Playing War: Representations of Military Force and Violence

How do we make sense of representations of violence and the military in games and war simulations? How is an 'enemy' constructed, performed, or portrayed in contemporary video games and film? How is violence against imagined enemies created and simulated in 'real' military training simulations in NATO, or other military organisations? What role might space and Area Studies play in understanding simulations of war? Where and under what circumstances is war 'played'?

These questions, among many others, will be the subject of an emerging Research Group entitled "Playing War". This event is a project presentation where the main themes, plans, and goals of the Research Group will be outlined. After sketching our concrete plans, with short presentations of our exisiting research, we invite our Regensburg academic committy to criticise, dispute, and help improve upon our approach to studying this subject. This proposed research partnership is led by UR and ScienceCampus doctoral candidate Jon Matlack, along with historians Frank Reichherzer and Kerrin Langer, and seeks to develop cooperation between the Leibniz ScienceCampus, IOS and the Center for Military History and Social Sciences of the German Armed Forces (ZMSBw) in Potsdam. 

Please let register with campus@europeamerica.de by May 2 to help us plan coffee breaks and catering.