CONGIST’26

Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Crisis 

Date:  13-15 May 2026

Venue: Istanbul University, Faculty of Letters, Istanbul, Turkey

In the context of social sciences, crisis is broadly defined as a period of severe disruption or instability that challenges established structures, norms, or systems within societies. Crises can manifest in various forms—economic collapses, political upheavals, environmental disasters, technological shifts, wars, pandemics, climate or cultural conflicts. Historically, crises have always triggered societal change, which necessitate adaptation, reorganization, and innovation within communities. Throughout history, the impact of crises has been profound, shaping the trajectories of societies by prompting adaptation and transformation. Societies that fail to address crises effectively often face decline, while those that develop robust strategies can recover and evolve. Understanding crises within an interdisciplinary framework helps to reveal patterns, inform policies, and foster resilience in the face of contemporary and future challenges.

This international congress aims to explore the dynamics of crises from interdisciplinary perspectives. Potential themes for papers and panels include, but are not limited to:

• Cultural Crises and Sustainability
• Representations of Crises and Sustainability in Media, Cinema, and Art
• The Crisis of Art Criticism
• Aesthetic Reflections of the Crisis
• Crisis in Performing Arts
• Crisis, Sustainability, and Misinformation
• Social Crises and Transformation: Sociological and Psychological Approaches
• Information and Records Management in Times of Crisis: Digitalization, Archiving, and Sustainability
• Eco-Communication in Crises
• Crisis and Ethics
• War, Crisis, and Sustainability: The Impact of Conflict on Societal Continuity
• Sustainability and Resilience in Historical and Archaeological Perspectives
• Utopian and Dystopian Visions of Crisis and Sustainability
• Geographical Approaches to Environmental Crises and Sustainable Solutions
• Philosophical Reflections on the Relationship Between Crisis and Sustainability
• Crises and Sustainability in the Ancient World
• Anthropological Perspectives on the Social and Cultural Impact of Crises
• The Language of Crisis: Linguistic Perspectives
• Eco-Linguistics and Sustainability
• The Role of Discourse in Shaping Collective Action about Crisis and Sustainability
• Discourse(s) of Crisis
• Semiotics of Crisis
• Multimodal Communication in Crisis Situations: Ecolinguistic and Ecosemiotic Perspectives
• Ecocriticism, Ecofeminism, and the Climate Crisis: Literary Representations of Sustainability
• Apocalyptic and Post-Apocalyptic Fiction: Crisis, Survival, and Sustainable Futures
• Literary Depictions of Resource Scarcity and Environmental Collapse
• The Evolution of Crisis-Related Vocabulary: Historical and Contemporary Linguistic Trends
• Narratives of Crisis and Sustainability: Literary Responses to Environmental and Social Challenges
• Historical Perspectives on Crisis and Recovery
• The Psychological Impacts of Crises
• Eco-translation and Climate Crisis
• Disaster and Crisis Interpreting
• Crisis in Logic
• Episteme and Crisis
• Phenomenology of Crisis
• Postmodernity and Crisis
• Ontology and Crisis
• Identity construction and Crisis
• Language and Signs of Crisis
• The Role of Globalisation in Triggering and Resolving Crises
• Local Effects of Global Crises
• Preparation for Future Crises in the Light of Historical Analyses
• Sustainable Development and Crisis Prevention Policies
• Income Inequality, Class Conflicts and Crises
• The Search For Social Justice and Crisis Management
• Wars, Famines, And Waves of Migration
• The Effects of Refugee Crises on International Politics
• Geographical Dimensions of the Climate Crisis
• Natural Disasters and Social Vulnerability
• Resource Crises and Geopolitical Tensions
• Urbanization and Ecological Crisis
• Digital Crises and Social Interaction
• Social Impacts of Crises
• Post-Crisis Psychological Transformation,
• Resilience, and Adaptation Processes
• Psychological Impacts of Crises

Congress Languages: English and Turkish

PUBLICATION OPPORTUNITIES

ABSTRACTS

Abstracts of the papers presented at the conference will be published in the book of abstracts with ISBN.

FULL TEXTS

Option 1: Selected papers presented at the congress will be considered for publication in peer-reviewed edited volumes of the Congist Book Series by IU-Press. IU-Press is indexed in the Web of Science Book Citation Index (BKCI).

Option 2: Selected papers presented at the congress will be considered for publication in special issues of international peer-reviewed journals published by IU-Press, which are indexed in the Web of Science Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI) and Elsevier Scopus.

Submission of the Abstracts: Please submit your paper proposals (max. 1 DIN-A-Size, Times New Roman 12 point type, 2000 characters including spaces) online at https://eventedebiyat.istanbul.edu.tr/e/congist26