ISTP 2026 Conference – “Theorizing in Dark Times – Art, Narrative, Politics”

On June 8–12, 2026, the International Society for Theoretical Psychology (ISTP), will host its 2026 conference at Pratt Institute’s Brooklyn Campus, which is located on Lenapehoking, the traditional and unceded homeland of the Lenape people, past, present, and future.

The conference theme “Theorizing in Dark Times – Art, Narrative, Politics” invites scholars, artists, and practitioners to critically reflect on the ways in which theory operates not only as an intellectual tool but as a form of political engagement.

At the heart of the conference lies the question: What is the role of theory in dark times? Theoretical psychology has long sought to understand the human condition, yet in moments of global crisis, theory itself becomes a site of political resistance. The conference will examine how theory functions as a political force, shaping narratives of power, ideology, and agency. It will address the political implications of psychological theory, asking how psychological concepts, often regarded as neutral or apolitical, become entangled with broader social and political dynamics.

The conference will also provide the room to explore how the arts, through their ability to create alternative narratives and question existing power structures, play a pivotal role in advancing theoretical inquiry in times of crisis. Art, in this context, is not merely reflective; it is transformative, offering new ways to theorize human experience and political realities.

We warmly invite scholars from theoretical psychology and neighboring disciplines—philosophy, sociology, anthropology, literature, the arts, and beyond—to submit their contributions and join us at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, from June 8 to June 12, 2026. Whether through theoretical reflection, conceptual analyses, or creative interventions, we seek diverse perspectives that critically engage with the conference theme. Contributions beyond the conference theme are also welcome.

Deadline: October 1, 2025.

Submission Formats

• Paper Presentation: 30 minutes, including discussion.
• Symposium: Symposia combine the contributions of three or four presenters. 
• Pitch an Idea: 15 minutes including discussion (novel idea, project or initiative, work in progress, etc.)

Abstracts should be around 250 words.

Keynote Speakers

Roger Frie 

Dr. Frie’s scholarship reflects his interdisciplinary interests. He has written numerous books, articles and chapters. His area of focus is historical trauma, cultural memory and moral responsibility related to mass racial violence, genocide and the Holocaust. He has also written extensively on such themes as human interaction, psychoanalysis and social theory. He is invited to give lectures and hold workshops nationally and internationally for professional and general audiences alike. He speaks frequently in Germany, Austria, England, France, Japan and the United States.

Alexandra Rutherford

Dr. Rutherford uses critical historical and qualitative approaches to analyze the development and contemporary status of the human sciences. She is interested in how psychologists have used their scientific ‘expertise’ to impact society and how, in turn, social and political factors have shaped the nature of this expertise and its influence. In her current project, she examines the relationship between feminist psychology and policy in the United States from the 1940s-present.

Robert Beshara

Dr. Beshara is an artist first and a scholar second, so in a sense, his thinking as a scholar is grounded in being an artist. As such, while his terminal degrees are in film & psychology, he creatively draws from a variety of fields in his scholarship in a transdisciplinary fashion. He has expertise in psychoanalysis, decoloniality, terrorism studies, Islamophobia studies, discourse analysis, and film/media studies. His research praxis is based on a commitment to human scientific approaches, which include radical qualitative research methods, critical theory, and world philosophy & history.

Pita King

Dr King is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Psychology at Massey University, Aotearoa New Zealand. He descends from the Māori (Indigenous people of New Zealand) tribes of Te Rarawa and Ngāpuhi, as well as England and Scotland. His academic training has been in analytic philosophy, and community and indigenous psychologies, and maintains a research focus on issues of urban poverty, social inequalities, gift economies, indigenous philosophies, and theoretical psychology.

Registration Opens September 2025

Registration Fees:  Regular $630/ISTP Member $570/Reduced $310

Pratt Institute provides affordable accommodations: Single: $135 first night, $65 each additional night/Full conference stay $510/ Double accommodation: $125 first night, $55 each additional night/Full conference stay $400.

 Contact: istp-2026@pratt.edu