Conflicting Narratives: Reactions, Strategies, and Visions against Sexism and Anti-Feminism

About the conference

The international conference “Conflicting Narratives” explores feminist reactions, strategies, and visions for confronting sexism and anti-feminism. In recent years, sexist and antifeminist narratives have gained increasing visibility across digital and public spheres worldwide. Online environments such as the so-called manosphere have become particularly important sites for the normalization of misogynistic and anti-egalitarian positions through networked communication, platform logics, and affective modes of mobilization. At the same time, antifeminist ideas circulate far beyond male-dominated spaces and can also appeal to women, for example through social media trends that promote traditional gender roles. Moreover, antifeminism often intersects with, and may serve as a bridge to, authoritarian, right-wing populist, far-right, antisemitic, homophobic, and religious fundamentalist positions. These developments not only shape debates on gender relations, but also raise urgent questions about democratic stability, the protection of human rights, and social cohesion.

Starting from the assumption that narratives are key modes of structuring and interpreting social experience, the conference examines both fictional and factual forms. It focuses on feminist counter-narratives that challenge, transform, or contest sexism and antifeminism across cultural, educational, and political arenas, including literature, film, social media, and public debate. With a particular emphasis on German-speaking and Spanish-speaking contexts, the conference brings together scholars from Hispanic Studies, German Studies, sociology, philosophy, and political science to explore how such narratives emerge, circulate, and evolve, and what critical and transformative potential they hold within and across these linguistic spaces.

Presentations will be held in English and Spanish.

Anyone interested is warmly invited to attend! Admission is free.