Dates: 19 – 23 of January 2026
Location: Paris, France
Description of the Intensive course
The course consists of mapping the multiple facets of otherness as a common, singular and plural, multifaceted and tangible experience that shapes modes of existence. The exploration of these modes of existence and expression, their variations, connotations and degree of interpenetration, and the deciphering of their political, cultural, symbolic and social dimensions, will be carried out through the introduction and reading of theoretical and empirical works that support a nuanced and situated understanding of this shared experience.
Far from being limited to the reality of migration and minorities, otherness and ethnicity are forms of identity construction that every individual and social group draws upon. We will examine how these issues have become central to contemporary societies and what their manifestations are: positive, negative, endured, claimed, dominated, dominant, constructed, essentialised. The exploration of their manifestations and contexts will combine perspectives on gender, race and class in a de/colonial world.
True to a dialogical approach, the seminar is an invitation to students to contribute with their own experiences and references—reading, listening, viewing material—even (and especially) if they do not appear, at first glance, to fit into this proposed perspective. The course will also include contributions from non-academic speakers, offering additional insights into these experiences and perspectives.
Learning outcomes
- sense of openness and reflexivity;
- wish to engage with situated knowledge production in addressing questions of hegemony, racial supremacy, coloniality, race, gender sensitivity in so called liberal western countries with regard to the Souths’ existences, cultures and societies and the conundrum they are facing in these times of hybrid wars and climate transitions.
Assessment methods
Participation during the classes and any form and medium (written, drawn, podcast, audio, video, blog) of an essay handed at the end of the seminar or at the latest by the end of the month of January.
Why You Should Apply ?
You should apply if you wish to engage in a seminar that explores otherness as a multifaceted experience shaping modes of existence, and that examines its political, cultural, symbolic and social dimensions through theoretical and empirical works. This course invites you to reflect on the ways otherness and ethnicity structure identities in contemporary societies, while bringing your own experiences and references into a genuinely dialogical space enriched by contributions from non/academic speakers.
Who can apply ?
This course is open to 10 ERUA students and 15 Paris 8 students at the Master’s degree level.
How to apply ?
If you are interested, please submit your application by December 14 to the following address:
https://paris8.moveonfr.com/locallogin/660eb384386d1ea0ce0c5ad8/eng
Your application should include:
- CV (Two pages maximum)
- Cover letter (no AI-generated letters, please! One page)
If your application is accepted, your ERUA local team will be notified on December 18 and if you are selected they will inform you about travel and accommodation funding.
If you have any other administrative questions about the course, please contact your local ERUA team at your university or Paris 8 local team (erua.eui@univ-paris8.fr).
