Working group against intersectional discrimination and racism
Who we are:
In January 2023, the "Working Group against Intersectional Discrimination and Racism" was founded at the Department of Social and Cultural Anthropology. The aim of the Working Group (WG) is to create a space within the department for reflection and reappraisal of discriminatory, racist, and colonialist tendencies in anthropology, but also in university teaching in general. The working group is open to anyone who wants to promote non-discriminatory and anti-racist teaching and attitudes at the department. Its members include students, faculty, and staff, coordinated by a student assistant.
Peer Support Space
The well-being of our students is of great importance to us. If you have a specific concern (regarding discrimination, harassment or safety), our Peer Space can help you find the right contact person within the department or the university and get in touch with them.
What we do:
The working group develops guidelines for actively anti-discriminatory and anti-racist teaching, organises relevant workshops for staff and students, and supports empowerment meetings for those affected by discrimination. The working group meets once a month in a plenary session to discuss, amongst other things, constructive ways of dealing with discriminatory behaviour and opportunities for further training. These meetings are open to anyone associated with the department. Specific personal incidents cannot be discussed in the plenary session.
If you would like to be informed about the next meeting, please send an email to anti.discrimination.ksa@univie.ac.at and we will send you all further details.
next meetings of the working group
- 20.04.2026, 1:15-2:45 pm, Seminarraum D
- 18.05.2026, 1:15-2:45 pm, Sitzungszimmer
- 22.06.2026, 1:15-2:45 pm, Sitzungszimmer
What we have done so far:
- We support empowerment meetings for students of colour, where they can share their common experiences, as well as workshops in which staff and students can learn skills for dealing with discriminatory comments and behaviour. Further information to follow.
- Two students from the working group gave a talk on (anti-)discrimination at universities as part of the SoWi Steop+ programme during the 2024/2025 winter semester. SoWi Steop+ is a series of talks that first-semester students on social science degree programmes can attend on a voluntary basis. The talk was recorded and uploaded to YouTube.
Watch the lecture on YouTube - Inspired by the working group and in cooperation with it, courses using collaborative and egalitarian learning methods are being held.
Examples: - We have made a collection of books critical of racism available in the IKSA library.