Lunchtime Talk Series
In person Tuesday and Friday at noon at the Cathedral of Learning Room 1117. Enjoy coffee, bagels, and pastries before each talk, followed by a Q&A with the speaker. Join us for great conversation and engagement!
Tuesday 9/30 - Kareem Khalifa (SVF)
Title: Unifying Sociological Race Theories
Abstract: Among contemporary race theories in sociology, four currently enjoy prominence: racial formation theories, relational race theories, theories of structural racism, and theories of systemic racism. While these theories are sometimes treated as competitors, I will argue that this is largely mistaken. Instead, I argue that these ‘theories’ are more profitably understood as models that are unified by a more general theoretical framework. After presenting and defending this framework, I discuss some of its philosophical and sociological consequences.
Zoom Link - https://pitt.zoom.us/j/91581835765
Friday 10/3 - Serife Tekin
Title: Reconfiguring Stability in Psychiatry: Spraying the Self
Abstract: Psychiatry is often portrayed as a fragmented science, encompassing diverse explanatory frameworks from psychodynamic theories to biological psychiatry and patient-centered models. Debates over its scientific legitimacy frequently hinge on whether mental disorders are natural kinds—categories that enable stable explanation, prediction, and intervention. Ian Hacking’s notion of looping effects has been central to this discussion, suggesting that human kinds such as schizophrenia or multiple personality disorder change under classification, thereby undermining their stability. This has fueled the view that psychiatry cannot claim the epistemic status of sciences grounded in stable natural kinds. I argue that this conclusion rests on an unduly narrow conception of stability, one tied to essentialist or homeostatic property cluster accounts. Drawing on Hacking’s earlier work in Representing and Intervening, I propose an alternative reading in which stability is not an intrinsic property of kinds but a product of successful intervention. Reconceptualizing psychiatric practice—particularly therapeutic engagement with the self—as an interventionist enterprise reveals a form of localized, practice-dependent stability that supports psychiatry’s scientific legitimacy without requiring reductionist unity. This reframing not only reconciles two strands of Hacking’s thought but also foregrounds the epistemic role of the self in psychiatric science.
Zoom Link - https://pitt.zoom.us/j/98621476430
See you there!
More Info
The Center’s Lunchtime Talks offer a dynamic space for fellows, associates, and scholars to present and discuss ideas, from early-stage concepts to completed work. Visiting fellows give a talk early in their stay, fostering connections with colleagues sharing similar interests.
*Talks are usually also streamed online through both YouTube and Zoom: interaction is limited to in-person attendees
