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About the event
The Frankfurt School Critical Theory tradition has historically been a key source of inspiration in Nordic sociology and Women’s Studies. Furthermore, in the face of contemporary ecological, economic, and cultural crises, Critical Theory is witnessing a revival.
This revival calls for an academic meeting place for Nordic scholars working with or inspired by this tradition, including, but not restricted to, Critical Hermeneutics, Critical Realism, Critical Discourse Analysis, Modernization Theory, Socialisation Theory and Feminist Socialist Theory.
Supported by the Nordic Sociological Association, we now have the pleasure of inviting you to the first meeting of the Nordic Network for Critical Theory at the University of Oslo, 26-27 May 2025.
The theme for this first meeting is ‘Globalised Capitalism, Love and Alienation: New Engagements with Early Critical Theory’.
Confirmed keynote speakers
- Professor Arne Johan Vetlesen, University of Oslo. Vetlesen is a prominent Critical Theory Scholar, focusing among other topics on alienation from or denial of nature.
- Associate Professor Lena Gunnarsson, Ørebro University. Gunnarsson has contributed prominently to materialist feminism and with a specific interest in love.
- Professor Carl-Göran Heidegren, Lund University. Heidegren has engaged extensively with Critical Theory and is currently working on the notion of alienation.
Participation and abstract submission
It is our hope that this meeting place can allow us to exchange ideas within and among diverse strands within Critical Theory, and furthermore to discuss their relevance for exploring the societal formations of the Nordic countries. We aim to enable exchange between scholars who have long worked within this school of thought, and junior scholars/PhD students exploring what this tradition has to offer. We therefore encourage submissions from PhD students who are currently exploring which theoretical perspectives to use in their thesis project.
The deadline for abstract submission was 15 February 2025.