PhD Story: Friederike

“If violence is not only something that happens elsewhere, to others, and in other ways, but also denotes an epistemic relationship, then it follows that epistemic violence can potentially also manifest itself in situations where people are struggling to avoid and overcome violence.” (Brunner 2020, 299). This statement can be seen as a kind of starting point for my doctoral thesis, on which I am working alongside my activities at the Center for Peace Church Theology at the University of Hamburg/Germany – as a doctoral student at VU Amsterdam and the Catholic University of Leuven. 

Epistemic violence is a relatively new concept of violence that emerged in the context of postcolonial studies and asks to what extent violence and injustice occur in the context of knowledge production and transmission. Specifically, questions are asked such as: What is part of university curricula and what is not taught? Which people are recognized as knowledgeable, and which are disqualified as insufficiently knowledgeable? Where does discrimination lead to certain people being unable to participate in discourse and being silenced?

In the first part of my work, I would like to gain a better understanding of epistemic violence as a concept of violence and, based on existing theories and literature, develop my own definition, a kind of questionnaire that critically draws attention to where one (even unintentionally) causes injustice to other people because of one’s own privileges. I would then like to find out to what extent my own way of thinking about peace, theologically and ethically, or that of my church or the environment in which I live, is shaped by precisely these potentially violent structures.

Friederike Willhoeft

I studied theology at the university of Hamburg, where I am now working as a research assistant. Besides working at the Center for Peace Church Theology, I am a PhD student at the VU Amsterdam and KU Leuven for a joint degree project.