At a time when acts of overt political aggression and excessive use of force by state actors dominate global media discourse and public debate, the more insidious forms of violence that unfold gradually and subtly often remain unacknowledged. How can we understand, observe and theorize these forms of violence? And how are they related to the more spectacular forms of direct violence that dominate public discourse? The concept of ‘slow violence’ provides one possible interdisciplinary framework for observing and examining these more subtle dynamics of harm. It disrupts traditional notions of violence and draws attention to how structural inequalities produce profound yet unrecognized suffering over extended periods.
Building on this conceptual opening, the TraCe annual conference ‘Beyond the Spectacle: Interdisciplinary Approaches to Slow Violence and Political Harm’ from November 19 until 21, 2025 in Marburg, aims to expand research on violence and its transformation. We invite scholars from all disciplinary backgrounds who aim to complicate conventional theories of political violence by foregrounding its intersections with time, space and power, bringing together innovative approaches for addressing challenges of visibility, representation, justice and accountability in local and transnational contexts. We therefore call for abstracts on 'slow violence', 'political harm' and related concepts that critically engage with the concept or take it further.
The Call for Abstracts is available for download (PDF).
The official language of the conference will be English. The conference is organized by Felix Anderl, Kristine Andra Avram, Thorsten Bonacker, Anika Oettler, and Mariel Reiss (all Center for Conflict Studies, Philipps University Marburg).