Cancel culture only exists in social media
Readings by drag queens would endanger our children. Gender is pointless. And a very narrow definition of what is normal. Society used to seem more open. Are we moving backwards again?
Historian and cultural scientist Heidrun Zettelbauer disagrees. She argues that the sometimes bitter debates do not reflect the attitudes of the majority of society. Rather, it is a "culture war" proclaimed by certain political groups, which is mainly being fought on social media. This has little to do with the analogue world, where a different picture emerges in our manners, in broad political exchange and in the cultural sector. There is no evidence of thought control or anything like "cancel culture". Ultimately, Heidrun Zettelbauer emphasises the opportunity inherent in a democratic society to negotiate what we can or want to talk about.
To the Unizeit article (2023)
Intermediate tones
How much does language influence our view of the world? Can we really only perceive what we have words for? And does our diverse ability to express ourselves make us smarter?
People who speak several languages usually have a better understanding of other cultures because they are used to communicating with people from different backgrounds," summarises linguist Hermine Penz. Multilingualism increases both our creativity and our ability to adapt to unfamiliar situations. It also changes our view of the world because every language works differently and therefore can never be translated one-to-one into another.
To the university article (2023)
Word treasure
The Lower Austrian government's plan to make German compulsory in school playgrounds made headlines at the end of March and showed once again that multilingualism is often seen as a shortcoming in Austria when it comes to people whose first language is not German. However, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages if you know how to use them, explains Barbara Hinger.
To the Unizeit article (2023)
