Begriffe der Gegenwart

Terms like "welcome culture", "asylum" or "Islam" are part of our everyday language and convey certain meanings and connotations. What do expressions like "racism", "migration background" or "identity" mean? How has the meaning of the terms "culture" or "modernity" changed over time? Why can it be problematic to talk about "people" and "homeland"? The cultural studies glossary sensitises readers to the use and meaning of certain terms, explains their historical and socio-political changes in meaning and informs about current uses. The glossary includes terms that are used in the media, in election campaigns or in everyday conversations, and that define and demarcate social positions. In addition to a brief definition and discussion of the current use, meaning and impact of the individual terms, the uniformly structured handbook articles deal with problems in dealing with the respective terms and shed light on changes in their meaning in the history of science. The aim is to show the history of the use of the terms and, with the help of examples, to demonstrate the socio-political instrumentalisation at different times and the often truncated use of the terms. A conclusion outlines their reflected use.