Adventures in Posthumanism Network Annual Conference

Response-ability: De/colonising Possibilities by Playing with Lenses
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  • Online via Zoom

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The Adventures in Posthumanism research group is delighted to welcome back Professor Karin Murris, University of Oulu, Finland and University of Cape Town, South Africa as the keynote speaker for this year's conference, the theme of which is 'Decolonising Disciplinary Practices'.
The conference is open for anyone who would like to attend, whether they're a doctoral student, supervisor or someone who is just interested in posthumanism.
Email joanna.haynes@plymouth.ac.uk and mary.garland@plymouth.ac.uk for further information.

CALL FOR ABSTRACTS | NOW OPEN

We welcome abstracts from doctoral students, including joint presentations with their supervisors.
The deadline for the submission of abstracts (200–250 words) is Thursday 10 April 2025, 17:00 GMT.
This annual conference will be held online via Zoom. Please email joanna.haynes@plymouth.ac.uk and mary.garland@plymouth.ac.uk for further information, to reserve a place and to submit your abstract.
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Keynote speaker: Professor Karin Murris

Abstract

"Posthumanist subjectivity can cause profound philosophical tensions, dilemmas and misunderstandings, especially in the context of decolonisation – the theme of the conference. In my presentation I explore this complexity by bringing into focus the non-innocent lenses we use (and use ‘us’) when engaging with research data: the human ‘eye’, the eye of the camera and our theoretical lenses. In most research, photographs and recording devices are treated as neutral tools for ‘collecting’ data and their representational use is not accounted for. In contrast, a response-able use of technology invites and enables response. It moves beyond representation and extraction, allowing the research phenomenon itself ‘to act back’ and respond by reconfiguring the boundaries between disciplines. This in/determinate engagement requires openness to different kinds of responses, embracing multiple temporalities when ‘interpreting’ data. I will illustrate this process of respectful attunement through a carefully selected video clip and diffracted photographs from a research project on digital play."

Biography

Karin Murris (PhD) is Professor of Early Childhood Education at the University of Oulu (Finland) and Emerita Professor of Pedagogy and Philosophy, University of Cape Town (South Africa). Grounded in academic philosophy, her main research interests are in philosophy in/of education, posthumanist child studies, postdevelopmental pedagogies in (teacher) education, philosophy with picturebooks and postdigital play. Karin has extensive experience of undertaking a wide range of funded research by national governments, charities, and industry. Her latest books include: Postdigital Play and Global Education: Reconfiguring Research (2024), Karen Barad as Educator: Agential Realism and Education (2022), Literacies, Literature and Learning: Reading Classrooms Differently (2018), and The Posthuman Child (2016). She has published more than 180 articles and co-edited six books published by Routledge. Karin founded the Postqualitative Research Collective and is Chief editor of the Routledge Postqualitative, New Materialist and Critical Posthumanist Research series. The Posthuman Child Manifesto is translated into five languages and can be found on YouTube or on Karin's website.
 
 
 
 
 
Adventures in Posthumanism is a well-established transdisciplinary group run by Plymouth Institute of Education and coordinated by Dr Joanna Haynes and Professor Jocey Quinn . The aim of the group is to share and develop ideas, research and work inspired by posthuman thinking. It runs annual programmes of seminars/webinars, workshops, reading groups and doctoral conferences. Members are academics and doctoral students from across the University of Plymouth and other universities nationally and internationally. All are welcome to take part.

Event photography and video

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