Democracy, Technology, and Social Justice: Humanities in an Unequal World
March 22, 2021
Virginia Tech will serve as this year’s host of the Virginia Humanities Conference.
Since the mid-20th century, the annual conference has brought together scholars with an interest in the humanities and a desire to participate in an exchange of ideas within a broad, interdisciplinary context. The conference rotates each year among Virginia college and university campuses.
The conference’s current president, Sylvester Johnson, selected the 2021 theme: “Democracy, Technology, and Social Justice: Humanities in an Unequal World.” Johnson, director of the Virginia Tech Center for Humanities, focuses his own scholarship on exploring the human condition and social institutions of power in the age of intelligent machines.
The free conference, this year held virtually for the first time, will take place from 2 to 5 p.m. on March 24, March 25, March 31, and April 1.
The conference is particularly focused on promoting collaborative research between students and faculty members. Conference organizers encourage participation by scholars — including undergraduate and graduate students — from any of the humanities disciplines, including history, political science, anthropology, literature, modern languages, drama, philosophy, theology, and the arts (visual arts, music, dance, and architecture).
Johnson, who also serves as Virginia Tech’s assistant vice provost for the humanities and executive director of Tech for Humanity, will offer opening remarks at the conference.
