The next CPERN stream of panels will be at the European Sociological Association Conference, in the city of Warsaw, Poland, from 25 to 28 August, 2026
The full call for papers is out now. Join us in Warsaw!
CPERN is Research Network 06 of the European Sociological Association – when submitting abstracts make sure to indicate that you want your paper to be included in our stream of panels (RN06).
Solidarity, action, revolution? Questioning systemic unsustainability
Is there a space for hope amidst the global capitalist polycrisis? While our growth-obsessed economies intensify exploitation, extraction of labour and nature, social alienation, uneven material distribution, and pervasive consumerism, our political systems are marked by the entrenchment of the far-right, multipolar reorganization of the global (dis)order, militarism and multiplication of armed conflicts. The inability of left intellectuals and politicians to formulate coherent solutions to the questions of international security, climate emergency, poverty, inequality, racism, sexism, and displacement leaves the discourse to be the playground of the right, including outright fascists and theocrats. The widespread hesitation to take a clear stance against the life-streamed genocide of Palestinians and the (by now) de facto third world war with epicentre in Ukraine must be underlined here as well. The world, its labour and nature, deserve better and yearn for systemic change. That demand is seen in growing discontent and solidarity actions at the same time. The future is not just shaped by authoritarians. We can also see movements of resistance and solidarity facing the polycrisis head-on, as activists resist authoritarian control and prefigure new ways of societal (re)production beyond the hegemony of growth, competition and anthropocentrism. New technologies (such as AI, quantification, and automation) could also have a liberatory role to play, if they can be aligned with social and ecological needs rather than cannibalistic capitalism chasing profit at any human and planetary cost.
We invite papers addressing the state of state-society-capital complexes and nature relations, oppression, extraction, and resistance in all forms.
What are the challenges to and chances of a systemic change? Can we envisage a post-capitalist world? What is and what should be the role of social sciences, academia, and critical researchers in these times of turbulence, fake news, and generative AI? Is there hope for a revolutionised sustainable world and, if so, what everyday and organised action ushers it in today?
We look forward to discussing these and many more vital questions with you in Warsaw!
Abstracts must be submitted through the conference platform, which is available here: http://www.conftool.com/esa2026
Deadline: 30 January
We hope to see you there!
Your CPERN Board: Yuliya Yurchenko, Bernd Bonfert, Adriano Cozzolino, Gemma Gasseau, Madelaine Moore
Critical Political Economy Research Network (RN06) 