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Reminder: CFP Postcolonial Perspectives in Game Studies - Special issue of Open Library of Humanities
by Emil Lundedal Hammar 28 Nov '16

28 Nov '16

Dear everyone, this is a reminder of the upcoming deadline for abstracts for the special issue on Postcolonial Perspectives in Game Studies in the Open Library of Humanities. See the CFP below: ***Deadline for abstracts: 15th of December 2016*** Call for articles for a special issue of Open Library of Humanities: Postcolonial Perspectives in Game Studies Since the first key publications in the nineties on videogames research in Humanities and Social Sciences contexts, the field of Game Studies has become an established platform for discussion and debate on how games contribute to our cultural, social and aesthetic experiences. Game Studies has, consequently, also taken up debates on diversity and inclusion, time and again. In line with the revitalization of radical reactionary and conservative forces across the globe, the recent bigoted GamerGate controversy saw incisive discussions on gender and questions of race in games have also been at the forefront. Not much, however, has been said about the representation of colonialism, empire and neo-colonialism in videogames although some of the very earliest games have featured these issues, sometimes in problematic ways. As games are part of and perpetuate past and present global power structures in relation to inequalities in material wealth and symbolic representation, to exploitation of labor, and to hegemonic articulations of history and the Other, it is necessary for game studies to not only bring these issues to light, but also critically analyze the relationship between games and existing postcolonial power relationships. Analysing games as disparate as Age of Empires, Far Cry 2 and Assassin's Creed: Freedom Cry reveal intrinsic questions about how the ludic relates to colonialism and how it informs the postcolonial experience. This open-access special issue of Open Library of Humanities aims to bring questions of Postcolonialism to the forefront of game studies. An often underexplored and neglected area in the domain of studying both digital and analogue games, a critique of the (mis)representation of Orientalist attitudes, race, hybridity, notions of space and the fragmented postcolonial identities is urgently required. We, therefore, seek submissions that provide critical analysis of colonial representations in games and also challenge notions of colonial hegemonic power-structures. Possible topics might include, but are not limited to: * Colonialism / Neocolonialism / Postcolonialism / Imperialism * The Other / Alterity * Decolonization * Hegemony * Orientalism * Postcolonial praxis * Global capitalism / economy * Self-representation / voice / agency * Subalternity * Indigenous culture * Religion(s) / Language(s) / Nationalism(s) * Thirdspace * Eurocentrism * Game studies & politics of knowledge Research articles should be approximately 8000 words in length, including references and a short bibliography. Submissions should comprise of: * Abstract (250 words) * Full-length article (8000 words) * Author information (short biographical statement of 200 words) Deadline for abstracts: 15th December 2016 Notification of accepted abstracts: 16th January 2017 Deadline for full articles: 28th April 2017 Submissions should be made online at: https://submit.openlibhums.org/<https://olh.openlibhums.org/> in accordance with the author guidelines and clearly marking the entry as ["Postcolonial Game Studies" SPECIAL COLLECTION]. Submissions will then undergo a double-blind peer-review process. Authors will be notified of the outcome as soon as reports are received. The special collection, edited by Dr Souvik Mukherjee, Department of English, Presidency University, Kolkata, India, and Emil Hammar, Department of Language & Culture, University of Tromsø, Norway, is to be published in the Open Library of Humanities (OLH) (ISSN 2056-6700<tel:2056-6700>). The OLH is an Andrew W. Mellon Foundation-funded open-access journal with a strong emphasis on quality peer review and a prestigious academic steering board. Unlike some open-access publications, the OLH has no author-facing charges and is instead financially supported by an international consortium of libraries<https://about.openlibhums.org/libraries/supporting-institutions/>. To learn more about the Open Library of Humanities please visit: https://www.openlibhums.org/ To read about the CFP on the Open Library of Humanities website, please visit: https://about.openlibhums.org/2016/09/19/cfp-postcolonial-perspectives-in-g… <https://www.openlibhums.org/> The Open Library of Humanities (OLH) is a charitable organisation dedicated to publishing open access scholarship with no author-facing article processing charges (APCs). We are funded by an international consortium of libraries who have joined us in our mission to make scholarly publishing fairer, more accessible, and rigorously preserved for the digital future. The deadline for submission of abstract is 15th December 2016. Best regards, Dr. Souvik Mukherjee, Department of English, Presidency University, Kolkata, India Emil Hammar, Department of Language & Culture, University of Tromsø, Norway

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Invitation: International "Communicative Figurations" conference, 8.-9.12.16, Bremen
by Leif Kramp 28 Nov '16

28 Nov '16

**** please excuse cross-posting **** Invitation: International "COMMUNICATIVE FIGURATIONS“ conference - no registration fees - - more than 50 communication and media scholars from all over Europe and North America present their up-to-date research on transforming communications - On December 8 and 9, 2016, the Bremen House of Science (Haus der Wissenschaft, Sandstr. 4/5, Bremen, Germany) will host the international conference 'Communicative Figurations' on the interdependent transformation of communication, media, society and culture. The ZeMKI, Centre for Media, Communication and Information Research, University of Bremen, organises the international conference in collaboration with the Hans-Bredow-Institute for Media Research, Hamburg and the SOCIUM, University of Bremen. The conference welcomes numerous speakers from all over Europe and the United States who investigate transforming communications against the background of an increasing complexity of the media environment. Richard Rogers (Digital Method Initiative, University of Amsterdam) and Gina Neff (Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford) will be keynote speakers. For today’s life-worlds, media communication is essential: work, leisure, socialization, the public sphere, public engagement, etc. are articulated by different types of mediated communication. Even from a historical point of view it is impossible for us to imagine the multiple and contradictory processes of modernization without media. Today, various domains of the social world are so closely related to (digital) media that they could not exist in their present form beyond media. In this sense, we live in times of 'deep mediatization'. A particular challenge of researching this stage of mediatization is the present complexity of the media environment: It is not one single medium that is the driving force of change. With the spreading of various technical communication media - television, radio, mobile phone, internet platforms etc. - we are confronted with a 'media manifold' which stimulates various processes of re-mediation and transmediation. And as media are more and more software-based and related to the internet, their use becomes entangled with processes of datafication. How can we investigate then transforming communications in times of deep mediatization? How do the figurations of living together change with the media environment? The conference takes these fundamental questions seriously and moves the transformation of communications and figurations through the 'media manifold' into the foreground. The focuses of the conference are the transformation of journalism, religion, education, communities, politics, and public discourse. Beyond this, the conference puts an emphasis on the (digital) methods used to investigate related processes of transformation. It is the concluding event of the Creative Research Unit 'Communicative Figurations', being funded within the framework of the Initiative of Excellence. Registration for the conference is now open (no fees apply). Please register via e-mail (commfigurations(a)uni-bremen.de) with your name, status group and affiliation. You will receive a confirmation. More information and the full programme: http://www.communicative-figurations.org — Dr. Leif Kramp — University of Bremen — Research Coordinator ZeMKI, Centre for Media, Communication and Information Research Linzer Str. 4 D-28359 Bremen Germany — Phone: +49 421 218 67652 Fax: +49-421-218-98 67652 — http://www.zemki.uni-bremen.de/en/start.html http://www.communicative-figurations.org

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CfP: 16th Workshop of the Terrorism Research Network
by Dr. Stephan G. Humer 28 Nov '16

28 Nov '16

Call for Papers 16th Workshop of the Terrorism Research Network Berlin (Netzwerk Terrorismusforschung e. V. - NTF) Main topic: 10th Anniversary of the NTF: Past, Present and Future of scientific confrontation with Terrorism and Extremism Time and place: The 16th Workshop of the NTF will take place at the Internet Sociology Department of the Berlin-based Hochschule Fresenius – University of Applied Sciences (Jägerstr. 32, 10117 Berlin) from March 22nd to March 23rd 2017. We´re looking for contributions for both days of the conference - "digital topics" are highly welcome! About the main topic: In 2017 the NTF will celebrate its 10th birthday – reason enough to reminisce about the beginnings, to think about the challenges of our present and to dare a glimpse into the future of Terrorism Research. One thing is for sure: the challenges are not getting smaller. But how do we deal with upcoming challenges? What was important yesterday and what will be important tomorrow? How has Terrorism Research changed since 2007? How about cooperation and competition between Theory (Science) and Praxis (Police/Intelligence Agencies)? What has been more important: Impact Factor or Impact on Security Reality? How will Terrorism Research deal with „post-factual times“, the retreat into Nation States and the „Conservative Correction“ in Politics worldwide? These and many other questions should be addressed at our Workshop, but of course there is room for many more topics beyond this main idea. So feel invited to send us proposals for Terrorism Research-related lectures – especially if you are a Doctoral Student or young Post-Doc who wants to present first research results. Contributions and Deadline: Contributions (German or English) should fit into a lecture of 30 minutes. At the end of each lecture there will be room for discussion (between 15 – 30 mins). Abstracts with a maximum of 500 words should be sent to stephan.humer(a)netzwerk-terrorismusforschung.org until January 15, 2017. Members of the NTF do not need to apply for the conference attendance in advance, they can enter free of charge at all times. External Guests/Non-Members need to send their full name, e-mail address and phone number to info(a)ntfev.org until March 19, 2017 to become registered free of charge. Due to the nature of the location we cannot provide a "box office". Spontaneous participation on March 22 or 23 is not possible! Please register in advance! About the NTF: Founded in 2007, the NTF is Germanys largest Terrorism Research Network, connecting 500 scientists and practitioners. The Association is carried by two dozen Volunteers who keep the Network alive. You can find more information on our website: www.ntfev.org About the Internet Sociology Department at Hochschule Fresenius Berlin: Research Director Dr Stephan G Humer is Germanys first Internet Sociologist and Founder of the first Internet Sociology Department. The Department was located at the Berlin University of the Arts‘ College of Architecture, Media and Design from 2012 to 2016. Since this year the Department is now part of the Faculty of Economics and Media at Hochschule Fresenius, a private University located directly in the heart of Berlin at Gendarmenmarkt. Information about the Department: www.humer.de Information about the University: www.hs-fresenius.de Thank you! -- Dr. Stephan G. Humer Internet Sociologist University Lecturer & Research Director @ Hochschule Fresenius Berlin Security Researcher @ Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Freie Universität Berlin Phone: +49 (0)157 580 64165 Website: www.socialitybydesign.org Twitter: @netsociology Jetzt neu: das Internetsoziologie-Wiki unter www.internetsoziologie.de/wiki

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TransMissions CfP: War&Technology
by magdalena zdrodowska 28 Nov '16

28 Nov '16

Hi All, TransMissions: Journal of Film and Media Studies published Call for Papers for its' new issue devoted to realtions between war and technology. Please find CfP below. Best Regards, Magda Zdrodowska -------------------------------------------------------------------- Call for Papers for 2017 vol.2, issue 1 War&Technology Edited by: Joanna Walewska (Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Poland) Human Terrain System was a programme designed in 2005 to provide knowledge about foreign populations as well as to increase cultural understanding between US forces and Iraqis and Afghans and therefore reduce American and civilian casualties. Supporters of the programme claimed that U.S. soldiers and marines become better at winning local populations’ hearts and minds during “counterinsurgency operations”. On the other hand, opponents of this costly and ethically doubtful endeavour argued that by harnessing socio-cultural knowledge to the demands of military strategy, the Human Terrain System seeks to militarize the social sciences. After two centuries of a rather tempestuous relationship of anthropology and ethnography with the military, now, at the beginning of the 21st century the need became plain to seek their advice and assistance, bringing about what is described as “a cultural turn.” At the time when the anthropological and psychological milieu rejected this type of cooperation as a non-ethical and undesirable breach of independence in the area of knowledge they are pursuing, it has become evident that Human Terrain System is a key concept not only during the anti-insurgency military actions but also on the frontiers of cyberwar. The concept appears one more time in the documents leaked by Edward Snowden 2013, concerning on-line actions developed by the American National Security Agency (NSA) and the British intelligence bureau, the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), against supporters of WikiLeaks, The Pirate Bay portal and hacktivist groups such as Anonymous. It seems that the online world is becoming a battlefield, where the members of different non-violent, hactivist group appear to be representatives of „foreign cultures”, which need to be engaged by such means of psychological warfare as deception and social camouflage. In the next issue of “TransMissions” we would like to reflect on the problem of ‘cultural turn’ in military, but also on the use of methodology and tools of cultural and media studies emplyed to ‘diffuse’ the narratives on war. We would like to encourage scholars representing different disciplines to reflect on different aspects of contemporary war and conflicts, with particular focus on the mediation of a war or, in other words, its different modi of existence, and its representation in and coverage by media. Therefore, we have the pleasure of inviting all interested scholars active in such fields as media studies, sociology, anthropology, political science, media archaeology, history of technology, and film studies to contribute to the “TransMissions” Issue on contemporary war and technology. We shall be happy to receive theoretical as well as research-based papers covering analogue or electronic technologies used by collectives and individuals that might include the following topics (but not exclusively): - drones - militarization of everyday life - mobile technologies as survival tools during humanitarian crisis resulting from war and conflicts - investigative journalism and war - the future of war - representation of war in media arts and popular culture - media coverage of war and crises - film coverage of war and crises - military technologies and materials and their civilian applications - conflicts and political crisis and its bottom-up management by social media platforms - social media as a tool for obtaining „forensic evidence” of war crimes We expect 300-500 word abstracts to be sent to magda.zdrodowska(a)uj.edu.pl till 15 December 2016. The issue is due to be published in Summer 2017. Publication schedule: Submission of abstracts: 15 December 2016 Notification of abstract acceptance: 31 December 2016 Submission of full papers: 28 February 2017 Notification of papers acceptance: 31 March 2017 Publication date: Summer 2017

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PhD fellowships in Language and social media (FWO-Ghent University)
by cbouko 28 Nov '16

28 Nov '16

Dear colleagues, The Research Foundation of Flanders in Belgium (FWO) has recently announced funding for 2-year doctoral positions (renewable once) in research centres belonging to Flemish universities. As Assistant Professor (tenure track) in Multilingual and Digital communication in the MULTIPLES Research group at Ghent University (Belgium), I am pleased to invite applications for PhD fellowships, which will be submitted through the annual FWO PhD Fellowship Program. I welcome research proposals which relate to my research group’s strengths in the area of language, communication and social media. The PhD will be written in English. *Procedure and calendar* - December 15 2016 : Please send me a letter of motivation, a one-page research project (theoretical and methodological frameworks + major bibliography), your CV (with grades obtained) and the names of two scientific referees - December 20 2016 : contacts with the candidates - January 2017 : preparation of the application with the selected candidates - February 1 2017 : deadline at the FWO - June 2017 : announcement of the results by the FWO - October 1 2017 : start of fellowship, if application accepted by the FWO Please visit the FWO’s website for full details about the profile, the conditions and the procedure: http://www.fwo.be/en/fellowshi ps-funding/phd-fellowships/phd-fellowship/ Best wishes, -- Catherine Bouko Ghent University Faculty of Arts and Philosophy Groot-Brittaniëlaan 45 9000 Gent Belgium Bureau: B2.06 http://research.flw.ugent.be/en/catherine.bouko

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Postdoctoral fellowships in Language and social media (FWO - Ghent university)
by cbouko 28 Nov '16

28 Nov '16

Dear colleagues, The Research Foundation of Flanders in Belgium (FWO) has recently announced funding for 3-year postdoctoral positions (renewable once) in research centres belonging to Flemish universities. As Assistant Professor (tenure track) in Multilingual and Digital communication in the MULTIPLES Research group at Ghent University (Belgium), I am pleased to invite applications for postdoctoral fellowships under my supervision, which will be submitted through the annual FWO Postdoctoral Fellowship Program. I welcome research proposals which relate to my research group’s strengths in the area of language, communication and social media. The Postdoctorate research project will be in English. *Procedure and calendar* - December 15 2016 : Please send me a letter of motivation, a one-page research project (theoretical and methodological frameworks + major bibliography), your CV (with grades obtained) and the names of two scientific referees - December 20 2016 : contacts with the candidates - January 2017 : preparation of the application with the selected candidates - February 1 2017 : deadline at the FWO - June 2017 : announcement of the results by the FWO - October 1 2017 : start of fellowship, if application accepted by the FWO Please visit the FWO’s website for full details about the profile, the conditions and the procedure: http://www.fwo.be/en/fellowshi ps-funding/postdoctoral-fellowships/postdoctoral-fellowship/ -- Catherine Bouko Ghent University Faculty of Arts and Philosophy Groot-Brittaniëlaan 45 9000 Gent Belgium Bureau: B2.06 http://research.flw.ugent.be/en/catherine.bouko

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Big Data Analysis for Social Scientists short course (R, gephi, VOSON) - 6-10 February 2017, University of Melbourne
by Robert Ackland 28 Nov '16

28 Nov '16

I am running the *Big Data Analysis for Social Scientists* 5-day course as part of the ACSPRI Summer Program 2017 (https://www.acspri.org.au/summer-program-2017) 6-10 February 2017 at the University of Melbourne. This course introduces provides an introduction to the collection and analysis of socially-generated 'big data' using the R statistical software, Gephi network visualisation software and the VOSON hyperlink network analysis tool. The main focus is on programmatic approaches for collecting and analysing big data from social media and the WWW. The course also provides an opportunity for you to learn how these data and techniques are being used in social science research. The course involves the use of the SocialMediaLab R package for collecting data from Facebook, Twitter and Youtube via free APIs, and constructing datasets ready for network and text analysis. The *early-bird discount* closes this coming *Wednesday 30th November*! It is preferable that students already have some familiarity with social network analysis and/or R via, for example, one of the other ACSPRI courses. However, students without this background have successfully completed the course. Please contact me if would like more information or if you are unsure whether your background is appropriate. You can find details on previously run workshops here: http://vosonlab.net/SocialMediaLab#training Course page: https://www.acspri.org.au/summer-program-2017/big-data-analysis-social-scie… SocialMediaLab: http://vosonlab.net/SocialMediaLab -- Dr Robert Ackland Associate Professor, School of Sociology and ANU Centre for Social Research and Methods Leader, Virtual Observatory for the Study of Online Networks (VOSON) Lab <http://vosonlab.net> Australian National University

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Strength and weakness of each type of social media for ethnographic research
by Bherer Laurence 27 Nov '16

27 Nov '16

Dear all, Our research team, mostly based at the Political Science Department of Université de Montréal, is conducting a research projet on informal modes of political participation as part of which we intend to use social media as sites of ethnographic research. We are looking for references on the (dis)advantages of each social media (eg. Facebook, Snapshat, Instagram, Twitter, etc.) for that type of research from a qualitative methodological point a view. Can some of you think of and point useful ones? We thank you for your help with this matter ! Laurence -- Laurence Bherer Professeure agrégée et responsable des programmes de 2e cycle en science politique Université de Montréal Pavillon M. Caron-L. Groulx, bureau c-4028 3150, rue Jean-Brillant (514) 343-6111 poste 0744 Télécopieur: (514) 343-2360 Laurence.bherer(a)umontreal.ca www.pol.umontreal.ca Adresse postale: C.P. 6128, succursale Centre-ville Montréal QC H3C 3J7

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'Tweeting Trump': the alt-right & mainstreaming of white nationalism - Prof. Jessie Daniels in Australia
by Justine Humphry 27 Nov '16

27 Nov '16

'Tweeting Trump': the alt-right & mainstreaming of white nationalism Seminar by Professor Jessie Daniels, Hunter College, New York City visiting Australia for the Building Digital Antiracism Capacity collaboration at Western Sydney University by Associate Professor Alana Lentin and Dr Justine Humphry **** Also broadcast live on #Periscope go to @MediaAtSydney **** Date: Friday, 9 December 2016 Time: 2:30pm - 4:00pm Venue: MECO Seminar Room S226, John Woolley Building (A20) Register Free Event - online via Eventbrite https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/tweeting-trump-the-alt-right -mainstreaming-of-white-nationalism-tickets-29291775489?aff=ehomecard About the seminar In this engaging talk, Jessie Daniels draws on 20 years of research to demonstrate that white supremacy is neither new nor an aberration, but rather a consistent feature of the US political landscape. Savvy white nationalists and members of the “altright” movement use culture jamming tactics on Facebook and Twitter to inject racist memes like #WhiteGenocide into popular political and cultural discussions. And, @realDonaldTrump retweets them all to his 5 million-plus followers. In response to this increased visibility and amplification of white supremacy in the mainstream of US political culture, white liberals express shock at what they perceive is a new development. It is not. About the speaker Jessie Daniels is Professor of Sociology at Hunter College, New York City, and an internationally recognized expert in Internet manifestations of racism. Her visit to Australia is being supported by Western Sydney University’s Building Digital Antiracism Capacity collaboration. Jessie is the author of White Lies (Routledge, 1997) and Cyber Racism (Rowman & Littlefield, 2009), along with dozens of scholarly articles. Since 2007, Daniels has published Racism Review, a credible and reliable resource for anyone seeking evidence-based research on race, racism, ethnicity and immigration. Forbes named her “one of 20 inspiring women to follow on Twitter.” She tweets as @JessieNYC. For more information or queries, contact chris.chesher(a)sydney.edu.au or *justine.humphry(a)sydney.edu.au <justine.humphry(a)sydney.edu.au>*

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WEBCAST SAT: Internet freedom in the light of the TPP, TTIP, TISA & CETA @isoc_rs
by Joly MacFie 26 Nov '16

26 Nov '16

Since it is International, this discussion is being held mainly in English. Just started. joly posted: "Today, Saturday November 26 2016, the Internet Society's Serbia Belgrade Chapter is hosting Internet freedom in the light of the TPP, TTIP, TISA & CETA - an international panel discussion dedicated to Internet freedom in the context of trade agreemen" [image: livestream] <https://livestream.com/internetsociety/isocrs>Today, *Saturday November 26 2016*, the *Internet Society's Serbia Belgrade Chapter <http://isoc.rs/>* is hosting *Internet freedom in the light of the TPP, TTIP, TISA & CETA <http://isoc.rs/sr/novosti/internet-dru%C5%A1tvo-srbije-organizuje-tribinu-i…>* - an international panel discussion dedicated to Internet freedom in the context of trade agreements. Speakers: *Renata Avila*, WebWeWant, Courage Fund, DiEM2025; *Walter van Holst*, Vrijschrift, European Digital Rights Initiative; *Desiree Milosevic*, ISOC Board of Trustees, UK ISOC, Internet Society of Serbia; *Slobodan Markovic*, the Serbian National Register of Internet Domain Names of Serbia; *Michał "Rysiek" Woźniak*, OCCRP, Internet Society Poland; Djordje Krivokapic, Share Defense, Serbia. Moderator: *Aranđel Bojanović*, Internet Society of Serbia. The event will be webcast live on the *Internet Society Livestream Channel <https://livestream.com/internetsociety/isocrs>*. * What: Internet freedom in the light of the TPP, TTIP, TISA & CETA <http://isoc.rs/sr/novosti/internet-dru%C5%A1tvo-srbije-organizuje-tribinu-i…> Where: Center for Cultural Decontamination, Belgrade, Serbia When: Saturday November 26 2016 7pm-9pm | 1* *6* *:00-* 18 *:00 UTC Webcast: https://livestream.com/internetsociety/isocrs <https://livestream.com/internetsociety/isocrs> Twitter: @isoc_rs http://bit.ly/2glpfth <http://bit.ly/2glpfth>* Comment <http://isoc-ny.org/p2/8830#respond> See all comments <http://isoc-ny.org/p2/8830#comments> *Permalink* : http://isoc-ny.org/p2/8830 <http://isoc-ny.org/p2/8830> -- --------------------------------------------------------------- Joly MacFie 218 565 9365 Skype:punkcast -------------------------------------------------------------- -

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