What strength do we need in order to be able to respond to sudden shocks and chronic disruptions in contemporary modern society? Is there a strength stronger than violence? What do we need in order to renew the course of life when life is interrupted by trauma, in a society where violence is growing, in an eroding democracy, in the midst of a socio-ecological crisis? Alice Koubová explores these questions in conversations with leading international scholars through the concepts of resilience, resistance and regeneration. She shows that resilience is not just another item on the list of „skills“ that one must build individually and compete in recklessly with others, merely so as not to be a snowflake, an inferior specimen or a loser. The strength of resilience works rather as the capacity to live in relationships which, though not ideal, are indispensable if one is to flourish in life.
The book contains the following interviews:
Boris Cyrulnik (Toulon): Those who are afraid do not change. They gravitate towards the dictator who sustains their feeling of fear
Michèle Lamont (Harvard): The American dream is not the story of American society and never was. But what else is there to tell?
Michael Ungar (University Hallifax): Social justice and tolerance of unexpected life paths are essential for our resilience
Eva von Redecker (Prignitz) Our society is incapable of facing death
Volodymyr Jermolenko (Kyiv) Our individualism is in fact an illusion
Frédéric Worms (ENS Paris) The habit of taking freedom and happiness for granted can lead us into a trap
Sofia Näsström (Uppsala University) Resignation is the curse of our times. And yet life could be different
Andreas Reckwitz (FU Berlin) In our society, not being unique means being worthless