In the modern and post-modern context of social, political and cultural discourse, the concept of Otherness-The Other has emerged as a critical and universal subject of research. While it encapsulates a fundamental recognition of individuals or groups, who are perceived as different or distinct from oneself or from the dominant societal norms and identities, the idea of Otherness concerns the practices of othering in the areas of race, gender, ethnicity, class, sexuality, religion, nationality, environmental philosophy and, more generally, everyday social action and interaction. The binary structure of the sign itself builds on difference, on the One and the Other, the Being and non-Being, the Real and the Fake, the Accepted and the Rejected, the Natural and the Cultural etc. Consequently, when Kristeva introduces the concept of the “abject”, she examines how the “rejected” disturbs boundaries of binarism and plays a significant role in shaping subjectivity.
We invite papers that approach the conference’s theme through either macro and/or micro examples, taking into consideration the challenges of current socio-political instability in the epoch of Anthropocene, where comprehending these phenomena and providing effective readings not only becomes increasingly important, but sometimes, vital for survival. The conference seeks to bring together scholars, researchers and practitioners who share a common interest in Semiotics, Culture and Visual Communication, Philosophy and Environmental Studies. Special attention will be given to examining the idea of nature’s “otherness” in the context of the classical dichotomies of nature-reason/nature-technology/nature-culture and against the background of the discussion about empathetic stances towards nature and non-human beings.
The conference will take place with physical presence and accepts papers in the English and Greek languages. Accepted authors with presentation at the conference will be eligible to publish their work in the selected proceedings.
THEMES
We welcome proposals for individual papers (approximately 20 minutes long, plus 10 minutes for discussion), exploring the notion of Otherness-The Other through, but not limited to, one of the following themes:
