In her lecture, Eva Illouz takes a closer look at the dating app Tinder. In regards to how people interact with the app, she will address the notion of scopic capitalism, a form of exploitation of the (woman’s) body that is based on the gaze. The circulation of images on Tinder resonates with the cultural transformation of women’s bodies in the cultural industries throughout the 20th century.
The lecture examines the formal features of the app – how they create cultural pathways for sexual encounters – and the real consequences on the emotional world of users. More generally, what does it mean to attempt to form emotions through the virtual world? Does this change love and romance and affect emotions in general? How are people engaging emotionally online? Is digital technology changing the way we experience relationships?
Eva Illouz is Professor of Sociology at the The Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Directrice of Studies at the Centre européen de sociologie et de science politique, CSE-EHESS in Paris. Her research and teaching focus on emotions, capitalism, culture and communication, in particular cultural aspects at the intersection of emotion and communication.
The event is part of the academic series “Making Sense of Digital Society”, jointly organised by the
Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society (HIIG) and the
Federal Agency for Civic Education (bpb).
Agenda
6:30 p.m. Doors open
7:00 – 7:15 p.m. Welcome and introduction
7:15 – 8:00 p.m. Capitalist subjectivity and the internet, Eva Illouz (The Hebrew University of Jerusalem)
8:00 – 9:00 p.m. Moderated discussion and questions from the audience
9:00 – 10:00 p.m. Get-together
The event will be held in English and simultaneously translated into German. For press accreditation, please contact
Florian Lüdtke. This event will be recorded and broadcasted live. By signing up you consent to be photographed, filmed and/or otherwise recorded during the event and to the use of the content in connection with the promotion and public relations of the event.
Making Sense of the Digital Society
Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society (HIIG) and the German Federal Agency for Civic Education/bpb are organising an academic lecture series on
Making Sense of the Digital Society. The current rapid technological change creates enormous uncertainties. Overarching explanations are needed to better understand this change and shape a common future. The lecture series aims to develop a critical perspective on the current transformation process and to enter into dialogue with visionary thinkers about the digital future of society.
