The Digital Everyday: Exploration or Alienation?

The Centre for Digital Culture at King’s College London is hosting its annual conference on Saturday 6th May. This year's theme is The Digital Everyday: Exploration or Alienation?

This international conference aims at exploring the digital everyday, understood as the transformation of everyday life practices brought about by digital technology. From how we buy, walk around, get a cab, love, break up, go to bed, meet new people and sexual partners to the way we rate services, turn on the fridge, exercise, eat, use social media and apps, Big Data is reshaping some of the most basic activities in our lives. We will also explore a number of overarching dynamics and trends in the digital world that contribute to these transformations, including: processes of digital individualisation and aggregation; the elisions of spatial and temporal barriers; trends towards quantification and datafication; and the dialectic between control and alienation.

We will have keynotes by Judy Wajcman, Susanna Paasonen and Taina Bucher and panels on play, self, labour, love, surveillance and place in the digital world. The draft programme is available at http://www.kcl.ac.uk/artshums/ahri/centres/Digicult/CDC-programme-FINAL.pdf.

The conference fee is £15 (£10 for students) and registration is open at http://www.kcl.ac.uk/artshums/ahri/eventrecords/2016-2017/Digicult/The-Digital-Everyday-Exploration-or-Alienation.aspx

CFP: Jeunesse: Young People, Texts, Cultures

Call for Papers – Jeunesse: Young People, Texts, Cultures

Jeunesse: Young People, Texts, Cultures invites essays about any and all aspects of young people’s texts and cultures. While we are especially interested in publishing essays that approach young people’s texts and cultures from an interdisciplinary perspective – cultural studies, for example – we welcome essays that engage such texts and cultures from an historical, philosophical, sociological, geographical, museological, criminal justice, music, arts, literary, film, screen, or media studies perspective. By “texts” we mean everything from picture books to toys, comics, music, video games, and playgrounds.

Topics on which we are particularly keen to explore at this time include:

•  cultural functions and representations of “the child”
• technology and childhood/technologies of childhood
• youth and popular musical cultures and scenes
• diaspora and cultural memory
• girls, girlhood, and girls’ cultures
• discourses of childhood and youth in films for, about, and by young peopleyouthful activities queering heteronormative and homonormative ways of being
• youth cultures challenging notions of legality

The deadline for submissions is July 1, 2017.

Inquiries may be directed to Larissa Wodtke, Managing Editor: l.wodtke@uwinnipeg.ca

Further information about submission guidelines is available at: http://www.jeunessejournal.ca

CFP: #SCREENTIMEBU: Fake News, Real Emotion, and The Mediated Self

#SCREENTIMEBU: Fake News, Real Emotion, and The Mediated Self

GRADUATE STUDENT CONFERENCE

Deadline for Abstracts
May 22, 2017

Conference Date
June 22, 2017
9am - 5pm

The graduate students of Boston University’s Division of Emerging Media Studies are calling for abstracts for their third annual conference on emerging media. #ScreentimeBU is a graduate conference that provides a platforms for students to showcase their research and to network with peers in emerging media studies.

#ScreentimeBU aims to explore the civic, social, and psychological implications of today’s media landscape. This conference is an opportunity to bridge diverse perspectives on the roles of users and technology in new media and to lay the groundwork for future research in the field.

Emerging media studies is an inherently interdisciplinary field, and as such we welcome abstracts from a variety of disciplines on a range of topics centered around our conference theme: Fake News, Real Emotion, and The Mediated Self. Suggested topics include, but are not limited to:

• Alternative media, and citizen journalism
• 
How emerging technologies change journalism and civic engagement

• Online relationships, communities, and social networks

• Big data analysis and machine learning

• Media effects and changes in digital media consumption

• Self-presentation on social media and digital privacy concerns

• Video games, virtual reality, and augmented reality


The conference is free of charge for both attendees and speakers. For additional information about the conference, please visit http://sites.bu.edu/demsconference/ (website will be updated with additional details in the coming weeks).

Deadline for Abstracts: May 22. Please submit abstracts of no more than 300 words to demsconf@bu.edu. Include your name and institutional affiliation (department/university), program and year of study, research focus/interests, and contact information (email and phone number) with all submissions. Abstracts will be peer reviewed, and applicants will be notified of their acceptance on a rolling basis no later than May 29.

#ScreentimeBU Abstract Team
Division of Emerging Media Studies
College of Communication
Boston University

CFP: Social Media and Communities

CFP: Social Media and Communities -- a "mini track" at the
Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, (HICSS-51)
January 3-6, 2018, Hilton Waikoloa Village, Hawaii
Full paper submission deadline, June 15

We call for papers that address social networks and communities supported and/or complemented by social media for work, learning, socializing, economic and/or political processes, and/or that address theory, design, practices, use or evaluation of such social media use. ‘Communities’ is taken in a broad sense, including communities of practice, epistemic communities, or communities of inquiry, as well as fully virtual communities, and social media use that supports or complements geographically based community. We particularly encourage papers that:

• advance our understanding of social network growth, formation, structure and outcomes through social media;
• explore how socio-technical affordances relate to social media use and outcomes;
• evaluate design of social media technologies and practices for effective community development and maintenance; and
• develop theories, models and principles of social media design, use and outcomes.

We encourage the submission of exploratory and theoretical papers, as well as empirical studies.

HICSS 51 and the "Big Island"

The Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, in its 51st year, is one of the longstanding scientific conferences and is highly ranked among information systems conferences. Diverse disciplines unified by a focus on information technologies are woven together in a matrix structure of tracks and themes. By attending HICSS you are not only reaching the audience of your track and mini-track; you also have the opportunity to learn about what is happening in related fields and meet leaders in those fields. Other mini-tracks within the Digital and Social Media track are particularly relevant: see http://hicss.hawaii.edu/tracks-51/digital-and-social-media/

With five of the world's seven climate zones, and a mixture of Hawaiian and immigrant cultures, the "Big Island" of Hawaii offers diverse outdoor activities, good food, and cultural activities.

Please see http://www.hicss.org/ for conference, venue and submission information. Papers are due June 15, 2017

Minitrack Co-Chairs:

Dan Suthers (Primary Contact)
University of Hawaii at Manoa
suthers@hawaii.edu

Karine Nahon
University of Washington and the Interdisciplinary Centre Herzliya
karineb@uw.edu

CFP: Journalism and the search for truth in an age of social media

Call for Papers
International symposium
Journalism and the search for truth in an age of social media
Implications of “fake news” and internet trolling for democracy, politics and citizen inclusion
Boston University
April 23-25, 2017
https://demsatbu.wixsite.com/conference

As the journalism profession struggles to respond to social media’s proliferating role, fresh social scientific and philosophical perspectives are required to comprehend news in relationship to the pursuit of truth. Such perspectives will allow insight into the limits and potential of news creation. Moreover, they will yield a firmer grasp of professional journalism’s role as the public consumes and responds to news.

Social media-based production and consumption of news poses not only unprecedented challenges to journalism’s gatekeeper role in society but also to democratic processes themselves. Social media’s effects reverberate around the world, altering events on a global scale. Although there is a constantly changing kaleidoscope of particular manifestations of these challenges, questions of credibility and truthfulness as represented through information outlets have recently gained renewed prominence. 

This was an issue foreseen by James E. Katz’s 1998 article, “Struggle in cyberspace: Fact and friction on the World Wide Web.” Of course in the intervening years, this struggle has broadened well beyond the World Wide Web to encompass an array of rapidly evolving digital outlets and technologies. Indeed, the struggle has become a pivotal dimension concerning how people come to grips with their reality.

Consequently, a sense of crisis has gripped many quarters as the authority of democratic processes and institutions have been questioned. One response has been calls for action that are now reverberating throughout boardrooms, college campuses, and legislatures. In response, steps are already being taken by media giants, but to unknown effect and with virtually no transparency or accountability. Moreover, such steps have been greeted by telling criticism on philosophical, ideological and oligopolistic grounds.

To pursue a clearer understanding of the scope and implications of this dramatic struggle between fact and fiction, which now goes to the heart of the journalistic enterprise, Boston University will hold interconnected sessions April 23-25, 2017.

Research-based perspectives invited, especially from younger scholars. Travel and lodging support available for paper presenters. Send abstracts to lcrocker@bu.edu

MARCH 7, 2017
New Extended Deadline ~
250 WORD ABSTRACTS DUE EMAIL TO LCROCKER@BU.EDU

CFP: Streaming, Binge-Watching & Second Screening: Online Social Television in Perspective

Streaming, Binge-Watching & Second Screening: Online Social Television in Perspective

Overview

Television has been transformed. It is not a just fixed, flickering screen in living rooms and public spaces around the world anymore. In the contemporary sense, television has literally cut the cord to become a mobile, always-on, and personalized experience that is informed by recommendations and algorithms. Seeing “what’s on” TV from a hierarchical schedule provided by a handful of dominant media producers and distribution systems is fading into memory or no longer exists for billions of television viewers around the world.
Previous work in on streaming television and social media has suggested that “While the process of storytelling is technologically agnostic, each communication vehicle offers specific affordances that encourage certain behaviors and interactions” (Groshek & Krongard, 2016, p. 3). However, there is still only a relatively limited body of research about streaming television, binge-watching, and the use of television in combination with other social media platforms across a wide range of social, political, personal, emotional, and health areas.
Thus, the Division of Emerging Media Studies at Boston University is hosting a two-day conference to address the most pressing issues related to streaming television, binge-watching and television’s growing intersection with social media. We hope this event, which is scheduled to take place in The Castle, one of the most historic and intimate meeting halls on the Boston University campus from April 20th – 21st, will provide a platform for the collective expertise of International Scientific Advisory Board members as well as other researchers working in the area to make an impact unique to the field. As conference organizers, we do not want to place parameters on contributions, which can be empirical, theoretical, thought exercises, essays, reflections, analyses, qualitative, quantitative, observations – any scholarly approach is welcome.
In terms of topics, we ask prospective contributors to feel free to draw on their expertise and vision, but of course there are a wide range of topics that relate to streaming television and second screening in terms of adoption, use, or content, such as (but not limited to):

• Mobile devices
• Life satisfaction
• Human relationships
• Health communication
• Civility and elections
• Political and civic participation
• Television platforms
• Social networks
• Artificial intelligence
• Algorithms
• Metadata and meta-analyses
• Academic performance

At this stage, abstracts should be approximately 500 words, including references and figures, and can be submitted by email to conference coordinator Jessica Bonner (jbonner@bu.edu) no later than March 13, 2017. There are no specific author guidelines, but we do ask that authors be consistent in using the referencing style of their choice. Full papers (from approximately 2,5000 – 9,000 words) will be due to discussants one week before the conference. For those interested, we will be pursuing options for a special issue of these proceedings with a leading journal.
Practitioners and subject-matter experts will be invited to give brief papers on selected topics which will then be followed by interrogative discussion. In addition, drawing on an open, peer-reviewed “call for papers,” additional scholars and practitioners will be included in the sessions. The format of the talks will be to organize them into panels. In each panel there will be a brief presentation by the paper author followed by an extended commentary from among panelists.
Audiences, both attending in-person and participating via live-streaming sessions, will have an opportunity to raise questions and contribute viewpoints. Ample time is also scheduled for informal discussion so that discrete ideas can be explored in depth and serendipitous interpersonal connections can be forged. Following the conference, selected papers will be published online and in special issues of peer-reviewed journals so that the ideas developed and expressed during the conference can receive wide circulation. Some talks and interview excerpts will also be posted online to further the event’s impact.

Agenda (subject to change)

DAY ONE, Thursday, April 20, 2017
12:30 PM: Welcoming remarks by Dean Tom Fiedler, College of Communication, Boston University
12:45 PM: Lunch and opening address on the transformation of television; followed by informal discussion
2:15 PM: Panel 1.1 on the implications of streaming television, binge-watching and second screening
3:45 PM: Keynote address, “The Social Life of Screens” by Professor Pablo J. Boczkowski (Northwestern University)
5:00 PM: Reception
6:45 PM: Dinner — Location TBA
DAY TWO, Friday, April 21, 2017
9:30 AM: Registration & coffee
10:00 AM: Panel 2.1 on the implications of streaming television, binge-watching and second screening
12:30 PM: Lunch and poster presentations, informal discussion and networking session
2:00 PM: Panel 2.2 on the implications of streaming television, binge-watching and second screening
3:30 PM: Keynote address by Professor Homero Gil de Zúñiga (University of Vienna)
5:00 PM: Reception

International Scientific Advisory Board Members:

• Ahmed al-Rawi (Concordia University)
• Luca Barra (University of Bologna)
• Britt Christensen (Zayed University)
• Pedro Ferreira (Carnegie Mellon University)
• Homero Gil de Zúñiga (University of Vienna)
• Mareike Jenner (Anglia Ruskin University)
• Elana Levine (University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee)
• Seth Lewis (University of Oregon)
• Amanda Lotz (University of Michigan)
• Grant McCracken (Berkman Center, Harvard University)
• Peppino Ortoleva (University of Torino)
• Matthew Pittman (University of Oregon)
• Mark Stewart (University of Amsterdam)
• Chuck Tryon (Fayetteville State University)

* Institutional affiliations are for identification purposes and do not imply endorsement.

Key Dates

March 13: Extended abstracts (~500 words) due to organizers. Send abstracts to jbonner@bu.edu
March 20: Notification of acceptance decision.
April 13: Completed papers (~2,500 – 9,000 words) due to discussants.

April 20-21: Workshop held at Boston University.

CFP: Rethinking Digital Media and Citizenship: Conditions, Contexts, and Consequences

American Behavioral Scientist (ABS)
Special Issue Call for Papers (CFPs)

Rethinking Digital Media and Citizenship: Conditions, Contexts, and Consequences

Guest Editors:
Seungahn Nah (University of Kentucky)
Masahiro Yamamoto (University at Albany, State University of New York)


Description:
A substantial body of scholarship has long tackled how traditional and newly emerging information and communication technologies (ICTs) foster an informed, efficacious, and engaged citizenry. Despite prolific literature on digital media and citizenship, theoretical approaches and conceptual and operational definitions still diverge in different disciplines and schools. What seems particularly missing in the literature is an examination of structural conditions and/or contexts that may facilitate or hinder the role of digital media in civic engagement. Therefore, the goal of this special issue is to call for theoretically and methodologically sound scholarship that examines causes, components, and civic consequences of digital media use. Such an examination presents important practical implications and policy applications.

This special issue addresses the following major questions:

• How can digital media use and civic engagement be conceptualized, operationalized, and theorized across various theoretical perspectives in the convergence and divergence of digital media environment?
• To what extent do digital media (social and mobile), along with traditional media, influence civic engagement and how such an influence varies across communities of places, interests, practices, and beyond, as well as different ethnic groups and those who hold different socio-economic status?
• How do social contexts and conditions promote or impede the role of digital media in civic, political, and community life at multiple levels?

The special issue editors would welcome submissions addressing the following topics:

• Theoretical advancement on digital media and civic engagement in offline and online communication environments;
• Integrated theoretical framework concerning digital media and citizenship;
• Innovative conceptual and operational definitions (measurements) of digital media across various platforms;
• Social structural contexts and conditions (e.g., race, class, gender,family, school, organization, neighborhood, etc.) that affect digital media use and its effects on civic engagement;
• Linkage between online and offline civic engagement from networked community perspectives.

Submission Guidelines:
Submitted manuscripts must be in MS Word (.doc) format with a title page that includes the title of the paper, full names, affiliations, email addresses, telephone numbers, complete addresses, and biographical sketches of all authors.

Manuscripts must adhere to the APA (6th ed.) style and should contain between 6,000 and 8,000 words, including a 250-worlds abstract with 5-6 key words, all references, and notes.

Manuscripts must contain original material which has not been previously published elsewhere or is not currently under consideration by another journal.

All manuscripts should go through a blind, peer-reviewed process so no indicators of authorship should appear in the texts.

Manuscripts should be submitted directly via email to seungahn.nah@uky.edu

Timeline

• Submission deadline: April 31, 2017
• Editorial decision: June 30, 2017
• Anticipated publication date: January/February 2018