Agnotology (or the cultural production of ignorance) in Media and Culture
This is a call for a Special Topics Panel to be held at the Modern Language Association Conference in Toronto, January 8-11, 2026.
Agnotology, the study of culturally induced ignorance or doubt, has emerged as a critical lens through which to examine the production, dissemination, and contestation of knowledge within various spheres of human expression. This interdisciplinary panel seeks to investigate the intersections of agnotology with literature, culture, and the arts, and to explore how these fields both reflect and contribute to the construction of ignorance and uncertainty.
We welcome proposals for papers that engage with the following topics (but are not limited to):