International Summer Workshop "The Ethics of Storytelling"
- Keynote Lecture "The Ethicality of Storytelling: Privacy, Confidentiality, and “Ownership” of Patients‘ Stories"
- The lecture takes place online on July 21st 16:00-18:00 (German time)
- Call for Papers
- In what has been described as an “age of total narrative,” storytelling plays an increasingly central role in public discourse, professional practice, and everyday life. Yet, systematic exchanges between research on narratives and applied narrative practices remain surprisingly limited. This workshop addresses this gap by examining how narratives operate in real-world settings: how they persuade, mobilize, include and exclude, stabilize identities, and shape ethical judgments across domains such as healthcare, management, organizational consultancy, environmental activism, education, and digital media. Positioning itself within the rapidly expanding field of applied narratology (the study of narratives), the workshop introduces an ethical applied narratology that foregrounds questions of responsibility, power, and consequence. It treats storytelling not as a neutral tool but as a culturally and politically charged resource whose use demands critical reflection. Participants will be invited to reflect on how narrative practices can be designed, evaluated, and intervened in to foster greater justice, reflexivity, and sustainability. To this end, the workshop deliberately moves beyond narratology’s traditional focus on literary texts and abstract models while retaining the field’s critical orientation toward narrative as a formative social and ethical force.
- Information for Participants
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All summer school participants are expected to attend the workshop during all four days. During this time, the GCSC will cover daily lunches, coffee breaks, and a final dinner. Travel and accommodation costs are covered by the participants.
Workshop Fee and Funding Options
The workshop fee for external participants is €250,-. The fee is reduced to €100,- for members of our network partners: PhDnet "Literary and Cultural Studies", ESSCS and TransHumanities, as well as the Universities of Tampere, Groningen, Wrocław, JLU Giessen, and Colombia University.We have created a solidarity fund for early career researchers who do not have any support from their institution, a research grant, or other funding awards to attend our conference. Those participants can apply informally via email for a workshop fee waiver. Applicants should confirm that they have no access to other funding opportunities or indicate whether they will get any financial support from a third party (and how much).
- Schedule
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March 10, 2026 – deadline for sending paper proposals
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April, 2026 – notification as to whether you have been accepted
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June, 2026 – publication of the summer workshop programme
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July 20-23, 2026 – the workshop takes place
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- Contact