This year’s Baltic Sea Festival focuses on dreams and visions and here we present four perspectives from our partner Södertörn University on the importance of dreams for our society.
Anders Burman — Does today’s world have space for dreams and visions?
In this film, Anders Burman reflects on the relevance and challenges of utopian visions in contemporary society. He is professor of the history of ideas at Södertörn University, and was awarded his PhD in 2005 on the subject of Carl Jonas Love Almqvist’s societal ideas. His current research interests are the history of education, political philosophy and critical theory. Burman is a productive author and editor, and recent publications include Den sista idealisten: Viktor Rydberg och hans tid, Samtider: Perspektiv på 2000-talets idéhistoria (ed.) and Dissensus – drömmar och mardrömmar i demokratins idéhistoria.
Johanna Palmberg — Can dreams be combined with societal benefit?
How can dreams of a better society be translated into practical societal benefit? This subject is examined by Johanna Palmberg, associate professor of economics. In her research she has been particularly interested in family-run businesses, corporate governance, philanthropy, social entrepreneurship and social innovations. In other words, issues relating to business, civil society and societal development. She received her PhD in 2010 from Jönköping International Business School.
Thomas Sedelius — Dreams, trust, and democracy
Thomas Sedelius is a professor of political science and project-based researcher at Södertörn University, and explores the importance of trust in eastern European democracies, despite crises and challenges. He is currently leading a project titled “Semi-Presidential Shifts in the Shadow of Russia: Executive Power and Party Behavior in Armenia, Georgia, and Ukraine”, which is funded by the Foundation for Baltic and East European Studies. His research has studied political institutions linked to democracy and democratisation, and has covered political developments in Central and Eastern Europe with a special focus on presidential power and challenges to democracy.
Kim Silow Kallenberg — The dreams that were not to be
On the basis of her research and her book Sörjbara liv, Kim Silow Kallenberg shares her thoughts about the impact of grief on personal and collective dreams. Silow Kallenberg is associate professor of ethnology, and her research often examines societal issues and power. Her PhD thesis investigated the compulsory care of young people, with a specific focus on the treatment staff’s gender and professional identity. Her second major research project, which resulted in the book Sörjbara liv, investigated mental illness, substance abuse and masculinity, and was inspired by her personal experiences of loss. Her most recent project is about academics’ experiences of stress and occupational burnout in higher education. She is also involved in the Humtank think tank.