Research program of the Research Unit "Cultural Sources of Newness"

In this discussion paper the program of the Research Unit Cultural Sources of Newness is presented. Short descriptions of currently nine projects follow. The assumption driving the research program is that newness lies at the core of innovations and emerges in cultural sources, which are analyzed as cultural configurations. The research focuses on the relevance of these cultural constellations rather than on technical or political aspects. Three kinds of processes are identified as being decisive for innovations: 1) the continuous variation of cultural forms and practices; 2) the evaluation of newness; 3) the states of tension that arise within and between cultures. The research program assumes that the interplay of these three processes determines the spectrum and spread of successful innovations. The program is organized in three empirical strands. The strands cover the spatial, interactive and temporal dimensions of cultural configurations, and the projects focus on phenomena of different orders of magnitude.