In the last year, the lives of everyone on the planet have undergone drastic changes. Some have occurred as a result of the measures imposed to curb the pandemic. However, most of them have their origin in processes and dynamics that were already underway long before the virus appeared in Wuhan. At the Summer University we intend to reflect on the nature and extent of these changes. For this reason, we want to invite experts in different areas of reality to use a kaleidoscopic view to investigate the polymorphic patterns projected by these changes, as well as the hidden mechanisms that activate them.

Changes, not only climatic, that affect cities and the rural world, surveillance, citizen and health control, leisure, consumption, tourism, international relations, education, health, the relationship between species, ecosystems, the food model, work, the economy and finances. But which have been changes and which have only been promises of change? Are they temporary or permanent changes? Are they changes generated by the new situation or are they long-announced? Are they affecting the different territories in the same way? Are there differences of gender, class, race, ethnicity? Have they been produced by an element external to human beings or anthropogenically? Have we internalised them, obediently, in an uncritical way or have they been a real revolution in our consciences and attitudes? Has the way in which power is exercised changed? Have we moved from governance to governmentality? Do they entail a deprivation of our fundamental rights or are they emancipatory changes?

By means of these questions we propose different axes that help to determine the nature of each change as well as to inspire the reflections of the speakers.

Carme Melo

Director of the CIG-UV