2nd Helsinki Conference on Emotions, Populism and Polarisation (HEPP)

2nd Helsinki Conference on Emotions, Populism and Polarisation (HEPP)

Thu, 06 May 2021 - Sat, 08 May 2021

Helsinki , Finland

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Organized by: University of Helsinki

The Second Helsinki Conference on Emotions, Populism and Polarisation (HEPP) will take place on 6-8 May 2021, both physically at the University of Helsinki, Finland, and online. The subtheme of the conference is ‘Mainstreaming Populism in the Era of Transnational Crises’ to reflect on the relationship between pandemia and other current and past crises with populism.

The conference is organised by the HEPP research team and the Academy of Finland funded projects Mainstreaming Populism in the 21st Century (MaPo) and Whirl of Knowledge: Cultural Populism in European Polarised Politics and Societies (WhiKnow), with the support of the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Helsinki. The conference will assemble a range of international researchers at all career stages, with the aim of examining populism particularly from a discursive and cultural approach. The conference encourages papers that approach the following and related themes:

  • Mainstreaming populism
  • Politics, populism, and social and political movements
  • Radical democracy
  • Subjectivity, affects, and gender
  • Cultural populism
  • Populism in a COVID-19 and post-pandemic world
  • Political communication and media in times of crisis and polarisation
  • Hybrid media and the polarisation of information
  • The re-articulation and politicisation of Europe
  • Populism, common grounds and communities of knowledge
  • Empathy as a counter to polarisation and/or antagonism

We especially welcome contributions from early-career researchers. To apply for the first CfP, please submit your abstract (200-300 words) with a short academic bio via this webform by 15 September 2020.

Accepted participants will be notified by 10 October 2020. Although not obligatory, accepted participants are encouraged to submit written papers of 3,000-7,000 words by 30 April 2021.

The members of HEPP2's organising committee are Juha Herkman, Emilia Palonen, Virpi Salojärvi, Marina Vulovic, and Claire Gilray (secretary).