Conference: Innovating (trans)cultural studies through gift exchange

Innovating (trans)cultural studies and (trans)cultural history through the polyvalent concept of gift exchange. Revisiting Marcel Mauss's Essay on the Gift (1925–2025)

Dates: 16-17 July 2025

Location: Heidelberg University

The event is organised in the framework of Veronika Čapská's 4EU+ Visiting Professorship at Heidelberg University.

Programme of the conference

Marking the centenary of Marcel Mauss’s Essay on the Gift (1925–2025), the conference seeks to reignite (trans)cultural studies and (trans)cultural history by revisiting the analytical power of gift exchange. Rooted in Mauss’s theory of reciprocity, where gifts create and sustain social bonds, the conference will aim to explore how this model intersects with current relational approaches, material culture studies, and more-than-human exchanges. It will also also seek to stimulate innovative research at the intersection of anthropology, history, and social sciences, hoping to expand Marcel Mauss’s legacy into new dimensions.

Participation in the conference is free of charge and meals for all attendees will be provided.