Professor Susanne Hartwig

"In my research, I am interested in shedding light on the role aesthetic texts play in our understanding of how cultures are organised. I had actually started asking about the paradigms that guided different societies in different ages while still a student. Let me give you a little mental exercise from my research to help you get the idea: What do you think is the 'right' reaction to finding out that someone has a serious disability? What are the contextual factors that determine your response? Novels and films tell us how people think, feel and act in situations  – and, in so doing, provide us with clues to cultural patterns. Encountering a culture other than your own heightens your awareness for your own compartmentalised ways of thinking."