Being There, but How?

In phenomenological tradition, presence has been understood as fundamental for human experience: I experience the world as my lifeworld because I am present in this world. Even more, I experience myself as »I« only in the presence of the other. However, this concept of presence has become fragile through processes of medialization - not least in (post-)pandemic everyday life. Presence can no longer be experienced exclusively in physical proximity, but also digitally or virtually. With global case studies alongside theoretical discussions by both students as well as senior researchers, the volume launches a conversation between social sciences and humanities on how this change affects human experience.

Sebastian Dümling (Edited by) Sebastian Dümling (PD Dr.), born in 1981, works as an associate professor at the Seminar for Cultural Studies and European Ethnology at Universität Basel. His research focuses on discourse theory and discourse history, and he is particularly interested in connections with micro-sociological theories of practice. Zhenwei Wang (Edited by) Zhenwei Wang is a PhD candidate in sociology and a member of the Institute for World Society Studies at Universität Bielefeld. Her research interests include migration, gender, aging and family transition in China and in East Asia. Her PhD dissertation investigates translocal kinning and caregiving practices in contemporary China.