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Editorial Staff / Th+Initiative
editorial@thplusinitiative.com
Theory, Epistemology, and Critical Methodology: Rethinking the Foundations of Knowledge in the 21st Century
In a global landscape marked by profound social, technological, and ecological transformations, critical reflection on the foundations of knowledge has become indispensable. Scientific production can no longer be understood as a neutral process, nor as one devoid of normative implications: every theory implies a specific way of relating to the world, just as every methodology configures what can be observed, understood, or excluded. In this context, it is urgent to question the philosophical, epistemological, and ethical assumptions that underpin our research practices.
This thematic area calls for investigations that explore new ways of conceptualizing theory, knowledge validation, and methodological design through critical, interdisciplinary perspectives open to the plurality of knowledge systems. We especially encourage work that challenges the limits of the modern scientific paradigm—with its emphasis on objectivity, neutrality, and universality—and proposes alternatives that recognize the historical, situated, and relational character of knowledge. Here, epistemology is not treated as an abstract reflection but as a key tool for rethinking how we produce, value, and disseminate knowledge in societies shaped by deep cognitive and cultural inequalities (...)
Editorial Staff / Th+Initiative
editorial@thplusinitiative.com
Applied Sciences for Social Transformation: Technology, Knowledge, and Justice in Action
Applied sciences today hold a strategic place in the reconfiguration of social structures—not only because of their capacity to address concrete problems, but also for their potential to transform the living conditions of diverse communities in highly complex environments. In this sense, their role cannot be reduced to the technical resolution of pre-defined challenges; rather, they must engage in dialogue with social values, collective aspirations, and the normative tensions that shape the public sphere.
From this perspective, applied sciences should be understood as epistemic and technological practices guided by public purposes and criteria of social legitimacy. Whether in fields such as public health, education, urban planning, or space exploration, applied knowledge becomes a key tool for imagining and materializing more just, inclusive, and sustainable futures. However, this transformative potential is only fully activated when scientific developments are mediated by deliberative processes, robust ethical frameworks, and mechanisms of social validation that acknowledge the plurality of knowledge systems and lived experiences involved.
Editorial Staff / Th+Initiative
editorial@thplusinitiative.com
Economy, Finance, and Social Innovation: Toward New Architectures of Development and Cohesion
In the current configuration of socioeconomic systems, the economy can no longer be understood merely as an autonomous sphere governed by neutral technical laws or by an instrumental rationality oriented toward growth. On the contrary, it has become imperative to critically examine the frameworks that organize production, distribution, and access to resources, interrogating their foundational assumptions in light of growing inequalities, the concentration of economic power, and the ecological limits of the dominant development model.
This thematic area proposes a critical reading of the economy as a normative and institutional dispositif that structures differential access to goods, services, and opportunities. Far from being reducible to a purely functionalist logic, economic analysis must integrate principles of sustainability, structural equity, and social resilience, taking into account long-term impacts on the reproduction of life, the cohesion of community bonds, and the guarantee of minimum material conditions for a dignified existence.
Editorial Staff / Th+Initiative
editorial@thplusinitiative.com
Governance, Public Policy, and Global Justice: Reconfiguring Power in an Interdependent World
The political and social transformations shaping the contemporary landscape—both nationally and transnationally—have brought traditional forms of state organization into crisis, raising questions about their legitimacy, effectiveness, and representational capacity. The increasing complexity of public challenges—from climate change and forced displacement to structural inequality and the digitalization of public administration—demands a critical reassessment of the normative, institutional, and procedural frameworks guiding both national and supranational action. Governance can no longer be understood solely as a function of the nation-state; it has become a contested field where multiple actors, scales, and rationalities converge.
This shift compels us to reconsider the very notion of the public and the mechanisms mediating between power and citizenship. Contemporary governance involves a plurality of institutions and networks that extend beyond the state apparatus, shaping how policies are formulated, implemented, and evaluated. Public policy, therefore, should not be analyzed solely in technical or functional terms, but as a space of deliberation, conflict, and recognition, where visions of the common good, social priorities, and modes of inclusion and exclusion are negotiated.
Editorial Staff / Th+Initiative
editorial@thplusinitiative.com
Sustainability and Climate Change: Toward and Ecology of the Future
In contemporary society, environmental stewardship and climate change are pivotal for understanding the transformations defining our era. These issues extend beyond their ecological scope, intersecting with the ethical, political, and economic foundations of our ways of life. Increasing pressure on ecosystems, the unequal distribution of ecological impacts, and the urgent need to rethink development models compel us to envision new frameworks for society-nature relationships. These frameworks should prioritize not only efficiency but also equity, responsibility, and care.
This perspective requires moving beyond dichotomies that separate culture from environment or instrumental reason from ecological wisdom (understood as a holistic approach to human-nature interactions). Sustainable development cannot be reduced to a balance of technical variables. Instead, it should be seen as a guiding vision that demands collective deliberation, intergenerational justice, and openness to diverse knowledge systems. Discussions on energy transitions, circular economies, and environmental policies must integrate technical feasibility with democratic participation, recognition of affected communities, and equitable sharing of responsibilities and benefits.
Editorial Staff / Th+Initiative
editorial@thplusinitiative.com
Technological Innovation and Society: Toward a Critical Understanding of Digital Transformation
In the contemporary landscape, technological innovations are not merely introducing new functional tools into social life; rather, they act as vectors of structural transformation that deeply affect institutional organization, normative frameworks, and everyday practices. The rise of technologies such as artificial intelligence, algorithmic automation, big data, and digital infrastructures presents unprecedented challenges for critically analyzing social life—particularly with regard to the redistribution of power, the transformation of individual and collective agency, and the redefinition of citizenship, participation, and autonomy.
Understanding these processes requires recognizing that technology is neither neutral nor detached from social conflict. Digital platforms, algorithmic surveillance systems, and data infrastructures generate new regimes of visibility, exclusion, and control, while also enabling novel forms of communication, collective action, and knowledge production. Within this context, it becomes essential to examine how these technologies shape the conditions of possibility for social action, and what principles should guide their design, implementation, and regulation in pursuit of effective digital justice.
Editorial Staff / Th+Initiative
editorial@thplusinitiative.com
Social and Cultural Transformations as a Critical Axis of the Academic Agenda for the 21st Century
In contemporary society, social and cultural transformations constitute a critical field of inquiry for understanding the processes that shape the evolution of our societies. In a world defined by rapid change, fragmented discourses, and an increasing diversity of actors and meanings, it is essential to examine the conditions under which collective life, social identities, and the norms governing coexistence are rearticulated.
To engage with these processes, we must recognize that social change extends beyond material or institutional structures to include the symbolic and communicative frameworks that form the social fabric. From this perspective, cultural transformations are dialogical and often contentious, driven by intersubjectivity—the capacity of individuals to engage in mutual recognition through dialogue, negotiation, and struggles over meaning. The emergence of new normative frameworks, frequently in tension with established traditions, underscores the complex and contested nature of these changes.
Editorial Staff / Th+Initiative
editorial@thplusinitiative.com