Networked Silences: Algorithms and meaning-making in times of climate change - symposium for researchers and stakeholders

Description

Social media, search engines, recommender systems, and generative AI technologies contribute not only to making things known, but also to obscuring them, to situating sustainable practices outside cultural norms, and to creating ignorance and doubt about legitimate environmental concerns.

As part of collective meaning-making on environmental issues and the climate crisis, such networked silences have real implications for knowledge and action in everyday life, society and politics, and for the possibilities for meaningful environmental change.  Underlying this is the realisation that algorithms are historically and culturally contingent and inevitably favour certain perspectives over others. This has implications for which environmental issues receive more or less attention, including in public debate. It is therefore of great importance to initiate a conversation on the social and technical mechanisms that enable and sustain those silences.

The symposium is held at Lund University and includes presentations, structured networking, a moderated panel discussion, and opportunities to exchange ideas over refreshments (October 12). This first part is aimed at researchers and practitioners working or interested in the intersection of environmental crises and digital culture, such as those employed at universities, NGOs, public authorities, or the media. The following day (October 13), has a workshop format and is aimed at researchers only. This takes place at the Department of Political Science to discuss ongoing and emerging research. Registration is free and can be for one or both half-days.

Programme

Thursday, October 12

13-16: Research presentations (Bromansalen, UB)

13.00-13.15: Welcome address by Daniel Møller Ølgaard & Malte Rödl

13.15-13.45: Peter Berglez

13.45-14.15: Jutta Haider

14.15-14.30: Break

14.30-15.00: Julie Uldam

15.00-15.30: Victor Galaz

15.30-16.00: Summing up Daniel & Malte

16-18: Mingle and networking

18-20: Public panel debate (more information here)

Friday, October 13

09-12: Workshop for researchers

12-13: Lunch

Invited speakers and panelists

Julie Uldam, Associate Professor, Department of Management, Society and Communication, Copenhagen Business School

Jutta Haider, Professor, Swedish School of Library and Information Science, University of Borås and Affiliate Professor in Information Studies at Lund University

Peter Berglez, Professor, School of Humanities, Education and Social Science, Örebro University

Victor Galaz, Associate Professor, Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University

Registration

If you have been invited by the organisers to participate either directly or via a mailing list, please register at ai.lu.se.

If you are unsure or would like to participate anyway, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us.

The moderated panel debate is public. As part of the symposium you are automatically signed up for this. The public registration will open in August.

Organisation and contact

• Daniel Møller Ølgaard, daniel_moller [dot] olgaard [at] svet [dot] lu [dot] se (daniel_moller[dot]olgaard[at]svet[dot]lu[dot]se)
• Jutta Haider, jutta [dot] haider [at] hb [dot] se (jutta[dot]haider[at]hb[dot]se)
• Malte Rödl, malte [dot] rodl [at] slu [dot] se (malte[dot]rodl[at]slu[dot]se)