The Bag

“If, however, one avoids the linear, progressive, Time’s-(killing)- arrow mode of the Techno-Heroic, and redefines technology and science as primarily cultural carrier bag rather than weapon of domination, one pleasant side effect is that science fiction can be seen as a far less rigid, narrow field, not necessarily Promethean or apocalyptic at all, and in fact less a mythological genre than a realistic one.”
- Ursula K. Le Guin in The Carrier Bag Theory of Fiction (1986)

In her essay “The Carrier Bag Theory of Fiction” Ursula Le Guin critiques the dominant mode of how science fiction stories are told as heroic killing stories neglecting the mundane aspects of life stories. We use Le Guins analysis of science fiction literature as a starting point, inspiration, and analytical lens for our workshop, which seeks to bring together researchers who are interested in the narratives that shape human-centred computing research. Thereby, we aim to enable participants to critically reflect on their current research practices and how they are shaped by dominant narratives of their field.

TEAM

Viktoria Horn (University of Kassel, contact me
Lea Stöter (University of Kassel)
Lisa Marie Bläsing (University of Kassel
Konstantin Lackner (University of Kassel)
Goda Klumbyte (University of Kassel, Paris Lodron University Salzburg)
Claude Draude (University of Kassel)

Where & When

Date: Saturday, 3rd of October, 9:30-17:30 (Full Day)
Venue: Academill building, Åbo Akademi University, Vaasa Campus, Vaasa
Address: Åbo Akademi University, Rantakatu 2, 65100 Vaasa
Exact room to be updated in September

Agenda

Time Activity
09.30 – 10.15 Arrival, welcome and introductions
10.15 – 11.00 Session 1: Input narrative analysis and Carrier Bag Theory of Fiction
11.00 – 11.30 Morning coffee break
11.30 – 13.00 Session 2: Group work – collective narrative analysis and presentations
13.00 – 14.00 Lunch break
14.00 – 15.30 Session 3: Shifting narratives through critical fabulation and speculative design
15.30 – 16.00 Afternoon coffee break
16.00 – 16.15 Personal reflection exercise
16.15 – 17.15 Group discussion on commonalities, challenges and further steps
17.15 – 17.30 Workshop wrap-up
* tentative, to be adjusted according to official break times

Join

NordiCHI WS "Shifting Stories of Human-Centred Computing Research" – Call for Participation

In their essay "The Carrier Bag Theory of Fiction", Ursula K. Le Guin (1986) critiques how stories of science fiction and technology are predominantly told as stories of heroic undertakings, not as stories about everyday life, advocating to shift our focus to the mundane and worldly aspects of life.

Based on Le Guin's call for more stories of everyday life, we invite participants to engage with their own research and their discipline through the lens of The Carrier Bag Theory of Fiction. By focusing on the narrative aspects of HCI research practices we won't merely look at the presentation of research results but also on how general narratives inform the design of technology and how research is approached, as well as problem definitions and technology development in general. This means mapping story aspects of computing narratives and related concepts to ask what assumptions, socio-technical implications, and material consequences they bring with them.

Drawing on methods from critical fabulation and speculative design, we aim to enable participants to critically reflect on their current research practices and how they are shaped by dominant narratives of their field, and collectively work on shifting perspectives on participants' own research, speculating on how else their stories could be told. The workshop contains a mixture of input, narrative analysis, reflection, and speculative design activities.

Participants are asked to prepare for the workshop in the following ways:

We call on potential participants to share a short position paper (1000–1500 words) to engage with their research and disciplinary positioning through a story-telling perspective. Participants should reflect on the narratives involved in their research, and on the dominant narrative lines that shape their specific field of study, method or technology in question. Overall, the position paper should address the following questions:

  1. What are dominant or recurring narrative positions, elements, or lines that you encounter during your engagement with the field? How is your technology artifact repeatedly presented in your field? In your research but also in research of others?
  2. What motivates you to engage with the narrative aspects of your research? How do narratives influence your research and shape how you approach your research?
  3. What would you like to be done differently? Where do you see narrative aspects that can be improved, e.g. the way a certain perspective is presented?

We want to specifically encourage early-career researchers with an interest in addressing computing from a post-disciplinary perspective, who want to re-assess their research endeavours from a narrative perspective, to participate in this workshop. Still, this call for participation is open to all HCI researchers interested in the stories surrounding their own work and technology in general.

Position papers should be submitted via EMAIL until 26.07.2026 AoE. The organising team will lightly review the position papers and choose participants based on their motivation for applying, as well as the fit of their research interests as laid out in the position paper and reflection. Potential participants will be notified by 07.08.2026 AoE.

Please note that the position papers function as personal reflection and selection modality and will not be published.

Important Dates:
Deadline for Position Papers: 26.07.2026 AoE
Notification of Acceptance: 07.08.2026 AoE
Early Bird Registration NordiCHI 2026: 14.08.2026 (tentative)
Workshop scheduled: Saturday, 03.10.2026, 9:30-17:30