Iscte – Instituto Universitário de Lisboa | Lisbon, Portugal
June 20-22, 2022 – Virtual Sessions
June 29-July 1, 2022 – In-person Sessions
The submission portal will be open from September 7 to October 15, 2021.
Quality of environment and quality of democracy are increasingly interconnected in ways that are shaping social, political, and economic life at local, national, and global levels. An example of this interconnection is the frequent association of populism with climate change denial or refusal of climate policies. Or the call by social movements, environmental organizations, and activists for more innovative, deliberative, and participatory practices in policy-making as a way to transform our capacity to tackle climate change and other environmental challenges democratically. Today, many such movements and groups are at the forefront of demand not just for new public policies but also for the elaboration of new forms of democratic participation. On the side of academic research, different social and human sciences (such as political science and public policy, sociology, psychology, geography, economy, anthropology, history, and cultural studies, among others) have been increasingly dealing with environmental issues, including their democratic implications. In this context, dialogue between social and human sciences with natural sciences has also strengthened. Nonetheless, technological innovation, which has frequently moved much faster than innovation in policy-making and regulation, has proven another challenge affecting both the environment and democracy. This tension is evident, for example, in urban life, as cities increasingly concentrate and consume resources while simultaneously being increasingly characterized by inequality in energy, the use of space, and air quality. These inequalities affect vulnerable groups like women and migrants most strongly, thereby adding new dimensions to existing intersectionality. The growth of travel and tourism in recent decades and the continuing depletion of biodiversity enhanced by technological capacities are just a couple of examples of the same tension. If the ongoing pandemic has suspended or superseded this trend for a while, it is still uncertain which new and different models will be implemented in the future. Moreover, preliminary analyses show that inequalities have grown in the pandemic context at various levels (political, social, economic, educational, environmental, and housing).
Against this background, the current situation provides an opportunity to discuss possible alternative and innovative patterns for our future critically. The aim of the 2022 Lisbon conference will thus be to join scholars from different areas to reflect on and discuss the relation between environment and democracy from a multidisciplinary and multilevel perspective. While all proposals related to Europe will be considered, we especially welcome submissions specifically dealing with environmental issues, problems of democracy, and the relation between democracy and the environment.