Synthetic polymeric materials and their precursors comprising moulding materials (plastics), rubbers, fibres, lacquers and adhesives, generate quite different feelings and opinions from their first onset. On the one hand, since their emergence, especially in World War I, they were often recognised as cheap mass products, partially replacing valuable or rare materials ('Ersatzstoffe'). On the other hand, they took over already from the beginning their fundamental role as promoters of most important technical developments such as e. g. the electrical industry. Without the new fantastic materials, the modern civilising and social progress of mankind would not have been possible. Between these fixed-points, no other group of substances has been provoked such strong emotions of refusal and approval, hate and love as synthetic polymeric materials.
Today, synthetic plastics (moulding materials), rubbers, fibres, lacquers and adhesives are ubiquitous. Their effect on consumer societies is linked with the technical progress but also with increasing environmental impacts. Plastics in all its variations play a tremendous role in our daily consumer life, in high-tech developments but also in environmental situations, all causing strong emotions.
How people are socially connected with synthetic polymeric materials? And why do they respond in such different perceptions?
In this panel, we intend to explore different point of views of the relationship between society and those synthetic materials.
We welcome proposals for papers which may concern with, but are not limited to:
illustrating the historic development of social 'attraction' and 'repulsion' of synthetic polymeric materials and precursors,
analysing the role of plastics in consumer societies,
discussing consumer's product choices in a historical perspective,
investigating the circumstances of creating emotional effects on these materials and vice-versa,
investigating how emotions configurate narratives and discussions on synthetic polymeric materials.
Please send your abstract of up to 300 words and one page CV until 1 February 2018 to:

Maria Elvira Callapez, CIUHCT- Faculdade Ciências Universidade Lisboa, (mariaelviracallapez@gmail.com),
Guenter Lattermann, German Society for Plastics History, (guenter.lattermann@uni-bayreuth.de), and
Stefan Poser, Helmut Schmidt Universitaet, Hamburg, (poser@hsu-hh.de).

For more information and to register for the conference, please see:
http://icohtec.org/annual-meeting-2018.html