CFP: Chapters for the edited volume From Here to Ubiquity:
Critical and International Perspectives on Mobile and Ubiquitous Media
What do we mean when we say we live in a world of
“ubiquitous media”? The term has been deployed to characterize platforms such
as television, social media, and mobile media; systems such as algorithms,
apps, and augmented reality; concepts such as commerce and surveillance, and
issues such as privacy, politics, and neocolonialism. Phrases like IoE (the
“Internet of Everything”) are increasingly mentioned in academic and the
popular press and framed as an inevitability. Universities have laboratories
dedicated to the study of ubiquitous media, and marketing companies
aggressively tout their ability to target consumers through a ubiquitous media
presence (including one company simply called “Ubiquitous Media” which
“specializes in targeting consumers throughout their daily routine”).
In short, the phrase “ubiquitous media” is, well, ubiquitous. There is little discussion, however, of what the term “ubiquitous media” actually means. Indeed, individual definitions of “ubiquitous media” are often assumed to be just a ubiquitous as media themselves and, as a result, there is no large-scale theoretical framework through which we can understand the term.
With this in mind, we welcome the submissions of chapter proposals for the edited volume From Here to Ubiquity: Critical and International Perspectives on Mobile and Ubiquitous Media. The purpose of this edited collection is to try to develop a clearer definition of, and theoretical grounding for, ubiquitous media by assembling a collection of chapters by established experts and emerging scholars from around the world. Chapters should critically and creatively interrogate “ubiquitous media” in the hopes of developing an overarching understanding of the meaning, processes, and ramifications of the term.
In short, the phrase “ubiquitous media” is, well, ubiquitous. There is little discussion, however, of what the term “ubiquitous media” actually means. Indeed, individual definitions of “ubiquitous media” are often assumed to be just a ubiquitous as media themselves and, as a result, there is no large-scale theoretical framework through which we can understand the term.
With this in mind, we welcome the submissions of chapter proposals for the edited volume From Here to Ubiquity: Critical and International Perspectives on Mobile and Ubiquitous Media. The purpose of this edited collection is to try to develop a clearer definition of, and theoretical grounding for, ubiquitous media by assembling a collection of chapters by established experts and emerging scholars from around the world. Chapters should critically and creatively interrogate “ubiquitous media” in the hopes of developing an overarching understanding of the meaning, processes, and ramifications of the term.
A portion of this volume will be dedicated to a specific
exploration of mobile technologies as a key precursor – if not central element
– of a ubiquitous media environment. This could include past and current mobile
technologies, from pagers to PDAs, and cell phones to modern smartphones and
wearables, provided they contribute to an understanding of ubiquitous media as
both a technical and discursive reality for individuals around the world. Representing
global perspectives is also central objective of this volume. An international
perspective is important to the development of a comprehensive understanding of
what “ubiquitous media” means and the prospectively heterogeneous implications
of this development.
Possible approaches/frameworks for these investigations
include:
- Theories of ubiquitous media
- Mediatisation
- Political economy
- Space, place and time
- User-experience design
- Business models and start-up culture
- Financial/transactional data and services
- App-centric media
- Digital labour and work-life balance
- Surveillance
- Ubiquitous media and digital literacy
- Ubiquitous media and narratives
- Coding and platforms
No matter the approach, a critical and theoretical focus is
key. Together, these works will offer a spectrum of perspectives on ubiquitous
media.
Abstracts of 300-350 words (for chapters of approximately
8,000 words) should be emailed to co-editors Dr. Michael S. Daubs at michael.daubs@vuw.ac.nz and Dr. Vince
Manzerolle at vmanzero@uwindsor.ca by 1
April 2016. Chapters selected for publication will be notified by 30 April
2016, with full chapter drafts due by 30 August 2016.
