About The Workshop
SW 74-Freedom of Expression of Academics under Conditions of Culture Wars
Convenors: Paweł Jabłoński, Przemysław Kaczmarek, Ahmet Ulvi Türkbağ, Michał Paździora, Jakub Łakomy, Mateusz Wojtanowski
Contact: mateusz.wojtanowski@uwr.edu.pl, jakub.lakomy2@uwr.edu.pl
This international workshop examines how contemporary cultural conflicts affect academics’ freedom of expression. We welcome empirical studies, legal analyses, historical perspectives, and policy proposals addressing censorship, institutional governance, media dynamics, and comparative protections for academic speech. Submissions may include case studies, theoretical reflections, and practical recommendations for universities and policymakers.
We aim to explore the role of academia in the “culture wars” shaping contemporary societies. The term refers to complex social tensions rooted primarily in moral and cultural divisions, rather than purely economic factors. These disputes revolve around deeply held values, norms, religious convictions, traditions, and political worldviews, and they influence many aspects of public life. Conflicts arise over issues such as migration, racial and class inequalities, as well as censorship. Other contested topics include abortion and LGBTQ+ rights, religious symbols in public spaces, historical memory, and ongoing disputes over the rule of law. Universities themselves increasingly become arenas in which such conflicts unfold, whether through teaching content, institutional policies, or the public engagement of academic staff. We are interested in contributions addressing both regular scholars and those in institutional positions, who are often authorized to speak on behalf of their universities.
The reference in the workshop’s working title to “freedom of expression of academics,” rather than to “academic freedom,” signals that our interest extends to forms of expression that go beyond strictly professional or institutional contexts. In this vein, we encourage participants to consider whether the involvement of academics in public, worldview-based disputes should be protected under the umbrella of academic freedom or instead be understood as governed by more general principles of freedom of expression.
We invite contributions that address the central problem from one or more of the following complementary perspectives.
- Ethical – reflection on the relationship between academic ethics and the culture wars. Does academic ethics call for neutrality in such conflicts, or does it instead support active scholarly involvement?
- Legal – analysis of relevant legislation and case law, including decisions of academic disciplinary bodies regarding scholars’ freedom of expression.
- Empirical – quantitative and qualitative studies examining public perceptions of academics engaging with controversial social issues. This may include research on expression within the institutional context of universities (e.g., teaching practices), as well as on forms of public engagement outside professional roles.
Submission and publication:
The workshop is open to participants who wish to present a paper within its thematic scope. To take part, please submit a proposed title and an abstract (up to one page long) no later than 30 April 2026.
Following the workshop, a special issue (4/2026) of Krytyka Prawa. Niezależne Studia nad Prawem (The Critique of Law. Independent Legal Studies), indexed in SCOPUS (Q3) and the Web of Science, is planned as the publication outlet for papers developed within the workshop framework. The issue will be edited by Przemysław Kaczmarek, Michał Paździora, Ahmet Ulvi Türkbağ, and Mateusz Wojtanowski. The deadline for article submissions is 31 July 2026.
