

Doctoral conference New perspectives in Humanities and Social Sciences
We invite you to participate in the 2nd Conference New Perspectives in Humanities and Social Sciences, which will take place on 30 and 31 January 2025 and is organised by the Faculty of Arts and the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Ljubljana.
We invite you to participate in the 2nd Conference New Perspectives in Humanities and Social Sciences, which will take place on 30 and 31 January 2025 and is organised by the Faculty of Arts and the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Ljubljana. The doctoral conference brings together all faculties of the University of Ljubljana involved in the joint study programme in the humanities and social sciences (Faculty of Arts, Faculty of Social Sciences, Faculty of Social Work, Faculty of Theology, Academy of Fine Arts and Design, Academy of Music, Academy of Theatre, Radio, Film and Television) and is aimed at doctoral students of all years, as well as those who have recently obtained their doctorate. The conference offers the opportunity to present the results of completed or ongoing work, with an emphasis on original scientific contributions. The accompanying programme will be announced on the website at a later date.
In a rapidly changing world, the humanities and social sciences play a key role in gaining deep insights into the complexity of society. This enables us not only to understand it, but also to improve society itself. The aim of this year’s conference New Perspectives in Humanities and Social Sciences is to establish an interdisciplinary dialogue that addresses the areas of society that significantly influence and shape it, while pointing to the current problems we face collectively and globally. We accept submissions that fit into the following areas:
1. Global challenges of contemporary society (political institutions and processes, geopolitical issues, environment and climate change, social movements, cultural and social change, (un)resolved conflicts of the past, migration, religion)
2. Media culture and social communication (media, web and social media, artificial intelligence)
3. Criticism of contemporary science with a view to the future
4. Innovation in contemporary art and social criticism (in literature, visual arts, theatre, music, film, dance and design)
5. Language as a reflection of social change
6. Contemporary challenges in teaching and social work
The extended deadline for registration for the conference and submission of abstracts is
1 December 2024. The registration should be accompanied by the title of the paper, a detailed abstract of 250-350 words (without references) for the book of abstracts and 5 keywords. Submissions will be accepted in Slovenian or English. If you submit in Slovenian, please also submit an English version. Applicants will receive notification of acceptance to the conference by 15 December 2024. The time for presentation is 15 minutes, with a short discussion following at the end of each session. There is no registration fee.
Abstracts can be submitted via the website: https://1ka.arnes.si/a/1cfaea15.
Full papers will be published in a special publication after the conference. The deadline for submission is 28 February 2025 (up to 20,000 characters excluding references). Instructions for formatting will be published at a later date. Abstracts and papers will be double-blind peer-reviewed before publication.
For further information, please contact us at: konferenca.HID@fdv.uni-lj.si.
Deadline for conference registration and abstract submission: 15 November 2024
Extended deadline for conference registration and abstract submission: 1 December 2024
Notification of acceptance: 15 December 2024
New Perspectives in Humanities and Social Sciences conference in Ljubljana: 30–31 January 2025
Submission of papers: 28 February 2025
PLENARY SPEAKER DR. ROK SMRDELJ
Rok Smrdelj (1992) is a Research Associate at the Department of Sociology, Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana. He is involved in the research programme Problems of Autonomy and Identities in the Time of Globalization (P6-0194). His research focuses on the sociology of media and communication, with a particular emphasis on studying communication dynamics in the hybrid media sphere. In his PhD dissertation, he examined the construction of the migrant “crisis” on Twitter in Slovenia, employing a combination of critical discourse analysis and digital quantitative methods. He also investigates structural changes in the public sphere, particularly in the context of recent neoconservative mobilizations opposing equality policies in Europe and beyond. His research has been recognized internationally, with findings regularly presented at conferences and published in peer-reviewed journals and edited volumes. Currently, he serves as the secretary of the Slovenian Sociological Association and as the book review editor ort he journal Social Science Forum. He has received an award from the Slovene Sociological Association for young, promising sociologists and an award from the Faculty of Arts at the University of Ljubljana ort he best doctoral dissertation in social sciences. Between 2017 and 2022, he was a scholarship holder of the Eng. Milan Lenarčič University Foundation.
dr. Rok Smrdelj: Migration on Twitter (X): Communication Relations in the Digital Media Sphere
Thursday, 30 January 2025, 9.10–10.00, Faculty of Arts
The initial promise of social media to foster democracy and amplify marginalised voices in the public sphere has proven largely illusory. Although digitalisation has broadened public communication, the main beneficiaries have been those already powerful in society, such as politicians, traditional media, and economically influential entities. However, the digital media sphere also provides “structural opportunities” for the articulation of less privileged social voices, indicating that the dynamics of power relations within this sphere are more complex than they initially appear. To explore these dynamics and understand how communication relations are shaped within the contemporary digital media sphere, we examine debates on Twitter (now called X) during the “migrant crisis” in Slovenia. In doing so, we base our analysis on the assumption that examining communication relations requires considering both user “agency” and structural factors, including the medium’s affordances, its underlying logic, and the broader social context.
Employing social network analysis and critical discourse analysis, our study reveals that during the “migrant crisis” in Slovenia, posts with anti-migrant content – framing migration predominantly through a security lens – achieved higher virality. Similarly, hyperlink analysis revealed that posts containing hyperlinks frequently directed users to “right-wing” media outlets and other sources promoting anti-migrant discourses, thereby increasing the visibility and reach of such content within the Twitter migration debate. These patterns reflect broader global anti-migration trends, which Slovenian anti-migration actors have appropriated and embedded within local anti-migrant discourses.
The findings also indicate that the most influential users were primarily members of the parliamentary political mainstream, including MPs, political party members, and the then Prime Minister, alongside representatives of the mass media, such as journalists and editors. Network analysis revealed patterns of polarisation, with the network splitting into “left-wing” and “right-wing” political clusters. Although the “left-wing” network was numerically larger, the “right-wing” network proved more influential and active, generating the most retweets. The “right-wing” network consisted mainly of parliamentary political actors and a significant number of anonymous users. In contrast, the “left-wing” network predominantly included by civil society actors and public figures with pro-migrant stances, with a noticeable absence of “left-wing” parliamentary politicians. These observations reflect broader structural shifts in parliamentary politics over recent decades, characterised by the normalisation of “right-wing” political agendas and the marginalisation of “left-wing” agendas. As “left-wing” agendas become increasingly marginalised within the legitimate boundaries of parliamentary politics, this shift is mirrored in the public sphere, where “left-wing” agendas are primarily represented by social movements, civil society initiatives, and individual public figures outside the formal realm of parliamentary politics, rather than by parliamentary parties.
The dominance of the “right-wing” political network, despite its smaller user base, can be attributed to the effective “agency” of its members and to the media logic of Twitter. The platform’s technological affordances promote communication forms conducive to the perpetuation of anti-migrant discourses. These include the brevity of posts, which favours simplistic and emotionally charged expressions of opinion over in-depth debate on migration; the retweet function, which amplifies the visibility and normalisation of anti-migrant content through repetition and rapid dissemination; user anonymity, which reduces accountability for sharing polarised and controversial migrant content without fear of repercussions; and algorithmic exposure, which prioritises emotionally intense and polarised anti-migration posts likely to attract higher engagement, thereby extending their reach and influence within the network. These structural characteristics make Twitter a conducive environment for the dissemination of anti-immigrant and discriminatory discourses, which, in our case, are advanced by “right-wing” political actors, “right-wing” media, and their anonymous supporters. However, they fail to foster the conditions necessary for nuanced and reasoned debates capable of critically engaging with and challenging simplistic and populist anti-migration discourses reducing complex migration issues to overly simplistic solutions.
Thus, our findings demonstrate that the media architecture of Twitter negatively impacts the prospects for constructive and deliberative public dialogue, narrows the boundaries of legitimate public debate, and exacerbates polarisation and the decline of the public sphere. Despite these pessimistic findings, we also examine the potential “structural opportunities” that Twitter – and social media platforms more broadly – may offer to amplify pro-migrant voices and, more generally, to advance progressive political agendas and social visions.
PLENARY SPEAKER DR. SINJA GERDINA
Asist. dr. Sinja Gerdina finished her PhD in the field of Studies of everyday life at the Faculty of Social Sciences University of Ljubljana in 2022. In 2023 she received Faculty’s awards for best doctoral dissertation for her dissertation titled Socio-cultural aspects of death and post-mortem organ donation behaviours. She works as a researcher at the Centre for Social Psychology (FDV UL) for several years, where she studies different topics of public health and sustainable development through a social marketing perspective, an approach for behaviour and social change. Pedagogically she is active as a teaching assistant at the Department of marketing communication and public relations (FDV UL). Currently she is a president of The Slovenian Association for Social Marketing and an associate at OPRO, the Institute for Applied Studies.
dr. Sinja Gerdina: Everyday life though perspective of death: researching post-mortem organ donation
Friday, 31 January 2025, 16.50–17.50, Faculty of Social Sciences
Death is universal and inevitable for all human beings. We are all powerless in the face of our own end, however, not all individuals are equal in its regard, as death is socially constructed. Consequently, the experience of death and the manner in which it is conceptualised varies depending on the prevailing social order. The phenomenon of death offers insights into the functioning of a society. It provides an opportunity to observe the power dynamics between the social system, social institutions and individuals, and the impact of existing social inequalities on life and death. How individuals confront their own death is influenced by their societal position, including factors such as socio-economic status, age, gender, place of birth and residence, and lifestyle, all of which affect life expectancy. While people are powerless against death in the end, they are not powerless in postponing death with preventive efforts. Post-mortem organ donation is part of the medical efforts that can save or prolong lives of people experiencing life-threatening organ failure. Despite high levels of willingness for post-mortem donation in contemporary societies, this is not always reflected in behaviours such as registering organ donation decision, discussing this decision with significant others, and consenting to the organ donation of deceased relative. In her doctoral dissertation, dr. Gerdina explored this gap at the macro, mezzo, and micro levels of social functioning. She employed a conceptual framework of death as a three-staged liminal process, building on pre-existing anthropological theories. In this keynote address, she will guide you through the main findings of her dissertation, structured around the three stages of death: imaginary, real, and symbolic. Her findings illustrate how personal decisions about post-mortem organ donation manifest the power struggle between social systems, individuals, and mortality. Throughout the lecture, dr. Gerdina will also share her research journey, from developing research questions and methodology, overcoming the challenges of conducting empirical qualitative research during the COVID-19 pandemic, to the analysis and interpretation of her findings.
WORKSHOP: Humanities and social sciences, let’s talk about science communication
Thursday, 30 January 2025, 13.40–14.40, Faculty of Arts
Tinca Lukan, PhD researcher, Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Social Sciences
Živa Gornik, Master’s student, Ethnology and Cultural Anthropology, University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Arts
Nika Černoga Mihelič, Master’s student, Sociology of Culture, University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Arts
Science communication encompasses the diverse ways in which the processes, outcomes, and implications of scientific research can be shared or discussed with various audiences (van Dam, 2020, p. 3). In recent years, the need for effective science communication has become more urgent due to growing societal challenges, such as the rise of misinformation, increasing polarisation, and waning public trust in science and scientists. Addressing these issues requires scientists and researchers to actively engage with the public, policymakers, and other stakeholders to ensure that their work is understood and valued. This workshop is designed to provide you with a comprehensive understanding of the essence of science communication. You will gain practical insights and tools to effectively communicate your research findings, tailored to the needs and expectations of your audience. Together, we will explore three key questions: Who is your target audience? What is your core message? And which communicative forms and narratives best convey your message? The workshop will include interactive brainstorming sessions and group discussions, offering a supportive space for you to develop strategies for impactful science communication. Whether you’re new to this field or seeking to refine your skills, this workshop will empower you to make your research accessible and relevant.
WORKSHOP: Key aspects of productive quantitative research strategies in social sciences and humanities
Friday, 31 January 2025, 14.00–15.00, Faculty of Social Sciences
dr. Samo Kropivnik, Associate Professor, Chair of Marketing Communications and Public Relations, University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Social Sciences
The session addresses data collection and data analyses processes, that are commonly used in quantitative studies in social sciences and humanities. The focus is on key characteristics of this procedures, on their flexibility and commensurability and especially on productivity of the research process. Some advice how to avoid common pitfalls in collecting and analysing data, as well as in making conclusions are provided (drawing on lecturer’s experiences, obtained through mentoring more than two hundred studies). As the framework of diverse empirical studies, the logic of a research process is briefly introduced at the beginning of the session in terms of research approach
The doctoral conference New Perspectives in Humanities and Social Sciences will take place on Thursday, 30 January 2025, at the Faculty of Arts (Aškerčeva cesta 2, 1000 Ljubljana), and on Friday, 31 January 2025, at the Faculty of Social Sciences (Kardeljeva ploščad 5, 1000 Ljubljana).
On the first day, the conference will take place at the Faculty of Arts in Modra soba (Blue room) on the 5th floor, in Room 415 on the 4th floor and in Didaktična predavalnica (Didactic room) at the end of the corridor on the north side of the faculty. Lunch and evening snack (pizza) will be organised at the faculty. The evening socialising will take place in a local bar, where we will go together after the formal part of the conference.
On the second day, the conference will take place at the Faculty of Social Sciences in lecture rooms 19, 20 and 21 on the 1st floor. Lunch and a closing dinner will be organised at the faculty.
GETTING AROUND
From/to Ljubljana Airport: If you plan to arrive by plane, the airport provides regular taxi or shuttle and bus service to arrive to the main train and bus station. You can find more information on the following pages: Nomago Shuttle, Goopti, Shuttle Ljubljana, Getbybus.
Arrival by bus/train: We kindly ask you to individually check information and timetables for on-time arrival to the main bus or train station Ljubljana.
Around Ljubljana: The easiest way to get around Ljubljana is on foot, by bike (the city's BicikeLJ platform), or by city bus. You can pay directly by card on the city bus. For paying and navigating the public transport in Ljubljana, you can also install the Urbana mobile app.
Nearest stops of the city bus for the conference locations (line 6 connects both faculties):
- Faculty of Arts: bus stop Aškerčeva (lines 1, 6, 6B),
- Faculty of Social Sciences: bus stop Mercator (lines 6, 8, 11).
ACCOMMODATION RECOMMENDATIONS
The organisers of the conference cannot provide any student accommodation. We advise to look into different hotel/hostel options around Ljubljana.
Hotel option: B&B HOTEL Ljubljana Park (cca 100 € for 2 nights with breakfast)
Hostel option: Hostel Celica (cca 50 € for 2 nights in 4-bedded room with breakfast)
izr. prof. dr. Sašo Jerše (Associate Dean of Doctoral Studies and Research, Faculty of Arts)
izr. prof. dr. Katja Manfreda Lozar (Vice Dean for Student Affairs, Faculty of Social Sciences)
Ina Poteko (doctoral student, Faculty of Arts)
Karla Tepež (doctoral student, Faculty of Social Sciences)
Meta Bergamasco (doctoral student, Faculty of Arts)
Others involved in the organisation
Mia Hočevar (doctoral student, Faculty of Arts)
Živa Gornik (Master's student, Faculty of Arts)
Luka Kropivnik (doctoral student, Faculty of Arts, Institute of Slovenian Ethnology)