CFP: Social Media Technology Conference & Workshop

CFP: Social Media Technology Conference & Workshop
October 6-7, 2016
Howard University Washington, D.C.
http://socialmediatechnologyconference.com/
@smtechconf

Social Media and Voices in the Margins
The 6th Annual Social Media Technology Conference & Workshop is a two-day
intensive conference combining panel discussions, posters sessions and
hands-on workshops designed to enlighten attendees about new scholarship,
professional practices and pedagogical approaches to teaching. This year’s
theme focuses on dissecting how power and difference force or provide an
opportunity for social media to be used by those who may be considered
marginalized in U.S. society or within other countries. The goal is to
bring scholars and professionals together to share their perspectives on
how social media are utilized by various individuals, groups, cultures or
organizations to bring their voice, influence and impact on societies.
Interested individuals can send in papers, workshop themes, panels and
poster proposals that address a myriad of topics, including, but not
limited to, the following:

• Social media and Congregation
• Social media and Geographies
• Social media and Acts of Violence
• Social media and Racism
• Social media and Sexism
• Social media and the LGBTQIA Community
• Social media and Inner City Youth
• Social media and Police Violence
• Social media and #BlackLivesMatter
• Social media and the Educationally and/or Economically Disadvantaged
• Social media and Diverse Media Messaging
• Social media and Theology
• Social media and Lifestyles
• Social media and Ageism
• Social Media and the Global South
• Social Media and Intersectionality

Paper and Poster Submissions
Respondents should submit a 3-5 page proposal that includes an overview of
the study as well as research design that includes brief review of the
literature and methodology. All respondents in this category should clearly
identify the submission type on their proposal and send the proposal
through EasyChair by June 30, 2016 at the following site:
https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=smtc2016. In addition to the
proposal, a file should be uploaded with a 100-word abstract of the
proposed paper or poster as well as a 100-word biography for each author.
Presenters will be notified by mid-July of the status of their submissions
and should register to attend the conference by September 1, 2016.

Panel Submissions
Respondents should submit a 3-5 page proposal addressing the purpose of the
panel and specific issue(s) to be covered. The proposal should include a
list of the confirmed guests or those who will be solicited for the panel
as well as their brief biographies. All respondents in this category should
send the proposal through EasyChair by June 30, 2016 at the following site:
https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=smtc2016. In addition to the
proposal, a file should be uploaded with a 100-word description of the
proposed panel as well as a 100-word biography for each presenter.
Presenters will be notified by mid-July of the status of their acceptance
and should register to attend the conference by September 1, 2016.

Workshop Submissions
Respondents should submit a 3-5 page proposal addressing the purpose of the
workshop, details about the technology, social media trend or tool to be
explored and what attendees will gain from attending it. Workshops are
scheduled for 90 minutes, so content should be sufficient enough to fill
the timeslot. If applicable, the proposal should include a list of the
confirmed guests or those who will be solicited for the workshops as well
as their brief biographies. All respondents in this category should send
the proposal through EasyChair by June 30, 2016 at the following site:
https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=smtc2016. In addition to the
proposal, a file should be uploaded with a 100-word description of the
proposed workshop as well as a 100-word biography accompanied by a
photograph for each workshop presenter. Presenters will be notified by
mid-July of the status of their acceptance and should register to attend
the conference by September 1, 2016.

Cost
The registration fee for the two-day conference is $125. Students pay the
reduced rate of $60. All presenters, attendees and workshop participants
are required to pay the conference fee.

Contacts
Dr. Michael Austin
Howard University
michael.austin@howard.edu

Professor Ingrid Sturgis
Howard University
isturgis@howard.edu

Dr. Kehbuma Langmia
Howard University
klangmia@howard.edu

Dr. Tia C. M. Tyree
Howard University
ttyree@howard.edu

Steve Jones Internet Research Lecture features Leopoldina Fortunati

Steve Jones Internet Research Lecture features Leopoldina Fortunati

Hilton Fukuoka Sea Hawk

June 14, 2016

Fukuoka, Japan

The 2016 Steve Jones Internet Research Lecture features Leopoldina Fortunati (University of Udine, Italy), at 12 pm, on June 14, 2016, in Hilton Fukuoka Sea Hawk, International Communication Association’s 66^th Annual Conference, in Fukuoka, Japan.

The title of Fortunati’s lecture is “Feminism, labor and the mechanization of everyday life.”  In the lecture, Fortunati will adopt a political economy approach to examine the issue of machines diffusion in everyday life, which connects machines with labor, value production and struggles/resistance, especially by women, against the present organization and division of labor.

Fortunati will address the social and political role of machines in society, as well as social robots, which can be considered in many ways the next new media. Some social robots built in recent years in many laboratories are ready to be launched on the market and more generally placed in society. But the conceptual tools to handle this last mile to go still need to be fully developed. When an object of such technological complexity and with such rhetorical power, like robots are, is no longer used only by niches of innovators or users (such as autistic) but is proposed as a good of mass consumption, a series of problems, new themes and strategies comes into the spotlight.

This event is co-sponsored by the Carl Couch Center for Social and Internet Research (www.cccsir.com), University of Illinois, Chicago, and the International Communication Association.  For more information about this event, please contact Shing-Ling Sarina Chen, sarina.chen@uni.edu.