- Air-L - lists.aoir.org

CfP: Social Transformations and the Digital Age
by Delia Dumitrica 13 Dec '12

13 Dec '12

Call for Panels and Papers WORLD SOCIAL SCIENCE FORUM Montréal, Canada 13‐15 October 2013 Social Transformations and the Digital Age http://wssf2013.org/ The International Social Science Councils 2nd World Social Science Forum (WSSF) will take place on 13‐15 October, 2013 in Montréal, Canada.The theme and focus for the 2013 Forum is Social Transformations and the Digital Age. The Forum will include plenary presentation/discussion sessions, and parallel panel presentations/discussion sessions. The conference organizers welcome suggestions for alternative or hybrid forms of presentation that take advantage of the features of digital technologies. Queries on procedures and processes should be sent to: info(a)wssf2013.org Deadlines 1. The proposal deadline is 15 January 2013. 2. Applicants will be notified of decisions by April 2013. 3. Successful applicants are expected to provide an extended abstract (2,000 words) to the ISSC no later than 9 September 2013 The role of digital technologies in nearly all aspects of life most notably in the form of social media ‐‐has been a constant news focus in recent years, and it has also become a major focus of social research. As far as social media are concerned, popular and scholarly accounts about their participatory and transformative potential are usually enthusiastic. Twitter, Facebook, Wikipedia and Wikileaks are lauded for their capacity to harness peoples creativity and knowledge, and for their potential to challenge traditional hierarchies in politics, science, and the media. It is claimed these web‐based applications have facilitated political uprisings, the solution of scientific problems, and the emergence of hitherto undiscovered talents in music and the arts. Some more critical voices question the validity of such claims, pointing to the dangers of hoax, misinformation, dependency, narcissism, and the loss of privacy. Yet digital technologies reach far beyond the current social media proliferation: in the form of computers and the networks enabling them to communicate with one another they have been in use for decades, and have affected nearly all areas of society, politics, and the economy. They have changed how people think about themselves, how work is organized, how knowledge is produced, and how access to information is regulated. Education, healthcare, shopping, agriculture, finance, security, leisure have all been deeply affected by information and communication technologies. During the 2013 World Social Science Forum in Montréal, scholars from across the disciplines and across the world will come together to address the ways in which digital technologies are being developed and used, and (First major focus area) how they are transforming different spheres of social life and (Second major focus area) how they are transforming the social sciences. Contributions will address these two overarching themes (see examples of possible foci below). Insights from all disciplines are required to understand these complex changes, and contributions from across the social sciences, from the humanities, and from natural and medical sciences (e.g. the science, technology, engineering and medicine disciplines) are encouraged. The WSSF will address positive uses of digital technologies, but will also pay attention to the negative and potentially dangerous uses and consequences, and to the unintended and ambivalent outcomes. Four assumptions underpin the conference ambitions: 1). Technology matters. How does the design of technology affect possibilities for engagement and participation by different groups within society? Digital technologies are not magic boxes they have been designed (though not always deliberately) to facilitate some forms of interaction and to make others more difficult. 2). History matters. What can we learn from previous socio‐technical transformations? Digital technologies have been accompanied by promises that they would eliminate repetitive, boring and tedious work, and would improve access to information and entertainment, as well as the quality of social justice and democracy. Many of these same hopes and fears were expressed in relation to the printing press, telegraph and television. 3). Methods and theories matter. How do digital technologies affect the ways in which researchers define categories, record data, and conduct their analyses? What does this mean for the research questions That can be asked as well as the answers that can be given. Digital technologies open up new possibilities for interdisciplinary and international collaboration, and for new forms of engagement with stakeholders. 4). Individuals and communities matter. The means by which individuals and communities think about themselves and construct their identities and activities are being reconfigured in the digital age. Is this this assumption valid? Are individuals and communities also influencing digital developments? What kinds of technologies can be developed to support the needs of people today and in the future? First major focus area: 1. Digital technologies ↔ Social life What kinds of social transformations are being brought about by the widespread diffusion of digital technologies? The first theme explores the many ways in which digital technologies are affecting how people work, live, and play. It also raises the question of how digital technologies shape what we perceive as being social challenges and imperatives. Digital technologies, and their uses by individuals, organizations and governments, are of enormous interest to scholars across the social sciences as objects of research. The time spent in front of a screen or peering intently at a smaller, handheld device affects not only how people interact with machines and with one another but also influences the development of ones own identity. Concerns are expressed about declining attention spans, and changes to the wiring of the brain. On the other hand, children and adults have access to an enormous range of educational material that was unimaginable a generation ago. What do these changes mean for our lives as social beings? Do online interactions facilitate the emergence of multiple identities where authenticity is elusive, or does the possibility to track oneself and others across multiple domains result in a more integrated self, from which one may never be able to escape? How have digital technologies been taken up in the organization of economic life, facilitating new forms of work, new divisions of labour, new forms of financing? Was the Arab Spring really the Facebook and Twitter revolution? Can digital technologies contribute to the creation of a sustainable environment, or is our pursuit of ever‐newer devices part of the problem? Digital technologies raise profound challenges to what we consider to be public and private. Who has the right to see our online material? Who can profit from it? Legal, ethical and regulatory questions abound, for governments and for corporations. Possible sub‐themes to be addressed include the following: The digital and the human: cyborgs, post‐humans, human enhancement The power of Global Markets: nano‐second transactions and social governance Digital identities: digital natives, digital immigrants, digital outcasts Cultural diversity within a globalized media environment Family, community and social movements E‐Knowledge as global commons? E‐commerce: new forms of work, free labour, pro‐sumption Creativity in industry and the arts Time, work and leisure Education, literacy and skills Environment & sustainability Cyberpolitics: democracy, empowerment and engagement Sexual politics, pornography and human slavery Media convergence: regulation and control War, terrorism and conflict Imagining a cyber‐dystopia Health and well‐being Poverty and inequality: digital and other divides Surveillance, privacy and security Representations of digital technologies in film & fiction Code: Human‐computer interaction/design of hardware and software Hacking and gaming Other Second major focus area: 2. Digital technologies ↔ social science (and other disciplines) How do digital technologies affect the production of knowledge in the social sciences, and in other knowledge domains? The second theme addresses the ways in which the availability of large‐scale data, immense computational power, and collaborative tools all affect the ways in which scientists and scholars relate to each other, to their data and sources, to publishers and libraries, and to funders, and to the wider public. Social media are both generative and challenging of different forms of knowledge production and the authority it commands. Digital technologies allow new fields and research practices to emerge, they offer fascinating new ways to represent data and outputs, resulting in new forms of peer review, enhanced publications, and new ways of communicating with stakeholders. In order to take advantage of the many opportunities offered, social scientists are increasingly working across the disciplines, with computer scientists and information specialists in particular, but also with others. Digital technologies also offer new ways for researchers themselves to be evaluated and monitored. Information and knowledge have become important markers of the late 20th century transition to what many see as a new economic mode or regime. Digital technologies have become essential not only to the ways in which people live their daily lives, but also to the ways in which information and knowledge are collected, stored, analysed and distributed in different domains. The production of data is not only important for the production of formalized, codified knowledge, such as in science and medicine, but also for the smooth running of economic and political systems. Sometimes the provision of information and the generation and sharing of knowledge are the result of conscious choices, as when people engage in political debate online or provide details of migratory birds; and sometimes it is a by‐product of other activities, as when people buy products online, leaving traces of their search and purchasing activities. Is this data open to researchers, under what conditions? Is Big Data changing how we define and understand expertise and knowledge? When aggregated, such data can become formalized, codified, and commodified; and in the process become of great interest to researchers in the public and private sectors. Possible sub‐themes to be addressed include the following: Citizen science: engagement and expertise Big data: end of theory? Computational (social) science: ways of knowing Visualization of data and results Libraries and archives Collaboration across disciplines and across distance Impact, evaluation & accountability Ethics of e‐research Scholarly publishing: does it have a future? Open access/open source/open peer review Science and research policy Commodifying data and research Changing research practices Other Dr. Delia Dumitrica Department of Communication and Culture University of Calgary

1 0

PhD fellowship available: extremist discourse online
by Jill Walker Rettberg 13 Dec '12

13 Dec '12

After July 22 and the massacre on Utøya, Norwegians have been forced to attempt to understand extremist discourse online, and it is clear that we need more research on this topic. My department (Linguistic, Literary and Aesthetic Studies at the University of Bergen) has a 4-year PhD fellowship available for a humanities-based project on online extremism and I would encourage anyone interested to apply or to let people who might be interested know about this. We are very open to what kind of extremism should be the focus of the project and to which methods and disciplinary perspectives are used, so long as it is within the scope of one of the disciplines represented in our department: Linguistics, Comparative Literature, Digital Culture, Greek, Latin, History of Art, Scandinavian Languages and Literature and Theatre Studies. See the complete description below for details. DEADLINE JAN 15! http://www.jobbnorge.no/job.aspx?jobid=88851 We are also advertising open fellowships, where digital culture is one of the possible areas. We have a strong program in digital aesthetics, digital humanities and critical perspectives on technology and society. Please get in touch if you have questions. http://www.jobbnorge.no/job.aspx?jobid=88850 Applicants must have a research-based MA and submit a five page project description with their application. You must have contacted an advisor at the dept. Norwegian PhDs pay well, NOK 416.300 (a bit over USD 70,000) a year, and the four-year job includes 75% research (on your PhD project) and 25% teaching. One semester's work (30 ECTS) is coursework, and conference presentations and participation in doctoral consortiums of your choice can be included in this. You also would qualify for Norwegian welfare rights, such as parental leave, subsidised childcare etc. Please get in touch with me if you have any questions, or need help finding an advisor in the department. I'd also appreciate it of you spread this to anyone who'd be interested! Jill Walker Rettberg Professor of Digital Culture University of Bergen http://jilltxt.net --------- PhD research fellowship earmarked research on online extremism A PhD research fellowship earmarked research on online extremism is available at the Department of Linguistic, Literary, and Aesthetic Studies, Faculty of Humanities, University of Bergen from 1 August 2013. The project must be based in one or more of the disciplines taught at the department (Linguistics, Comparative Literature, Digital Culture, Greek, Latin, History of Art, Scandinavian Languages and Literature and Theatre Studies). Events in the last years have shown that extremism online is more widespread and more serious than commonly thought, and that extremism can take different shapes in different contexts. There is a need for more research in this area. The Department of Linguistic, Literary and Aesthetic Studies at the University of Bergen therefore invites applications for a four-year PhD. fellowship to study extremist discourse and rhetorics in social media. The project should analyse a selection of extremist discourse on the internet, and applicants must explain their choice of this selection in the project description. The material to be analysed can be Norwegian or from another cultural context. For example, the project might focus on a selection of blogs, on comments from readers in online newspapers, on YouTube videos and comments, on discussion fora, on Facebook groups, on image use or other extremist forms of expression and communication online. The analysis might focus on language, rhetoric, ideology, visual aspects, aesthetics, discourse or social networks. The applicant must explain how the concept "extremist" is understood in the project, and what theoretical framework is used. We are open to analyses of all kinds of extremism, whether left- or right-wing or not clearly connected to the conventional political axis, such as extremism within discussions of gender, the environment, religion or animal rights. Research on historical development might also be of interest, for example using archived material from the internet, or following a community or topic over time, or comparing extremist discourses online with extremist expressions in historical media. Qualification requirements Applicants must meet the formal requirements for admission to the PhD programme at the University of Bergen. The University requires the equivalent of a master’s degree (i.e. 3 years bachelor and 2 years master, 300 ECTS altogether). Applicants must have completed their master’s degree at the time of application. Please note: Applicants must have completed their master’s degree in the actual subject area at the time of application. The applicant’s research project must be connected to one of the research groups within the department. See: http://www.uib.no for an overview. Make sure that the name of the supervisor at University of Bergen is given in your application letter. The candidate’s main supervisor must be permanently employed at the Department of Linguistic, Literary and Aesthetic Studies. Please contact the department’s Head of Research Tor Trolie about this (see below). About the position The fellowship’s main goal is to lead to a PhD degree, which qualifies for independent research activities, and for other work that requires particular competence. The fellowships are awarded for a period of four years. The research and educational part of the fellowship is 75%, while 25% is dedicated to teaching and other work for the department. An agreement concerning the actual work load has to be signed by the candidate as soon as he/she takes up the post. The successful applicant will be expected to have her/his main residence in Bergen, and to conform to the regulations that apply to the position. Salary Salary will be in accordance with level 50 (code 1017/frame 20.8) on the Norwegian government salary scale, currently NOK 416.300 gross p.a. following ordinary meriting regulations. A compulsory 2% contribution to the State Pension Fund (Statens pensjonskasse) will be deducted from gross salary. Additional information Further information about this fellowship can be obtained from the department’s Head of Research, Associate Professor Tor Trolie +47 55 58 29 65, e-mail:tor.trolie@lle.uib.no<mailto:tor.trolie@lle.uib.no>, or from the department’s Research Officer, Håvard Peersen tel. +47 55 58 20 58, e-mail:havard.peersen@lle.uib.no<mailto:havard.peersen@lle.uib.no>. State

2 1

Deadline extended: CEPE (Computer Ethics: Professional Enquiries), July 1-3, Lisbon, Portugal
by Charles Ess 13 Dec '12

13 Dec '12

Dear AoIRists, Please distribute the following announcement among your lists as appropriate (and with appropriate apologies, caveats, etc. - smile) == Call for Papers CEPE 2013- Ambiguous Technologies: Philosophical Issues, Practical Solutions, Human Nature Autónoma University of Lisbon in 2013, in Lisbon (Portugal), July 1st-3rd. <http://www.cepe2013.com/> (Note: the Society for Philosophy of Technology (SPT) will hold its 2013 conference - on the theme "Technology in the Age of Information" in conjunction with and immediately following CEPE'13, i.e., July 4-6 in the same venue: <http://www.spt2013.com/>. Discounted fees are available to those attend both conferences. Please see the conference websites for additional details.) CEPE'13 will feature a rich list of keynote speakers and topics (see lists below) as well as a "speed mentoring" workshop for younger scholars. Important dates: Extended deadline for paper abstract submission: January 15th, 2013 Abstracts selection: February 15th, 2013 Full papers submission due: May 15th, 2013 Panels/Tracks Submission due: February 15th, 2013 Selection: May 15th, 2013 Keynote Speakers 1. Marty Wolf, Bemidji State University, US (research interest: information ethics and the philosophy of information and computation) 2. Rocci Luppicini, University of Ottawa, Canada (research interest: technoethics and human enhancement) 3. Sylvester Arnab, Coventry University, UK (research interest: immersive technologies for health and learning) 4. Ugo Pagallo, Turin University, Italy (research interest: roboethics and law) 5. Weizenbaum Award Winner (to be announced) Suggested topics - under the conference focus on philosophical issues, practical solutions, human nature are: * Forthcoming technologies (including but not limited to biometrics, memetics, pervasive computing, ubiquitous computing, artificial intelligence, military, nanotechnology, robotics, speckled computing); * Biomedical technology, health and enhancement (including but not limited to artificial vision, body implants, neural interfaces, synaptic sensors); * Technologies of self and consciousness (including but not limited to augmentation, extended memory); * ICT: Philosophy, religion and technical issues (including but not limited to philosophy/history, justice, ethics- intellectual property, responsibility-, religion, engineering- design and reflection); * Technology, gender and culture (including but not limited to education, e-entertainment, computer/video games, media, social networking, serious games); * Environmental and sustainability technologies (including but not limited to green ICT, ICT ecological footprint, sustainable technologies transfer); * ICT vis-à-vis globalisation (including but not limited to ICT4D); * ICT vis-à-vis intercultural dialogue (including but not limited to positive/negative case-studies); * International ethics, law and policy issues (including but not limited to context awareness, cyber security, surveillance). The Organising Committee welcomes interdisciplinary perspectives by researchers and practitioners from computer science, computer ethics, information ethics, information systems, philosophy, anthropology, sociology, biomedical sciences, because a broad spectrum of analysis is intended. For more information on submission procedures, speed mentoring opportunities, and publication plans, please see the conference website, <http://www.cepe2013.com/> On behalf of the Organizing Committee, Gonçalo Costa Reginaldo de Almeida (Autónoma University of Lisbon, Portugal) Elizabeth Buchanan (University of Wisconsin-Stout, USA) Arlindo Alegre Donário (Autónoma University of Lisbon, Portugal) Charles Ess (University of Oslo, Norway) Michael Nagenborg (Tübingen University, Germany) Ricardo Borges Santos (Autónoma University of Lisbon, Portugal) == Many thanks, charles ess Associate Professor in Media Studies Department of Media and Communication University of Oslo P.O. Box 1093 Blindern NO-0317 Oslo Norway Tel. +47 228 50404 email: charles.ess(a)media.uio.no Director, Center for Research on Media Innovations (CeRMI) <http://www.hf.uio.no/imk/english/research/center/media-innovations/> Lifetime member, Association of Internet Researchers

1 0

post-doc position at Cornell
by Lee Humphreys 12 Dec '12

12 Dec '12

Post-Doctoral Associate in Public-Nonprofit Technology Use Department of Communication College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Ithaca, NY The Department of Communication at Cornell University is a national leader in the study of communication as a social science. Our faculty and students are dedicated to understanding the role and enhancing the effectiveness of communication processes, systems and infrastructure in society. We explore communication in its many forms and contexts as a fundamentally social phenomenon. Our faculty members are recognized for developing and applying novel theoretical perspectives to the most pressing social and policy issues of the day. The Department ranked among the top ten in the nation in a recent poll by the National Research Council. This ranking reflects the productivity and quality of the faculty and the diversity and success of our students. We seek a highly qualified postdoctoral associate to conduct civically-engaged research exploring the ways that members of the public are using technology to form more productive partnerships with nonprofit organizations. Specific topics of focus may include (but are not limited to) virtual volunteering, online advocacy and mobile giving. Candidates should have expertise applying a variety of qualitative research methods to the study of sociotechnical systems; previous experience working with nonprofit organizations or other community research partners is preferred. Candidates should have successfully undertaken independent research with a record of communicating research results via publications and presentations. They should be willing to mentor undergraduate research assistants and participate in the collaborative, interdisciplinary research environment at Cornell University. The postdoctoral associate will be appointed in Cornell’s Department of Communication and be supervised by Dr. Amy Voida. Additional project-specific guidance and mentoring will be offered by members of an advisory board that includes Dr. Judith Olson (University of California, Irvine), Dr. Leysia Palen (University of Colorado, Boulder), and Dr. Cliff Lampe (University of Michigan). The postdoctoral position is full-time for 12 months, at minimum, with the option to extend to 18 months given a promising trajectory of work. The postdoctoral associate will be a part of a vibrant, interdisciplinary research community at Cornell, spanning the departments of Communication, Information Science, and Science and Technology Studies. The postdoctoral associate will also have access to a breadth of resources provided by Cornell’s Office for Postdoctoral Studies (http://www.postdocs.cornell.edu<http://www.postdocs.cornell.edu/>), including numerous professional development classes and workshops. Qualifications: The postdoctoral associate must have a Ph.D. in communication and technology, information science, human-centered computing, organizational science or other related area by the time of employment. The start date is flexible but sometime in the spring of 2013 is preferred. Application: Interested candidates should submit: (1) a cover letter providing a high-level overview of their educational background, research experience, and the names and contact information for three references, (2) a current curriculum vitae, and (3) a relevant sample of published or submitted research. Application materials should be emailed to Dr. Amy Voida at amyvoida(a)cornell.edu<mailto:amyvoida@cornell.edu>. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Cornell University is an innovative Ivy League university and a great place to work. Our inclusive community of scholars, students and staff impart an uncommon sense of larger purpose and contribute creative ideas to further the university's mission of teaching, discovery and engagement. Located in Ithaca, NY, Cornell's far-flung global presence includes the medical college's campuses on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and in Doha, Qatar, as well as the new Cornell/NYC Tech campus to be built on Roosevelt Island in the heart of New York City. The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences is developing leaders, improving lives, and shaping the future. Diversity and inclusion have been and continue to be a part of our heritage. Cornell University is a recognized EEO/AA employer and educator.

1 0

PostDoc position at University of Urbino
by Rossi, Luca 12 Dec '12

12 Dec '12

Postdoc position (1 year) The department of Communication Studies and Humanities at the University of Urbino Carlo Bo, has an open postdoctoral position to work on propagation analysis and community detection in Social Network Sites (http://ec.europa.eu/euraxess/index.cfm/jobs/fgDetails/43581 ) The selected candidate will join the the Research Laboratory on Advanced Communication (LaRiCA) part of the Department of Communication Studies and Humanities. LaRiCA counts 9 staff members and 5 post graduate students. The lab is a young interdisciplinary research centre active in the fields of Digital Culture and Digital research methods. The ideal candidate will have a PhD in social sciences or related fields and a background in social network analysis applied to online data. Salary will be €.21.100,61 gross. Application: To apply for a postdoc position in Italy might be quite complex due to an insane level of bureaucracy. Nevertheless we really welcome international candidates so if you're interested in the position please send an email and a CV to luca.rossi(a)uniurb.it and we'll help you throughout the whole procedure. Deadline for application is Dec. 28th so please get in touch as soon as possible. -- -- Luca Rossi LaRiCA - Advanced Communication Laboratory Faculty of Sociology - "Carlo Bo" University, Urbino luca.rossi(a)uniurb.it T. +39 0722 305726 F. +39 0722 305727 http://larica.uniurb.it/redline

1 0

Appropriate Approaches to Online Community // Critical Guide
by Pip Shea 12 Dec '12

12 Dec '12

Appropriate Approaches to Online Community is the title of the first booklet in a series of *critical guides *I have been developing for community artists. It is an experiment that attempts to translate some of my PhD research <http://www.popomo.com/work_phd.html> findings. The booklet was inspired and informed by a period of fieldwork at CuriousWorks<http://www.curiousworks.com.au>. The guide explores multiple aspects of making online community networks, so that practitioners might develop appropriate Internet practices – network solutions that take the specific needs of individuals and communities in to consideration. The guide promotes critical approaches to online community building, to encourage the continuation of creative practices beyond community arts projects. The booklet is available as a free PDF. <http://www.popomo.com/research/blog/?p=842>If you download it, please leave a comment on the post regarding why the booklet is of interest to you (this will REALLY, REALLY help me to evaluate the project). The guide is CC licensed for re-purposing. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Pip Shea http://www.popomo.com - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

1 0

Re: [Air-L] Why do people apologize for cross-posting?
by Joe Walther 12 Dec '12

12 Dec '12

Two responses: Deborah Finn's intuition has some precedent in the research literature. In Smith, McLaughlin, & Osborne's early JCMC article on "Conduct Control on Usenet" (back in the day when download speeds were slow, and detecting and deleting redundancies was quite effortful), the authors noted that to avoid the perception of "bandwidth piggery" individuals would apologize up front for cross-postings. See http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol2/issue4/smith.html More recently, Hee Sun Park et al. (2005) document that Koreans (and members of other cultures, in subsequent research) tend to apologize in the introductions of unsolicited (SPAM) messages. See Human Communication Research, 31 (3), pp. 365-398. --Joe === Joe Walther Professor of Communication Professor of Telecommunication, Information Studies & Media Michigan State University https://www.msu.edu/~jwalther/ Date: Mon, 10 Dec 2012 18:44:39 -0500 From: Deborah Elizabeth Finn <deborah_elizabeth_finn(a)post.harvard.edu> To: Barry Wellman <wellman(a)chass.utoronto.ca> Cc: air-l(a)aoir.org Subject: Re: [Air-L] Why do people apologize for cross-posting? Message-ID: <CAJwDAXq-Fj51UjZWkHASApBSXyzZPcy+KKravuNVtzaeY8Momw(a)mail.gmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 On Mon, Dec 10, 2012 at 6:25 PM, Barry Wellman <wellman(a)chass.utoronto.ca>wrote: >>How else do you get the word out to multiple lists. >>Please be proud of yourself. Dear Barry, My theory is that it dates back to the day of Usenet. If you cross-posted to multiple Usenet groups, the members of all those groups would see all responses. This meant that folks from alt.fan.kirk-rules would have to be contaminated with content written by members of alt.fan.picard-rules. Oh, the humanity!

2 1

REMINDER: Call for Papers: Fandom and/as Labor
by Mel Stanfill 11 Dec '12

11 Dec '12

Hi all, Reminder that the deadline for the special issue of *Transformative Works and Cultures* on Fandom and/as Labor is coming down the pike: March 1, 2013. Or, since the composition of the list is always in flux, a first announcement if you haven't yet seen it! I look forward to insightful contributions from AoIRistas! Mel Stanfill PhD Candidate Illinois Distinguished Fellow Institute of Communications Research University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign http://www.melstanfill.com Please forward widely > > * > * > > *Fandom and/as Labor* > > > > Call for papers > > > > Special issue of *Transformative Works and Cultures* ( > http://journal.transformativeworks.org/) March 2014 > > > > Edited by Mel Stanfill and Megan Condis (University of Illinois, > Urbana-Champaign) > > > > CFP online: > http://journal.transformativeworks.org/index.php/twc/announcement/view/21 > http://journal.transformativeworks.org/index.php/twc/announcement/view/21 > > > It has long been recognized both within academia and in the various > communities organized around fandom that the practice of being a fan does > not merely consist of passive consumption. Rather, fans are also > productive: they generate interpretations of their favorite television > shows, extratextual products like fan fiction and fan videos, and data > about their own consumption habits and those of their peers that will be > used to market new products. Whether labors of love or value extracted from > unaware fans, this productivity is rarely conceptualized as labor. > > > > Given recent events like the 2011 Wisconsin labor protests, however, > broader questions of labor and fair compensation have been reinvigorated, > such that taking these productive fan activities seriously as labor seems > to be particularly vital in the current moment. > > > In this special issue on Fandom and/as Labor, we invite contributions that > ask after how labor relates to fandom, how labor happens in fandom, and > what happens when we reconceptualize fandom as labor. > > We welcome submissions dealing with, but not limited to, the following > topics: > > - Case studies of how fans negotiate/conceptualize the labors that > they perform. > - Analyses of the ways in which popular texts present/narrate the > labor involved in participating in fandom. > - Examinations of how fan labor is gendered, raced, classed, and/or > related to sexuality, ability, and nation. > - Analysis of the monetization of existing fan labor and/or the > production of profitable new types of fan labor. > - Theoretical or experiential accounts of the tension between freely > given fan labor or the fan gift economy and exploitation through the > extraction of surplus value. > > *Submission guidelines* > > TWC accommodates academic articles of varying scope as well as other forms > that embrace the technical possibilities of the Web and test the limits of > the genre of academic writing. Contributors are encouraged to include > embedded links, images, and videos in their articles or to propose > submissions in alternative formats that might comprise interviews, > collaborations, or video/multimedia works. We are also seeking reviews of > relevant books, events, courses, platforms, or projects. > > *Theory:* Often interdisciplinary essays with a conceptual focus and a > theoretical frame that offer expansive interventions in the field. Blinded > peer review. Length: 5,000–8,000 words plus a 100–250-word abstract. > > *Praxis:* Analyses of particular cases that may apply a specific theory > or framework to an artifact; explicate fan practice or formations; or > perform a detailed reading of a text. Blinded peer review. Length: > 4,000–7,000 words plus a 100–250-word abstract. > > *Symposium:* Short pieces that provide insight into current developments > and debates. Nonblinded editorial review. Length: 1,500–2,500 words. > > Submissions are accepted online only. Please visit TWC's Web site ( > http://journal.transformativeworks.org/) for complete submission > guidelines, or e-mail the TWC Editor (editor AT transformativeworks.org) > > *Contact* > > We encourage potential contributors to contact the guest editor with > inquiries or proposals: *Mel Stanfill **and Megan Condis* (fandom.labor > AT gmail.com) > > *Due dates* > Contributions for blinded peer review (Theory and Praxis essays) are due > by *March 1, 2013*.** > > Contributions that undergo editorial review (Symposium, Interview, Review) > are due by *April 1, 2013*. >

1 0

Call for Projects | Interactivos?'13 Tools for a Read-Write World
by Medialab-Prado comunicacion 11 Dec '12

11 Dec '12

*MEDIALAB-PRADO* Área de Las Artes del Ayuntamiento de Madrid Arts Department of the Madrid City Council http://medialab-prado.es* * * * Interactivos?'13 Tools for a Read-Write World. Call for Projects Medialab-Prado and The Libre Graphics Research Unit are seeking for projects to be *collaboratively developed* during a two-weeks workshop to be held in Madrid, 15-27 April, 2013. We are interested in your ideas for*tools to design, edit, draw and write together*. This edition focuses on (re)inventing a Libre Graphics workflow that supports collaboration and exchange. Advisors: Libre Graphics Magazine editorial team (ginger coons, Ana Carvalho and Ricardo Lafuente); Comunes Collective - KUNE collaborative software (Vicente Ruiz Jurado, Samer Hassan) and Jennifer Dopazo. Curated by Femke Snelting (LGRU, Constant) *Call Open: October 31 2012 – January 15, 2013.* Call for collaborators: February 5 – April 9, 2013. Libre Graphics Meeting and presentations of the selected projects: April 10-13, 2013. Workshop: April 15-27, 2013. Entry rules and submission form: http://medialab-prado.es/article/ilgru_call_projects -- Nerea García Garmendia Comunicación / Press Medialab-Prado Intermediae Matadero Madrid Paseo de la Chopera, 14 28045 Madrid (Temporary Location) Tel. +34 915 177 288 difusion(a)medialab-prado.es www.medialab-prado.es http://www.facebook.com/MedialabPradoMadrid Twitter: @medialabprado

1 0

Call for Projects | Interactivos?'13 Tools for a Read-Write World
by Medialab-Prado comunicacion 11 Dec '12

11 Dec '12

*MEDIALAB-PRADO* Área de Las Artes del Ayuntamiento de Madrid Arts Department of the Madrid City Council http://medialab-prado.es* * * * Interactivos?'13 Tools for a Read-Write World. Call for Projects Medialab-Prado and The Libre Graphics Research Unit are seeking for projects to be *collaboratively developed* during a two-weeks workshop to be held in Madrid, 15-27 April, 2013. We are interested in your ideas for*tools to design, edit, draw and write together*. This edition focuses on (re)inventing a Libre Graphics workflow that supports collaboration and exchange. Advisors: Libre Graphics Magazine editorial team (ginger coons, Ana Carvalho and Ricardo Lafuente); Comunes Collective - KUNE collaborative software (Vicente Ruiz Jurado, Samer Hassan) and Jennifer Dopazo. Curated by Femke Snelting (LGRU, Constant) *Call Open: October 31 2012 – January 15, 2013.* Call for collaborators: February 5 – April 9, 2013. Libre Graphics Meeting and presentations of the selected projects: April 10-13, 2013. Workshop: April 15-27, 2013. Entry rules and submission form: http://medialab-prado.es/article/ilgru_call_projects -- Nerea García Garmendia Comunicación / Press Medialab-Prado Intermediae Matadero Madrid Paseo de la Chopera, 14 28045 Madrid (Temporary Location) Tel. +34 915 177 288 difusion(a)medialab-prado.es www.medialab-prado.es http://www.facebook.com/MedialabPradoMadrid Twitter: @medialabprado

1 0