Discourses of Crisis: Language, Communication and Culture in Times of Polycrisis DISKUR 2026

Date: 22–23 September 2026

ONLINE CONFERENCE

The Department of Specialised Languages and Intercultural Communication, University of Lodz, Poland is pleased to invite to the scientific conference DISKUR 2026

Languages of presentation: English and Polish

The contemporary world is marked by a state of ongoing tension, no longer driven by isolated crises, but by the convergence and interplay of multiple, simultaneous crises: pandemics, war, migration, climate catastrophes, economic instability, disinformation, and the erosion of social trust. This polycrisis has become a new paradigm of experiencing reality — complex, unpredictable, and difficult to articulate in simple terms.

In this context, language gains critical importance — not only as a tool for description but as a means of constructing reality, managing emotions, and shaping collective attitudes.

The DISKUR 2026 conference invites scholars from across disciplines to engage in reflection on the role of discourse in the context of multidimensional crises. We welcome contributions focusing on both top-down institutional and expert communication strategies, and grassroots crisis narratives emerging in media, culture, and everyday language.

Key questions include:

• How do we talk about crises?

• What emotions and values are mobilized in public and expert narratives?

• How does language contribute to amplifying or defusing collective fears?

We also aim to explore the role of media, technology, and cultural translation in shaping crisis discourses — from the micro (local) to the macro (global) level. How is expert knowledge translated into accessible public discourse? How does knowledge circulate in conditions of uncertainty? How are specialized languages (e.g. in medicine, economics, law) transformed by the ongoing need for adaptation?

Topics of particular interest include but are not limited to the following:

• Linguistic representations of crisis in media, politics, science, and culture

• The rhetoric of fear, hope, and mobilization as tools of shaping public behavior

• Communication strategies of public institutions and experts in various crisis contexts

• Transformation of specialized languages (medical, economic, legal, environmental) in the age of polycrisis

• Cross-linguistic and cross-cultural translation of crisis discourses and their local/global interpretations

• The role of traditional and digital media (including social platforms) in amplifying and reframing crisis narratives

• The performativity of language in building (or fracturing) communities, identities, and social boundaries in times of threat

• Securitization of discourse – framing social, cultural, or health-related challenges as security threats, privileging logic of control, exclusion, and fear-based governance

• Disinformation and infodemic – the spread of false or manipulated information disrupting reliable communication, influencing public decisions, and undermining crisis response (especially in public health, migration, climate, or war contexts)

• Ethics and fair play in crisis communication

Plenary Speakers: 

The following internationally-recognized experts have accepted our invitation: