The Human Condition in Contemporaneity

The contemporary context imposes new demands on the Human and Social Sciences, which can and should contribute to the renewal of analysis and the reconstruction of the category of the human and its condition in the present era. This context includes scientific advancements and technological development, new relationships and configurations between humans and machines, neoliberal economics in global capitalism—which encompasses climate and environmental issues, migration, and mobility—new cultural forms and the preservation of traditional communities, inter- and intra-generational, ethno-racial, and gender differences, education, art, and popular cultures, inequalities stemming from centuries-old exploitation, engagement with new forms of communication, among many other aspects.

All these factors challenge the concept of the human, as well as the explanation and interpretation of its condition as we know it. The changes in historical and social conditions that support our existence have affected the way we understand ourselves, the way our social and cultural representations are formed, and our modes of political participation and activism, and have also profoundly altered our research and teaching practices, along with the educational processes involved. It is therefore necessary to analyze the condition of contemporary subjects and how they relate to ongoing transformations.

It is crucial to examine and understand how society, in its constant and contradictory changes, perpetuates and generates inequalities, and highlights or reaffirms differences—an analysis that can only be effectively conducted through an interdisciplinary understanding of these phenomena.

This study area will thus be dedicated to studying the social, cultural, political, economic, and environmental aspects of contemporary times, considering not only the specific issues related to individual agency and social organization but also the theoretical debate on the human condition within these new configurations. The goal is to comprehend these phenomena in a broader way than what is traditionally provided by disciplinary approaches. Consequently, the study of the structure of contemporary societies and its implications for humanity is of fundamental relevance to this field.