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Monthly Program

JUNE PROGRAM

June 6 , Friday, 19:00-21:00

PROGRAM:
Avoiding Humiliation - From Intercultural Communication to Global Inter-Human Communication

PRESENTER:
Dr. Evelin Gerda Lindner M.D., Ph.D. (Dr. med.), Ph.D. (Dr. psychol.)

PLACE:
Reitaku University Tokyo Kenkyu Center (Shinjuku i-Land Tower, 4th Floor)

LANGUAGE:
 English

FEE:
Members 1000Yen; Non-members 2000Yen;
Member Students Free;
Non-member Students 500Yen; Non-member Graduate Student 1000Yen

Membership & benefits

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION:
Under certain circumstances, our understanding of culture can have humiliating effects. The notion of culture can be used in either a neutral, descriptive way, or prescriptively, such as, "Are you really part of our culture?"? While the descriptive use of the concept of culture may be rather benign, applying it in a prescriptive way may have malign effects. Dr. Lindner believes that the field of intercultural communication has a responsibility to discuss these malign effects in order to avoid inadvertently heightening them. This is because intercultural communication that respects cultural difference blindly can do great harm.

Lindner will explain how she started her research on the concept of humiliation and its role in genocide, war, and violent conflict. Her initial research (1997-2001) took her to Rwanda and Somalia, where genocidal killings had taken place in 1994 and 1981.

She will explain her theory of humiliation and how the notions of pride, honor, dignity, humiliation, and humility are inscribed into current historic and cultural normative transitions. She believes that at the present historic juncture two new forces bring humiliation to the fore in unprecedented intensity. Globalization (or the coming-together of humankind) is the first force, which, in concert with the human rights revolution, the second force, increases the significance of the phenomenon of humiliation. She concludes with a discussion of how we may best approach identity building within the world's cultures and the two changing forces of globalization and human rights. She believes that we have to strongly inscribe global inter-human communication into international relations and intercultural communication in order to avoid possible destructive effects from humiliation.

PRESENTER:
Dr. Evelin Gerda Lindner is a well-known, committed, and multidisciplinary advocate for humanity in a global society. Her work on the effects of humiliation on individuals and communities has made a significant contribution to the study of peace. The founder of the Human Dignity and Humiliation Studies global network, Dr. Lindner is affiliated with the University of Oslo. She will be publishing her latest book in June.

How to get there?:
i-Land Tower can be accessed directly from Nishi-Shinjuku Station on the Marunouchi Line by following the underground path. From JR Shinjuku Station it is approximately a 10-minute walk. Once you get to the building, select an elevator that stops on the 4th floor. After you get off on the 4th floor, walk to the right until you get to the last door on your left.
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