Abstract

The fact that language matters as it constructs its users’ social world is well-known, but how exactly does such construction happen? Clearly, a one-to-one correspondence does not occur here; the absence of a word does not imply the absence of a meaning and relevant practices. Furthermore, understanding this relationship influences social scientists in their research. After all, most of us write — and read works published in English. In her talk and seminar, Olga Sezneva will discuss what happens when we invite elements drawn from other linguistic traditions into our texts. We don’t merely welcome other words but also the conditions under which they acquire meaning and power to invoke and incite. She will draw from material semiotics and examples from different languages, including her own, native Russian. Everyone is welcome to join our conversation!

Speaker

Olga Sezneva is an urban and cultural sociologist, curator and author. In her research, she engages with topics such as city and memory, digitisation, urban planning and architecture, and critical pedagogies. Her research primarily focuses on Russia, Eastern Europe, and most recently, Namibia. Olga completed her PhD at New York University in 2005, was a recipient of the Harper-Schmidt Fellowship at the University of Chicago, and was a visiting professor at the European University at St. Petersburg. She currently is an Associate Professor at the Department of Sociology at the UvA.

Convenor

Dr. Maxim Kupovykh

Venue

• Room 1.02
• Online via Zoom: https://uva-live.zoom.us/j/81684931476