‘The politics of disagreement’

Contemporary societies seem to be characterised by disagreement. Societal polarisation and a crisis of information are recurring phenomena, while in some contexts we also witness de-politicisation and the suppression of disagreement. Environmental and sustainability challenges are at the core of these political struggles. How do disagreement, conflict and polarisation over environmental and sustainability issues emerge, and how are they maintained and changed? How is the controvercy of meaning applied in political struggles over power in the context of sustainability transformations? How is disagreement made to be a part of the performance of the political? In what ways are communication and information infrastructures implicated in disputes over meaning in the context of sustainability transformations? Do corporate communication infrastructures individualise the politics of disagreement over sustainability, and if so – how?

In this conference, we invite an exploration of disagreement, conflict and environmental communication in the political – i.e., in the space between governing (broadly understood) and its challenges. Together, we also examine the constructive potential of (political) struggles, and the conditions under which disagreement can foster creativity, learning, and democratic processes.

Aim and structure of the conference

We invite critical as well as creative contributions drawing on a diverse range of perspectives that explore the many facets of the politics of disagreement in environmental communication.

• How is disagreement used politically?
• How is not allowing for disagreement affecting policy and sustainability meaning-making?
• How can spatial, temporal and emotional practices serve to further environmental meaning-making in a context of disagreement?
• How do conflicts constitute or disable conditions for collaboration and knowledge coordination?
• What are the opportunities and risks of disagreement and political struggles in relation to sustainability in a post-truth world?
• How might disagreement be used and abused in the public discourse around sustainability?
• What approaches to disagreement can bring new voices to influence sustainability thinking and give agency to un- or under-heard individuals and communities?

• How does disagreement affect transdisciplinary spaces of sustainability thinking?

We encourage a variety of contributions:

• Papers, panels and posters
• Workshops
• Roundtables and other forms of exchange
• Less conventional submissions, such as cafés, poetry slams, debate sessions, reflections and sharing of experiences, and artistic interventions
• Imaginative proposals that push the boundaries of thinking and acting around the role of disagreement and conflicts

Who is this conference for?

The conference welcomes research (empirical studies as well as theoretical and methodological contributions) and practice and collaborative work on environmental and sustainability communication. While the focus of the conference will lie on the theme ‘politics of disagreement’, we also accept contributions on other topics of relevance to Environmental Communication.

Whatever your role or background, you are warmly welcome to attend the conference and share your research, work, insights and curiosity about the politics of disagreement and environmental communication in the context of sustainability transformations.

Doctoral students:

We encourage doctoral students to attend. There will be a designated session for doctoral students to connect with each other across disciplines.