Todor Hristov
I am teaching critical theory at the University of Sofia. My background is in sociology and literary theory. My research is shaped by a passionate desire to understand the rationality of practices which transgress the limits of common sense, perhaps even the limits of reason. So during the years I have written on online dating, on Jediism, on people who dress like superheroes to do justice to banal crimes, on state socialism, on two hopeless rebellions and, apparently, on conspiracy theories.
Subjects: Literature, Media and Cultural Studies
Biography
I am teaching critical theory at the University of Sofia. My background is in sociology and literary theory. Yet my research has been shaped by a passion, by the passionate desire to understand and make understandable the rationality of practices which transgress the limits of common sense, perhaps even the limits of reason. So during the years I have written on online dating, on Jediism as a religion, on an NSA investigation of an alien prophet, on people who dress like superheroes to do justice to banal crimes, on state socialism, on a series of hopeless rebellions in a South-Eastern European country (my homeland) and, apparently, on conspiracy theories. The basic premise of my research is that our interiority, our positions, postures, passions, pathologies are shaped by our attempts to overcome external, social forces. Of course, I have written also on Covid.Education
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Associate Professor, The University of Sofia, 2010
PhD in sociology, 2006
PhD in literary theory, 2000
Areas of Research / Professional Expertise
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critical theory, biopolitics, governmentality studies, historical sociology, cultural studies, media theory
Books
Articles
Coronavirus and responsibilization
Published: Jul 02, 2020 by Foucault blog
Authors: Todor Hristov
Subjects:
Media and Cultural Studies
The article argues that the deeper and more extensive impact of the measures aimed at defending life from Covid-19 can be explained by the intensive responsibilization, i.e. by the development of a power regime that constitutes all and everyone as subjects of responsibility to a potentially vulnerable population. It focuses on the problematic side effects of the responsibilization, and attempts to outline a critical practice able to question responsibly our biopolitical responsibility.