Deutsches Institut für Japanstudien
Events
June 11, 2025

DIJ researchers co-organise symposium ‘Loneliness as a Social Phenomenon’

DIJ researchers Carolin Fleischer-Heininger and Celia Spoden will present their research related to loneliness and social isolation at the international symposium Loneliness as a Social Phenomenon: Cross-Cultural Approaches to a Human Condition. The symposium examines loneliness as a social phenomenon that has increased as a result of social transformations and structural changes. It brings together an interdisciplinary group of scholars and practitioners to explore loneliness and social isolation. To investigate both conditions, it takes a holistic and cross-cultural approach, and explores themes that connect theoretical understandings with practical application. Participants will share their expertise on the ambivalent role of digital technologies; civil-society measures to foster social inclusion; literary representations of loneliness; and the ethical implications of social fragmentation. In addition to academic presentations, the symposium includes an ethnographic film screening, a workshop, and a field trip to a local project addressing loneliness. The symposium takes place in Hanover from June 11 to 13 and is part of the theme week “(Tackling) Loneliness”, sponsored by the Volkswagen Foundation. Details here