[EASST-Eurograd] Call for Papers Political Geology Workshop

[Ana Delicado via Eurograd]

Call for Papers - Political Geology Workshop

ICS University of Lisbon, Portugal,5th May 2026

Despite the criticism, Anthropocene, as a proposed current geological era, has brought attention to the entanglements of the geological with the social (Pálsson & Swanson, 2016; Clark & Yusoff, 2017), from the production of knowledge on geological structures to the agency of these formations. Political geology builds on the well-established notion that geological factors, such as access to resources, shape political relations. However, it expands this understanding by emphasizing that "geology too emerges in and through political processes, as it is demarcated, framed, and becomes an object of knowledge" (Bobbette & Donovan, 2019, p. 3). By bridging science and technology studies with political ecology, political geology concerns the power relations at play when engaging with Earth history theories, subterranean imaginaries, or geological surveys and mapping practices.

How can we approach the layers of plastiglomerates and e-waste, deep geological repositories for nuclear waste, carbon storage, and the "critical raw materials" for energy and digital transitions through the lens of political geology? What can a deep time and planetary perspective teach us about sustainability and temporality of climate change and energy policies?

The workshop aims to discuss the socio-economic, cultural, and political aspects of the production of geological knowledge and of relating to the soils, rocks, and subterranean matter. We invite contributions exploring mining and energy transition, the agency of geological structures, deep time, the history of technology and Earth sciences, geological heritage, and media geology from the social sciences and humanities, arts and critical media practice, geography, and interdisciplinary perspectives.

Please submit the abstract of max. 250 words, outlining your research or artistic practice, and a short bio of max. 60 words by 3 April 2026 to Karolina Zizkova (zizko...@gmail.com). The participants will be notified by 7 April. If you have any questions, please reach out to Karolina.  

Please note that the event will be held in person. Unfortunately, there is no funding available to support participation and travel to the workshop. The workshop is organized by Karolina Zizkova and Ana Delicado (ICS-ULisboa) as part of the SHIFT Research Group activities.