Startseite
Podcasts
Common Concerns Podcast
The Common Concerns Approach: Birth of an Idea

The Common Concerns Approach: Birth of an Idea

Common Concerns vor 6 Monaten

Why We Need to Speak to People, Not Just About Them

0:00

58:49

In the first episode of the “Common Concerns” podcast, Siqi Tu
and Sohail Jagat speak with Xiang Biao, co-director of the Max
Planck Institute for Social Anthropology. Looking back on his
experiences and academic career in China and the UK, he traces
the origins of his “Common Concerns” approach.

The conversation centres on “Common Concerns”, a research
approach developed by Xiang Biao. The approach focuses on
understanding the concerns and hardships of ordinary people and
using these as a perspective for analysing social phenomena. The
conversation highlights the idea that “Common Concerns” is not
merely a research topic, but a mindset and a research method
centred on understanding the concerns of others and developing
intellectual tools from them to reflect on and address social
problems.

Xiang Biao recounts his personal story of how his interest in
“Common Concerns” arose, stemming from his experiences as a young
man in China, where he was angered by a scholar who blamed the
population for the failure of a reform policy. This experience
led him to question the scholar’s elitist approach and to seek a
more inclusive and participatory approach to understanding social
problems.

The conversation further explores the concept of luck and the
role it has played in Xiang Biao’s career. He describes how
fortunate he has been to reach a wide audience and to develop a
‘Common Concerns’ approach that has resonated with people.
However, he also notes that success is not merely a matter of
chance, but is also influenced by historical contingencies and
the demand for certain types of knowledge and ideas.

The conversation also addresses the concept of the audience and
its significance as a key factor in the “Common Concerns
Approach”. Xiang Biao notes that the audience is not merely a
demographic group, but also a dynamic and evolving entity that
can be influenced by various factors. He also points out that the
‘Common Concerns Approach’ is not only about understanding the
audience, but also about using the audience as a lens through
which to analyse social phenomena.

Xiang Biao reflects on the concept of normativity and how it is a
central aspect of the ‘Common Concerns’ approach. He notes that
this approach is not about imposing normative judgements, but
about using people’s own judgements and concerns as a starting
point for analysis. He also points out that the approach involves
a certain kind of wisdom and life experience that is necessary to
understand the complexity of social problems.

The conversation also elaborates on collaborative research and
how this is a central aspect of the ‘Common Concerns Approach’.
Xiang Biao notes that collaborative research involves working
with others to develop intellectual tools that serve to reflect
on and address social problems. He also points out that
collaborative research requires a specific kind of dialogue and
conversation that is necessary for developing a deeper
understanding.