Themes

 

The forum will be organised around the following themes and formats

 

Ideas about refusal: What does it mean to speak of refusal in relation to technology, and how does it differ from or relate to adjacent notions such as resistance, critique, non-use, disconnection, or withdrawal? How have scholars and commentators in different contexts framed the boundaries and possibilities of refusal?

 

The time(s) and place(s) of refusal: In what moments and settings does refusal emerge, and what conditions make it visible or sustainable? How might methods from history, ethnography, discourse studies, literary and artistic analysis, or data-driven research help us trace the rhythms, scales, and shifting forms of refusal over time?

 

The realities of refusal:  How is refusal practiced, narrated, and embodied by individuals, communities, or institutions? What kinds of cultural, political, or artistic strategies give shape to acts of saying no to certain technologies, whether through avoidance, critique, subversion, or experimentation with alternatives?

 

Futures worth wanting: Refusing technology opens the space for articulating futures that are worth saying yes to.  What are the ideas, conditions, settings, and discourses that we can now engage with as we embark upon a different way of being in the world? How can we best evaluate existing and emerging technologies through the lens of desired future states? 

 

Formats

 

Panel presentation: A conventional academic format in which you share your research, theoretical reflection, or account of a project. Presentations will be grouped by the organisers into panels with related themes.

 

Making and Doing: A space for more experimental contributions such as workshops, collective exercises, activist practices, games, media works, or artistic provocations. (Please specify how much time the contribution needs and whether any additional materials or rooms are required.)

 

Dialogues and Conversations: A less formal setting designed for exchange and discussion. Short provocations, roundtable debates, or facilitated conversations can be proposed to open up dialogue across different perspectives.

 

 

Deadlines

 

Please submit a short proposal (max 400 words) to techrefusal@posteo.com by October 31st.

 

Acceptance will be announced by November 14th, when registration will open.

 

Registration will close January 7th.