The pandemic challenges societal boundaries, leading to more distanced interactions post-Covid.
Online interactions can create meaningful connections, transcending physical barriers for inclusive community-building.
Deep dives
Adapting to Pandemic Disruptions and Distances
The pandemic has led to significant disruptions and challenges to societal boundaries and everyday interactions, affecting both physical and social distances. The speaker recalls instances of running with social distancing, highlighting the erasure of typical human interactions and the shift to more distanced and separated exchanges.
Redefining Face-to-Face in a Virtual World
The transition to online interactions, symbolized by the phrase 'face to face,' challenges traditional notions of in-person communication. The speaker questions the binary opposition between physical and virtual encounters, emphasizing that online interactions can also foster meaningful connections and inclusivity, transcending geographical barriers and offering unique community-building opportunities.
Exploring Linguistic and Cultural Shifts in 'Out of the Silent Planet'
Drawing insights from 'Out of the Silent Planet,' the discussion delves into themes of separation, linguistic redefinition, and cultural differences. The speaker explores Ransom's encounters with different species and the evolution of his perception towards understanding and empathy, transcending hierarchical and exploitative viewpoints. Language becomes a tool for bridging distances and redefining face-to-face interactions beyond traditional norms.
English lecturer Dr Sarah Waters shares her insights into one of CS Lewis' science fiction books, particularly in regards to how we relate to one another post-Covid. This talk was originally given at a CS Lewis symposium called Now We Have Faces, which was hosted by The CS Lewis Group at Ulster University in coordination with English at Ulster. The title of Sarah's presentation was 'Facial (mis)recognition: Out of the Silent Planet and the boundaries of face-to face'.