A call for engaged theorising has a long history, however it seems as timely and needed today as ever, particularly in psychology. It asserts that theorising is not held aside from or even in opposition to the real world – it is because we hold the world and people, their complexity, institutions, cultures, and power seriously that we need to theorise. Theorising is inclusive, it requires dedication and time, and it is always a dialogical endeavour. Whether we theorise alone or with others, through our encounters with the authors of the past, other persons, or the world to which we belong or we imagine as a possible future. It is therefore our communal and collaborative interaction with and for the world, whether as critique, reconstruction, creation, or as an integrative account. Even more, as the world has been enflamed and seems to lose its mind, theorising is more than ever an ethical demand. Good theory is an inevitable tool for engaging in the world and contributing to individuals and communities in navigating complex environments and potential futures. The beauty of theorising is that it transcends national, historical, social, and linguistic barriers while simultaneously serving as a tool for their critical examination, provided that it is respectful, honest, transparent, dialogical, and reflexive. Theory done in an engaged way creates a shift in thinking and practice that can direct social and personal transformation.

We invite scholars from around the world and belonging to different theoretical and critical traditions in psychology and beyond to join us in presence for the 20th ISTP conference, which will take place at the University of Belgrade, Serbia, May 20–24, 2024 — our first in-person meeting since Copenhagen in 2019! We, therefore, invite communication and discussion that bring back to the fore the vital, engaged, dialogical nature of the exercise of theorising as well as its historical, institutional, ethical, or societal implications.

We welcome symposia submissions, round tables, oral presentations, posters, or any other format you will see as fitting to convey your ideas about theory as engagement.

Submissions deadline: before September 30th, 2023

For additional information and updates on the conference, please visit the ISTP 2024 conference website.

For more information on submission types and guidelines, visit the Submission section.