PANEL 13- Culture Wars in the 21st century: identity, religion, and social media
Convenor: Patrícia Fernandes
All inquiries about the panel should be sent to [email protected].
In 1991 James Davison Hunter published Culture Wars: the struggle to define America in an attempt to explain the new struggles that were determining the politics in the United States. Thirty years later we seem immerse in the most intense form of culture wars supported on the gramscian idea of position wars. On one side, we have the academic New Left, influenced by post-modernism, post-structuralism, and critical theories, presenting a set of vindications based on identity, that gave rise to several social and political movements. Identity politics has flourished in the Anglo-American world and the progressivist agenda of the Social Justice movement has been adopted in other countries. On the other side, we have the backlash that comes from right-wing groups. In the US movements like the Alt-Right, New Right and ethnonationalists proliferated, presenting a different conception of identity, and questioning the traditional politics and the traditional conservativism, sometimes supported by fundamentalist religious groups. In Europe some parties are advancing the idea of illiberal democracies as more suitable regimes to respond to present times, and a narrative of European Cristian identity is being pushed forward. With social media, politics became a space of radical discourse and tribalization, a fertile soil to culture wars.
The pertinence of these culture wars invites several questions that political theory should address. How are these movements, on the right and on the left, inspired in the work of Antonio Gramsci? How can they be politically characterized? What are the dynamics of the New Left and of the New Right? What role does the social media play in these dynamics? What kind of hazards should we fear from these culture wars? How is liberal democracy in danger? And who will represent the common people?
If you want to apply, please submit an abstract, of 400-500 words along with five keywords, of your paper prepared for peer review by 17 April 2022. We will respond by 28 April 2022. All proposals must be submitted online through our website using the Abstract submission Form (please, click “Submit Abstract” and fill the form).
All inquiries about the panel should be sent to [email protected].
In 1991 James Davison Hunter published Culture Wars: the struggle to define America in an attempt to explain the new struggles that were determining the politics in the United States. Thirty years later we seem immerse in the most intense form of culture wars supported on the gramscian idea of position wars. On one side, we have the academic New Left, influenced by post-modernism, post-structuralism, and critical theories, presenting a set of vindications based on identity, that gave rise to several social and political movements. Identity politics has flourished in the Anglo-American world and the progressivist agenda of the Social Justice movement has been adopted in other countries. On the other side, we have the backlash that comes from right-wing groups. In the US movements like the Alt-Right, New Right and ethnonationalists proliferated, presenting a different conception of identity, and questioning the traditional politics and the traditional conservativism, sometimes supported by fundamentalist religious groups. In Europe some parties are advancing the idea of illiberal democracies as more suitable regimes to respond to present times, and a narrative of European Cristian identity is being pushed forward. With social media, politics became a space of radical discourse and tribalization, a fertile soil to culture wars.
The pertinence of these culture wars invites several questions that political theory should address. How are these movements, on the right and on the left, inspired in the work of Antonio Gramsci? How can they be politically characterized? What are the dynamics of the New Left and of the New Right? What role does the social media play in these dynamics? What kind of hazards should we fear from these culture wars? How is liberal democracy in danger? And who will represent the common people?
If you want to apply, please submit an abstract, of 400-500 words along with five keywords, of your paper prepared for peer review by 17 April 2022. We will respond by 28 April 2022. All proposals must be submitted online through our website using the Abstract submission Form (please, click “Submit Abstract” and fill the form).
