In the course of its history, Europe experienced many epidemics before Corona. For centuries, states have sought to contain them through active countermeasures. The Graz-based historian Christian Promitzer explored how scourges such as plague and cholera were combatted under the Habsburg Empire in the 19th century, finding some parallels with today. Continue reading “Social distancing under the Habsburg Empire”
A European research consortium is exploring the roots of social isolation and loneliness among the elderly. Keeping gender aspects in mind, use of long-term data and country comparisons will for the first time provide a more accurate picture of social exclusion in old age and reveal its impact on society. Continue reading ““Social contacts are a buffer against constraints””
In her project “Poetry off the page”, the English studies scholar and START Award winner Julia Lajta-Novak examines the significance of poetry performance for recent British literary history, focusing on the potential of oral delivery and on performative genres such as poetry slam. Continue reading “The poetry of the spoken word”
The Corona pandemic was an unwelcome surprise to thousands of Erasmus students too. However, high levels of foreign language proficiency and intercultural competence can also be acquired at home. A recent study shows that self-motivation, strategy and reflection are the driving forces for honing such skills. Continue reading “Skills development requires strong motivation”
A crisis like the corona pandemic demonstrates how important reliable information and transparent communication are, particularly when dealing with such a sensitive area as health. Current studies on quality measurement in the healthcare system show why Austria has some catching up to do in terms of transparency. Continue reading “Healthcare quality data under scrutiny”
The corona pandemic has exposed the vulnerability of an economy based on globalisation and just-in-time production. Marion Rauner, an expert in health and disaster management, sees a trend away from these economic dogmas towards more self-sufficiency and a renaissance of agriculture. Continue reading ““Austria has to become more self-sufficient””
The coronavirus sorely drives home to the world the missed opportunities for a socio-ecological turnaround. A Vienna-based research group led by Ingolfur Blühdorn is investigating why environmental protection would have required at least as much determined action as the fight against the pandemic and why sustainability is so elusive. Continue reading “No socio-ecological transformation in sight?”
The corona crisis is the ideal hotbed for crude conspiracy theories. Claus Oberhauser explains what characterizes them, why change is on the horizon and where one finds parallels to the past. Historian Oberhauser is a co-initiator of an interdisciplinary research network on conspiratorial counter-narratives. Continue reading “Dangerous mix of facts and fiction”
As the “King of Swing”, clarinettist and bandleader Benny Goodman was the archetypical representative of the US entertainment industry in the late 1930s. It is less well known that he also made a name for himself in the sphere of classical music, especially in the USA. The Schrödinger fellow Elisabeth Reisinger explores that side of […] Continue reading “The most intellectual of US rivers”
Just like the warnings of the seer Cassandra, warning voices calling for stabilizing the banking sector through increasing mandatory equity capital went unheeded for many years. The 2009 financial crisis exposed the weak capital base abruptly. The IHS in Vienna is working on a model that can trace the effects of remediation measures. Banks with […] Continue reading “A workhorse for severe crises?”