As the United States celebrates the 250th anniversary of its Declaration of Independence,
at a time of perceived challenges to its promises of freedom and equality, this symposium
invites a multidisciplinary reflection on the narrative strategies used to represent past and
contemporary interpretations of experienced scenarios of crises, resistance and change.
The Symposium is particularly interested in the connections between contemporary
political, social and cultural fractures and previous experiences of confrontation of
opposing visions of the collective national project, which also tested the fulfillment of the
ideals stated in the Declaration of Independence.We welcome papers that discuss narratives of past and present resistance and change from
a plurality of approaches, including literary studies, cultural studies, film, media, music
and visual culture studies, history, sociology and political science.
Possible topics include (but are not limited) to:
• The promises and fragilities of the Declaration of Independence.
• Indigenous sovereignty, settler colonialism, and the constraints of
independence.
• Migration policies and historical dynamics of inclusion and exclusion.
• The plurality and intersectional depth of the Civil Rights Movement.
• Populism and authoritarian trends in American politics.
• Wars of choice and discourses of resistance.
• Affirming and opposing gender equality: past and contemporary
discourses on feminist, queer, and trans resistance.
• Dissent and repression of political difference.
• Media freedom and information manipulation in contemporary digital
landscapes.
• Imagined futures in American utopias and dystopias.
• Environmental threats and negationist agendas.

Please submit an abstract for a 20-minute paper (up to 300 words), and a short bio (up
to 150 words) by September 15, 2026, to these two emails:
tdbs@fcsh.unl.pt
and
imom@fcsh.unl.pt

Notification of acceptance will be sent by September 31st.
Registration fees
Standard Rate: 125 euros
Student Rate: 50 euros