CfP: Cultural Studies and the Research of Toys, Games and Gambling @ the 14th International Crossroads in Cultural Studies Conference, 27th to 31st July 2026, Belo Horizonte, Brasil
from July 27th to 31th 2026, Belo Horizonte, Brasil
Hosted by
Hosted by the Programa de Pós-Graduação Interdisciplinar em Estudos do Lazer
Escola de Educação Física, Fisioterapia e Terapia Ocupacional
UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DE MINAS GERAIS
Submission Deadline: 10th December 2025
– Apologies for cross posting –
Cultural Studies and the Research of Toys, Games and Gambling
Proposals are invited for PRESENTATIONS at the 14th International Crossroads in Cultural Studies Conference in Belo Horizonte, Brasil https://crossroads2026.com/en/.
Session: Cultural Studies and the Research of Toys, Games and Gambling
The organizers welcome proposals addressing all aspects of toy, game, and gambling studies, including both analogue and digital gaming, gaming culture, and game studies. All theoretical and methodological approaches connected to Cultural Studies are encouraged.
Possible topics include, but are not limited to:
– The connection between toys, games and gambling
– The relationship between cultural studies and (analog, hybrid and digital) games
– Identity construction, representation of race, class, gender and sexuality in games
– Gaming culture, culture industries and game communities
– The role and future of live action games (e.g. live action role playing games or escape room games)
– Ideologies in toy development, game design or production
– Ethics in game development or gambling companies e. g. loot boxes
– Game advertising and marketing
– Regulation, youth protection, censorship and intellectual property
– Toy or game analysis
– Serious games/persuasive games/games for change
– The power of gambling companies
– Research methods
– Appropriation processes
– …
Please also have a look at the suggested thematic axes for the conference:
The congress is open to all topics relevant to cultural studies. The axes below are suggestions based on the central theme and contributions from invited speakers:
1 – Decolonial Studies and Global South
– Investigates epistemologies of the Global South that question colonial knowledge structures. Analyzes ancestral knowledge, non-Western cosmologies, and decolonial experiences. Aims to build theoretical-methodological alternatives that challenge the Eurocentric paradigm.
2 – Bodies, Gender and Sexuality
– Examines political dimensions of bodies and construction of gender and sexuality identities. Analyzes corporalities as territories of resistance, exploring intersections between gender, race, and class. Focuses on dissident experiences and decolonial feminisms.
3 – Territories and Spatialities
– Analyzes relationships between culture, power, and territory, investigating how spaces are produced and disputed. Examines urban/rural territorialities and spatialities. Focuses on borders, migrations, and everyday cultural geographies.
4 – Leisure, Culture and Daily Life
– Investigates everyday cultural practices as spaces of resistance and social transformation. Analyzes leisure, popular manifestations, and sports as territories of identity affirmation. Examines popular cultures and tourism. Aims to value everyday cultures and leisure policies as fundamental rights.
5 – Performances and Arts
– Explores artistic practices as research methodologies and knowledge. Analyzes theater, dance, music, and visual arts as counter-hegemonic languages. Focuses on urban interventions and community practices. Understands arts as transformation tools and methodologies of sensitive knowledge.
6 – Universities and Knowledge Production
– Analyzes the role of public universities in democratizing knowledge. Examines extension, internationalization, and decolonial pedagogies. Focuses on academic cooperation and university-community integration. Aims to develop democratic university models that value diversity of knowledge.
7 – Media, Technologies and Digital Culture
– Investigates cultural transformations promoted by digital technologies. Analyzes media representations, digital activism, and cultural democratization. Examines digital culture in identity production and virtual communities. Aims for critical understanding of technologies and emancipatory digital literacies.
8 – Race, Ethnicity and Cultural Difference
– Analyzes ethnic-racial dynamics and construction of cultural differences. Examines Afro-diasporic cultures, indigenous rights, and multicultural policies. Focuses on resistance strategies that challenge structural racism. Aims for anti-racist policies and valorization of ethnic-racial diversity.
9 – Cultural Policies and Citizenship
– Examines relationships between culture, rights, and citizenship through public policies. Analyzes creative economy, cultural industries, and cultural rights. Aims to strengthen policies that expand access and value cultural diversity.
10 – Education and Cultural Studies
– Investigates cultural pedagogies and educational practices as spaces for meaning production and contestation. Analyzes curricula, teacher education, and identities within basic education contexts. Examines popular education movements and community pedagogical experiences. Aims to understand education as a privileged territory for the development of cultural studies.
11 – Emerging Perspectives in Cultural Studies
– Explores new theoretical and methodological approaches in contemporary cultural studies. Analyzes interdisciplinary interfaces, emerging research objects, and methodological experimentations. Examines contemporary trends in the field and dialogues with other areas of knowledge. Aims to map future horizons and epistemological transformations of cultural studies in the 21st century.
ALL PROPOSALS ARE WELCOME!
– Please send an abstract of maximum of 200 words to Markus Wiemker markus.wiemker@hs-fresenius.de till 10th December 2025 –
Also, the following information is required:
• Personal information (name, institution, email)
• Presentation title (in Portuguese and English)
• Individual presentation abstract (150-200 words in Portuguese and English)
• Justification and relevance to cultural studies (maximum 300 words in Portuguese and English)
• Mini curriculum vitae (maximum 150 words in Portuguese and English)
Prof. Markus Wiemker
Game Design & Management (B. A.)
markus.wiemker@hs-fresenius.de
HOCHSCHULEN FRESENIUS GMBH
Im MediaPark 4c · 50670 Köln, Germany
www.hs-fresenius.de
www.wiemker.org
Game Design & Game Studies