The concept of empathy has been emerging as a hot topic in both academia and the public sphere. Contemporary works in cognitive and neurosciences, developmental and evolutionary psychology, and animal ethology have shown how empathy is critical for the development of sociality in humans and nonhumans.
Empathy has also received theoretical attention in anthropology, cultural studies and philosophy as a key capacity for constituting one’s sense of self and others. Despite this attention, empathy has rarely been addressed in an interdisciplinary way, and even less so in relation to the concept of radical otherness.
On June 7 The Ethnographic Research Centre hosted a Book Launch to celebrating the launch of, Conversations on Empathy Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Imagination and Radical Othering, edited By Francesca Mezzenzana and Dr Daniela Peluso (SAC) selected by Routledge as an Open Access Volume.
‘The Book serves as a model for successful collaboration across Divisions by a team of cross-disciplinary academics (SAC, Psychology, School of the Arts, Sociology and Tizard) which stemmed from a successful in-house workshop.’ co-editor Peluso explained ‘We hope that this book launch will serve as an inspiration for future collaborations that will result in Research Excellence.’
Zerrin Ozlem Biner (CoDirector of Ethnographic Research Center, SAC) -welcomed everyone, Daniela Peluso (SAC) spoke on ‘Why Empathy?’ and Murray Smith (School of the Arts) talked about ‘Empathy Redux’, Heather Ferguson (Psychology) presented The ‘Empathy Lab’ – A Psychological Exploration, whilst Carolyn Pedwall (Sociology) focussed on ‘Empathy’s Entanglements’. All this, followed by a prosecco toast!
Among the contributors, the University of Kent authors include Margrethe Bruun Vaage, Heather Ferguson, Nathan Keates, Damian Milton, Carolyn Pedwell, Daniela Peluso, Murray Smith, Krysia Emily Waldock, and two former Kent colleagues Francesca Mezzenzana and Lena Wimmer. Other contributors are Becca Franks, Monica Gagliano, Robin Truth Goodman, Douglas Hollan, Jacqueline M. Kory-Westlund, Esra Özyürek, Valentyna Pavlenko, Vasudevi Reddy, Jason Throop, Barbara Smuts, Catherine Wanner, and Christine Webb.
Read Conversations on Empathy Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Imagination and Radical Othering.