Call for Papers: ENGAGING WITH CONSPIRACY THEORIES, FOSTERING DEMOCRACY

Within the framework of the TaCT-FoRSED (Tackling Conspiracy Theories by Fostering Resilience and Political Self-Efficacy in Democracies) EU HORIZON project, the announced conference aims to engage primarily with scholars working on conspiracy theories within the broader field of disinformation/misinformation studies or related disciplines, while also preparing the ground for the foundation of a future learned society on conspiracy theories.

While follow-up conferences organised within the above-mentioned project during the next two years will focus on specific topics related to conspiracy theories (such as education and policy), this “opening” conference welcomes scholars analysing a wide range of topics and methodologies, especially those connected to issues of resilience in democratic societies. Its main aim is to consolidate, develop and widen general knowledge about conspiracy theories by fostering an inter/transdisciplinary academic space with contributions from various disciplines such as political theory, historiography, anthropology, folkloristics, sociology, education, security studies, cultural studies, communication studies, journalism, media studies, digital humanities, game theory, social psychology, and literary history. We are looking for papers (and panels) particularly covering the following topics:

1. How do we define “conspiracy theory” in the framework of disinformation/misinformation studies and security studies? How do these possible definitions differ from related phenomena such as “fake news”, “hoaxes”, “post-truths”, etc.?
2. Drivers, dynamics, and implications of conspiracy theories for democratic societies and its resilience
3. Connection of conspiracy theories with specific social structures and modes of sociopolitical organizations
4. Conspiracy theories as resources and provocateurs for the development of polarising, potentially violent (group) identities, authoritarian and intolerant personality structures, and anti-democratic decision-making and conflict mechanisms
5. Dynamics between conspiracy theory, folklore, and popular culture (e. g. urban legends, rumours and other narrative genres, vernacular speech and performances such as festivities, rituals, and other forms of expressive culture, etc.)
6. Propagation dynamics of conspiracy theories and conspirational beliefs (e. g. by social media, digital technology, A. I., political behaviour, vernacular culture, and more)
7. Conspiratorial beliefs, behaviour, and mentality both in individual and social contexts
8. Mechanisms, entailments, causes & consequences of conspiracy theories
9. Interventions and countermeasures against conspiracism at the level of the local communities, local and state administrative, the educational system, and democratic societies in general
10. Tools for tackling and/or countering conspiracy theories in democratic societies.

Individual papers, posters, and panel submissions are welcome. The deadline for the submission is December 5^th. 

The conference will take place in the city of Prague, April  9th – 10th, 2026  

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