Epistemologies and Pathways to Truth

The University of Maryland’s Graduate English Organization (GEO) invites proposals relating to the theme of “Epistemologies and Pathways to Truth” for our 19th annual graduate student conference, to be held in person on Friday, March 27, 2026 at UMD, College Park. 

Historically in the pursuit of security and control, people and societies have created systems of collective knowledge to oppose the chaotic nature of the world and to affirm their illusion of continual progress. These collaborative structures of experiences and observations are reconciled as "truth." Epistemology seeks to understand how knowledge is dependent on conceptions of truth, belief, and justification through questions like: What is knowledge? How is it obtained? How is knowledge justified and agreed upon? Is justification internal or external to one's own mind? These truths lay the foundation for cooperative society, science, religion, and so on.

Criticisms of academia and western society raise important concerns of power imbalances, national conflicts, unethical research & statistics, and ignorance of consequences, while reactionaries wield powerful rhetoric that, too, undercuts the social status quo. Though the fracturing and competing ideologies with different definitions of truth are certainly not unique to the 21st century, it is nonetheless a rapidly evolving disruption to academic discourse, longstanding methodologies, informed public opinions, and even interpersonal exchanges.  No doubt the increased hegemonic upheavals of communities and worldviews, advent of inflammatory AIs, attacks on diasporic or dissenting voices, biased and profit-driven information sources, and the separation of humanities and sciences have contributed to this moment of increased incredulity. Whatever the specifics may be, it is clear that there is a war over truth and knowledge that would undermine all other dialogues.

This interdisciplinary conference seeks papers (see our separate call for creative works) engaging with what it means to be “true.” We welcome projects working in and across the fields of English & World Literatures; Creative Writing; Pedagogy; Rhetoric; History & Art History; Women, Gender, & Sexuality Studies; and area studies disciplines. We encourage graduate students from all locations and disciplines to apply.

Abstracts of 250-300 words should be submitted to englgeo@umd.edu by Friday, December 5th 2025 for early decision and January 5th for final decision. Talks should last for approximately 10-12 minutes. Potential presentation topics can focus on a wide range of issues, including (but not limited to):

• Explanations of epistemology in different socio-historical contexts

• How justification systems are upheld (or not) between different, coexisting populations

• Cross-disciplinary questions that address psychology, cognition, sociological, or similar responses to changes in truth systems/ideological shifts

• Topics on lived experiences vs. learned knowledge

• How does the college environment, or education system, function as a barometer for the evaluation of truth? Is there a professionalization of truth? 

• Motivations behind ideology, groupthink, and extreme stances

• Plurality and multiple ways of knowing

• Exclusion of people from knowledge sources

• Feminist and queer knowledges

• Black and Indigenous knowledges

• Who gets to claim knowledge? How is knowledge enforced?

• Knowledge practices outside of linguistics (eg: trades, textile, etc.)

• Environmental and Epistemological crisis

• Literature reviews of theory, principles, inquiry, or research trends in the humanities

• How to evaluate truth in virtual reality or online spaces

• Epistemological responses to past or present scientific/technological advancements