Common Concerns

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.

In this episode, Xiang Biao sits down with Zhipeng Duan, a design researcher-turned-anthropologist, to dismantle the idea that powerlessness is a lack of power. Isn't it rather a blindness to the world’s hidden possibilities? Duan Zhipeng, discusses how his understanding of change has evolved from a focus on solving problems to a more nuanced understanding of how relationships and perceptions shape our experiences. He introduces the concept of confrontation, which involves directly engaging with one's environment and others to gain new insights and understanding. This confrontation can be a turning point, allowing individuals to re-evaluate their relationships and perspectives. Zhipeng shares several examples, including a project called "Seeing the First 500 Meters," which involved participants exploring their immediate environment and creating art based on their experiences. He shares the story of Li Feng, who created an artwork about his relationship with his mother, which led to a deeper understanding of his mother's mental health issues and their impact on his own life. Confrontation can be understood as a long-term process, involving repeated observations and adaptations. Zhipeng emphasizes the importance of patience and understanding in confronting powerlessness and making meaningful changes in one's life. This episode reveals how "confrontation" can transform powerlessness into life force and how it rewires your relationship with the world.

Xiang Biao and Insa Lee Koch, Professor of British Culture at the Universität St.Gallen (HSG), discuss how people in working-class communities in the United Kingdom tend to perceive corruption as a moral failure of institutions and individuals in positions of power rather than as a technical or bureaucratic problem. Koch argues that this perception stems from mistrust and disillusionment with the political system, which is viewed as corrupt and self-serving. She also explores the concept of a ‘popular political ontology’, which refers to the way people in these communities think about power and politics. She argues that this ontology is characterised by a personalised and moralised understanding of corruption, which differs from the more abstract and systemic understanding of corruption found in academic and political discourse. The conversation also touches on Biao’s concept of “double alienation”, which refers to the way in which people in these communities feel disconnected from both the state and the market. This sense of alienation is a key driver of perceptions of corruption and the desire for a more inclusive and participatory form of politics. During the conversation, Koch emphasises the importance of listening to and understanding the perspectives of people in working-class communities, rather than imposing solutions or theories on them from the outside. She argues that this approach is essential for building a more inclusive and democratic politics that takes into account the concerns and experiences of all citizens. The conversation also touches on the idea of ‘grounding’ as a way of thinking about politics and society. Koch argues that this approach highlights the importance of linking abstract ideas and concepts to the concrete experiences and concerns of people in different contexts. Overall, the conversation offers a nuanced and insightful examination of corruption and its relationship to power, politics, and society. Koch questions the foundations of the ‘Common Concerns’ approach. This is a critical conversation. Can we really speak to people using these new concepts, or are we merely reinforcing the very systems we claim to criticise?

In this episode, Biao Xiang interviews two extraordinary thinkers: Don Kalb, whose new book "Value and Worthlessness" has been hailed as a landmark in Marxist anthropology, and Xenia Cherkaev, a scholar whose work bridges Eastern European social history with contemporary existential questions. Together, they reimagine ethnographic research by centering hidden histories, relational use values, and the emotional weight of being “worthless” in a world obsessed with exchange and performance. They further explore how Post-Socialism reveals the limits of the left and why the right isn’t just “Xenophobia”, but a response to abandonment.

In this episode, Xiang Biao talks to Olaf Zenker, a leading anthropologist whose work spans Southern Africa, Germany, and Northern Ireland. Together, they explore one of the most urgent questions of our time: What happens when people lose faith in liberalism — not because they reject its ideals, but because they feel it has failed them? This post-liberal fatigue is a deep, relational exhaustion with systems that promised justice, equality, and democracy, but delivered only delay, disillusionment, and fragmentation.