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Call for Papers: JOLT special issue on MOOCs
by Lee, Mark 16 Oct '12

16 Oct '12

Dear colleagues, The MERLOT Journal of Online Learning and Teaching (JOLT at http://jolt.merlot.org/) has just released a Call for Papers for a special issue on Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), to be published in Summer (June) 2013. The Guest Editors of the special issue are George Siemens (Athabasca University), Valerie Irvine (University of Victoria), and Jillianne Code (University of Victoria). Proposals in the form of extended abstracts (500 words) are due on November 15, 2012, with full manuscripts due on January 31, 2013. The full Call for Papers is available at the following URL: http://jolt.merlot.org/jolt_moocs_cfp.pdf Please feel free to share this information with others who you think might be interested. Kind regards, --- Mark J. W. Lee (Charles Sturt University) Editor, MERLOT Journal of Online Learning and Teaching (JOLT) Email: jolteditor(a)merlot.org Charles Sturt University | ALBURY-WODONGA | BATHURST | CANBERRA | DUBBO | GOULBURN | MELBOURNE | ONTARIO | ORANGE | PORT MACQUARIE | SYDNEY | WAGGA WAGGA | LEGAL NOTICE This email (and any attachment) is confidential and is intended for the use of the addressee(s) only. If you are not the intended recipient of this email, you must not copy, distribute, take any action in reliance on it or disclose it to anyone. Any confidentiality is not waived or lost by reason of mistaken delivery. Email should be checked for viruses and defects before opening. Charles Sturt University (CSU) does not accept liability for viruses or any consequence which arise as a result of this email transmission. Email communications with CSU may be subject to automated email filtering, which could result in the delay or deletion of a legitimate email before it is read at CSU. The views expressed in this email are not necessarily those of CSU. Charles Sturt University in Australia http://www.csu.edu.au The Grange Chancellery, Panorama Avenue, Bathurst NSW Australia 2795 (ABN: 83 878 708 551; CRICOS Provider Numbers: 00005F (NSW), 01947G (VIC), 02960B (ACT)). TEQSA Provider Number: PV12018 Charles Sturt University in Ontario http://www.charlessturt.ca 860 Harrington Court, Burlington Ontario Canada L7N 3N4 Registration: www.peqab.ca Consider the environment before printing this email.

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Microsoft Research, Social Media Collective Postdoc Opening
by danah boyd 16 Oct '12

16 Oct '12

(Please forward this far and wide to anyone you know who might be interested. <grin>) The Social Media Collective at Microsoft Research New England (MSRNE) is looking for a social media postdoctoral researcher (start date: 1 July, 2013). This position is an ideal opportunity for a scholar whose work draws on anthropology, communication, media studies, sociology, and/or science and technology studies to bring empirical and critical perspectives to complex socio-technical issues. Application deadline: Monday 19 November, 2012. A web version of this call is available here: http://socialmediacollective.org/2012/10/15/postdoc-opening/ Microsoft Research provides a vibrant multidisciplinary research environment with an open publications policy and close links to top academic institutions around the world. Postdoc researcher positions provide emerging scholars, (PhDs received in 2012 or to be conferred by July 2013), an opportunity to develop their research career and to interact with some of the top minds in the research community. The position also offers the potential to have research realized in products and services that will be used world-wide. Postdoc researchers are invited to define their own research agenda and demonstrate their ability to drive forward an effective program of research. Successful candidates will have a well-established research track record as demonstrated by journal publications and conference papers, as well as participation on program committees, editorial boards, and advisory panels. Postdoc researchers receive a competitive salary and benefits package, and are eligible for relocation expenses. Postdoc researchers are hired for a two-year term appointment following the academic calendar, starting in July 2013. Applicants must have completed the requirements for a PhD, including submission of their dissertation, prior to joining Microsoft Research. We do accept applicants with tenure-track job offers from other institutions so long as they are able to negotiate deferring their start date to accept our position. While each of the seven Microsoft Research labs has openings in a variety of different disciplines, the Social Media Collective at Microsoft Research New England (located in Cambridge, MA) is especially interested in identifying social science candidates with critical humanistic approaches to their topics. Qualifications include a strong academic record in anthropology, communication, media studies, sociology, science and technology studies, or related fields. The ideal candidate may be trained in any number of disciplines, but should have a strong methodological, analytical, and theoretical foundation in humanistic approaches to the social sciences, be interested in questions related to technology or the internet and society or culture, and be interested in working across disciplines and with computer scientists. The Social Media Collective is comprised of full-time researchers, postdocs, visiting faculty, PhD interns, and research assistants. Current projects include: - How does social media use affect relationships between artists and audiences in the creative industries? (Nancy Baym) - How do youth make sense of networked publics? (danah boyd) - How do we listen to each other in networked environments, and what are the implications for intimacy, privacy and social change? (Kate Crawford) - How does information infrastructure shape event epistemology? (Megan Finn) - How do people with minimal internet access use mobile media to negotiate marginalization and social immobility? (Mary L. Gray) To apply for a postdoc position at MSRNE: 1. Submit an online application at: https://research.microsoft.com/apps/tools/jobs/fulltime.aspx - Indicate that your research area of interest is “Anthropology, Communication, Media Studies, and Sociology” and that your location preference is “New England, U.S.” - In addition to the CV and names of three referees (including your dissertation advisor) that the online application will require you to include, upload the following 3 attachments with your online application: a) two journal articles, book chapters, or equivalent writing samples (uploaded as 2 separate attachments); b) a single research statement (four page maximum length) that addresses the following: outlines the questions and methodologies central to your research agenda (~two page maximum length); provides an abstract and chapter outline of your dissertation (~one page maximum length); offers a description of how your research agenda relates to research conducted by the social media collective (~one page maximum length) 2. After you submit your application, send an email (msrnejob(a)microsoft.com) alerting us that you have uploaded your application. If an applicant meets the requirements above, a request for letters will be sent to your list of referees on your behalf. ALL LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION MUST BE RECEIVED BY THE DEADLINE IN ORDER FOR AN APPLICATION TO BE CONSIDERED. Please make sure to check back with your referees or us if you have any questions about the status of your requested letters of recommendation. For more information, see: http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/jobs/fulltime/postdoc.aspx To learn more about the Social Media Collective, check out our blog: http://www.socialmediacollective.org Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer ------ "you don't have to like me for who i am / but we'll see what you're made of / by what you make of me" -- ani http://www.zephoria.org/thoughts/ http://www.danah.org/ @zephoria

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New book: "The Digital Rights Movement The Role of Technology in Subverting Digital Copyright"
by Michael Zimmer 16 Oct '12

16 Oct '12

Colleagues: If you happen to see Hector Postigo at #IR13 in Manchester this week, congratulate him on his new book, "The Digital Rights Movement The Role of Technology in Subverting Digital Copyright", recently released in the "Information Society Series" at MIT Press. Better yet -- stop by the MIT Press book stand and buy a copy! Michael Zimmer Series co-editor == The Digital Rights Movement: The Role of Technology in Subverting Digital Copyright http://mitpress.mit.edu/catalog/item/default.asp?ttype=2&tid=12996 by Hector Postigo The movement against restrictive digital copyright protection arose largely in response to the excesses of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) of 1998. In The Digital Rights Movement, Hector Postigo shows that what began as an assertion of consumer rights to digital content has become something broader: a movement concerned not just with consumers and gadgets but with cultural ownership. Increasingly stringent laws and technological measures are more than incoveniences; they lock up access to our “cultural commons.” Postigo describes the legislative history of the DMCA and how policy “blind spots” produced a law at odds with existing and emerging consumer practices. Yet the DMCA established a political and legal rationale brought to bear on digital media, the Internet, and other new technologies. Drawing on social movement theory and science and technology studies, Postigo presents case studies of resistance to increased control over digital media, describing a host of tactics that range from hacking to lobbying. Postigo discusses the movement’s new, user-centered conception of “fair use” that seeks to legitimize noncommercial personal and creative uses such as copying legitimately purchased content and remixing music and video tracks. He introduces the concept of technological resistance--when hackers and users design and deploy technologies that allows access to digital content despite technological protection mechanisms--as the flip side to the technological enforcement represented by digital copy protection and a crucial tactic for the movement. About the Author Hector Postigo is Associate Professor in the Department of Broadcasting, Telecommunications, and Mass Media in the School of Communications and Theater at Temple University. -- Michael Zimmer, PhD Assistant Professor, School of Information Studies Director, Center for Information Policy Research University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee e: zimmerm(a)uwm.edu w: www.michaelzimmer.org

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Finding a Proxy for Hot Terms in volatile contexts?
by intl2 16 Oct '12

16 Oct '12

Hi. I am measuring outgroup perceptions and migration in a volatile location. After some strong reaction to terms used directly in some of my interviews, I need to find proxies for some of the "Hot Terms". What I mean is that I want to find words that I can use that will strongly correlate to the "Hot Terms" in measuring perceptions of in-groups and out-groups but will not be such a problem to discuss calmly in both quant and qual surveying. For example: Fundamentalist Right-Wing Left-Wing Liberal Conservative and, of course, Murder Assassination Arson Riot I will appreciate direct suggestions on how to find appropriate terms, or literature that will help me move forward to quickly measure perceptions at a lower stress level for all involved. Thank you. Jon Gresham

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Call for Book Chapters (Springer-Verlag): Convergent Divergence? - Cross-Disciplinary Viewpoint on Media Convergence
by artur.lugmayr＠tut.fi 16 Oct '12

16 Oct '12

========================================================================================== CALL FOR BOOK CHAPTER PROPOSALS Convergent Divergence? - Cross-Disciplinary Viewpoint on Media Convergence Springer-Verlag, Germany Artur Lugmayr, Cinzia Dal Zotto, and Gregory Ferrell Lowe Lowe (Eds.) ========================================================================================== Upcoming Deadline: 1st December 2012 - intention to prepare a manuscript Book Website: http://www.tut.fi/emmi/WWW/ameamain/2012convergence Email List: https://listmail.tut.fi/mailman/listinfo/emmi-convergence Submission System: http://www.tut.fi/emmi/Submissions/2012ConvergenceBook/ Contact us: emmi-convergence(a)listmail.tut.fi Media Convergence happens on many levels and each of them implicates specific challenges and priorities. Within the scope of this book, we focus on end-to-end convergence on various levels: managerial, information systems, and end-consumers level. The book will especially shed light into the complexity of the topic and act as a reference book and educational resource in this field. The implementations of convergence strategies can only succeed when they take into account the expectations and aspirations of every actor with a stake in the enterprise, including content producers. Managers unanimously agree on the importance of human resources management within the implementation process. This consideration implies that convergence is more than an economic opportunity and needs to be understood as well as a focus of editorial strategy. Convergence is often discussed at a rhetorical and political level. But how does convergence actually happen, and does convergence lead to divergence? Media industry understands convergence in ways that differ from the perceptions of consumers, who are clearly diverging in the ways they consume media. Media managers are faced with the need to satisfy users? expectations and also undertake convergence as an industrial strategy to achieve economies of scope & scale. Another challenge lies in the development of information systems in media industries that support convergence. Do these also lead to divergence? Does blurring the boundaries between the various distribution platforms let media diverge from the consumer?s point of view? This book will encourage an active discussion around this theme, taking multiple viewpoints into account: a content creator perspective (journalistic or artistic), an information system perspective, the consumer?s expectations, management and technological challenges, as well as market dynamics. In conclusion, can all the challenges of convergence be solved, or does convergence lead to further divergence. ========================================================================================== Topics of Interest ========================================================================================== ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Convergence Issues in the Media Industry and Media Organizations ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ o Media policy and regulatory challenges o Cross-platform, cross-country, and converging media policies o Convergence versus media market competition and concentration o Media products demand and offer, consumers versus producers: diverging convergence? o Convergence and managerial challenges in the media industries (TV, radio, news, publishing, music, online) o Converging newsrooms, organizational and human resource development o Convergence management and leadership o Business models and strategies for converging media products and services o Impact of social media on convergence processes o Branding media in converging environments o Marketing and advertising in converging environments o Intellectual property rights and royalty management in convergence processes o Quality and ethics in converging environments o Management, leadership of projects and media organizations for convergence ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Technological Convergence ? Media Business Information Management & Information Systems ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ o Media business information management for convergence o Media information system design enabling convergence o Business intelligence in converging media environments o Knowledge management systems in converging environments o Workflow management, operational efficiency and new capturing technologies producing converging services o Operational efficiency and cost reduction of converging technologies o Cross-media offering, distribution channels and convergence o Home platforms, mobility, multi-play and network convergence o Systems for management reporting, analysis, and decision support in converging environments o Standards to enable technical convergence o Data warehousing in converging environments o Integration of analogue and digital media productions o Mobile convergence o E2E systems and solutions in converging media environments o Production processes for convergence o Asset management and metadata enabling convergence o E2E systems, infrastructures and solutions o Collaborative media productions and convergence o Integration of analogue and digital media production and distribution ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Convergence Issues from a Consumer, HCI, Experience Perspective ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ o Quality of Experience (QoE) o Customer service/relation management (CRM) and analytics o Audience and consumer research within convergence processes o Convergence versus personalized and individualized media products offerings o Convergence and consumer loyalty aspects, consumer targeting, niche audiences, and new revenue streams o Changing aesthetics of media in times of convergence o Human centred and user friendly computing and interaction o New technologies for consumer studies and research o User experience, user innovation and convergence o User experience, user innovation and convergence o Social impact o Security and privacy in a converging environment o Human computer interaction and experience design enabling convergence o Understanding the audience, audience trends, and audience statistics in converging eco-systems o and experience Tools, systems, theories, and techniques to understand, create and design interactivity ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Convergence in Practice: Applications, Services, and Eco-Systems ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ o Converging service economy o Convergence and sustainability o Convergence project management o Business information systems o Convergence media industry projects (TV, movie, online, and print) o Successful and unsuccessful case studies on media convergence o End-to-end digital content o Live events o Etc. We strongly welcome other topic suggestions dealing with convergence on a managerial, information system, and consumer level beyond the topics suggested above. ========================================================================================== Schedule & Deadlines ========================================================================================== * 1st December 2012 Notification for intending to contribute with a book chapter to help us in the review process planning of the book (author team, preliminary title, and very brief abstract of max. 250 words) * 31st January 2013 1st manuscript version (also authors who did not notify us to intend to contribute are invited to submit) * 1st March 2013 Review comments for 1st manuscript version and notification of acceptance * 31st May 2013 2nd manuscript version that should include several review comments and final notification of acceptance * 1st July 2013 Final manuscript ========================================================================================== Manuscript Preparation ========================================================================================== * please follow the manuscript formatting guidelines below, and only submit the original version (in Microsoft word) with the submission system * each final manuscript should be 15-20 pages long (depending on the number of submissions longer manuscripts will also be accepted) * Please prepare your manuscript according the following guidelines: http://www.springer.com/authors/book+authors?SGWID=0-154102-12-417900-0 * Manuscript submission website: http://www.tut.fi/emmi/Submissions/2012ConvergenceBook/ ========================================================================================== Stay Informed ========================================================================================== Email-list: https://listmail.tut.fi/mailman/listinfo/emmi-convergence Questions: lartur(a)acm.org (please cc to: emmi-convergence(a)listmail.tut.fi) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ConvergentDivergence/ br, Artur -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Prof. Dr. Artur Lugmayr Tel.: +358 (0)40 849 0773 or +358 (0)40 821 0558, Fax.: +358 3 3115 4680 artur.lugmayr(a)tut.fi, http://www.tut.fi/emmi/, http://www.facebook.com/artur.lugmayr, http://www.artur-lugmayr.info/, http://twitter.com/lartur#, www.ambientmediaassociation.org Tampere University of Technology Department of Business Information Management and Logistics P.O. Box 541, Korkeakoulunkatu 8 FIN 33101 Tampere FINLAND

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PhD Scholarship: Behavioural Change and Technology
by Adam Joinson 16 Oct '12

16 Oct '12

Hello Air-l I have a new PhD scholarship available at UWE Bristol in the UK to look at ways technology can be used to help change people's behavior in order to achieve a social good - for instance, health behavior (e.g. exercise, obesity), risk taking, protecting privacy, improving social relations / capital etc. Details are at: http://www1.uwe.ac.uk/research/postgraduateresearchstudy/studentshipopportu… Deadline is quite short (5th Nov) with an envisaged start date of Jan 2013. Please forward to anyone who might be interested. Thanks Adam Joinson w: www.joinson.com e: adam.joinson(a)uwe.ac.uk

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W3C Workshop: Do Not Track and Beyond
by Seda Guerses 16 Oct '12

16 Oct '12

for those of you who are following the dnt debate, this may be an interesting opportunity to pitch in different perspectives. best, s. W3C Workshop: Do Not Track and Beyond 26-27 November 2012 http://www.w3.org/2012/dnt-ws/ Call For Participation Background Out of the April 2011 W3C workshop on Web Tracking and User Privacy, W3C chartered its Tracking Protection Working Group, which commenced work in September. The Working Group has produced drafts of Do Not Track specifications, concurrent with various implementations in browsers and Web sites and along side heightened press and policymaker attention. Meanwhile, public concern over online privacy — be it tracking, online social networking or identity theft — remains. For more info about the past workshop and ongoing Working Group: http://www.w3.org/2011/track-privacy/ http://www.w3.org/2011/tracking-protection/ Goals and Scope This workshop serves as a forum for the W3C membership and the public to discuss the Consortium's next steps in the area of tracking protection and Web privacy. What have we learned from Do Not Track standardization and real-world implementations? Furthermore, undoubtedly support for privacy on the Web platform cannot end with Do Not Track: what should we look at next and beyond DNT? The workshop is geared to a broad set of stakeholders, including implementers from the mobile and desktop space, large and small content delivery providers, advertisement networks, search engines, policy and privacy experts, consumer advocates, and other parties with an interest in Web tracking, tracking protection and related technologies. We specifically invite participants from industries that might respond to a Do Not Track preference or use DNT and related technologies for user transparency and choice beyond online behavioral advertising: including, for example, email marketing, mobile application development and online social networking. Topics for discussion include, but are not limited to: * Directions for, and input to, the W3C Tracking Protection Working Group's ongoing work on Do Not Track. * Preliminary implementation experience and impact evaluations of Do Not Track and related approaches. * Candidates for future W3C standardization on tracking protection in particular, and on user privacy on the Web in general. * Trends in online privacy issues and potential techniques to address new concerns. Participation Requirements All participants are required to submit a position paper by 22 October. W3C membership is not required and there is no fee to participate in this workshop. Your paper must meet the following criteria: * explains your interest in the Workshop * aligned with the Workshop's stated goals as outlined above. * 1 to 5 pages long Submit a position paper via email to: team-privacyws-submit(a)w3.org Important dates 22 October Deadline for position papers 26-27 November Workshop To facilitate travel after the US post-holiday weekend, the workshop will begin at 2pm on Monday the 26th, and close by 6pm on Tuesday the 27th. Chairs * Nick Doty, W3C * Jan Schallaböck, ICPP For more information, please contact Nick Doty, W3C <npdoty(a)w3.org> Venue The Workshop will be hosted by UC Berkeley, in the Sutardja Dai Hall, in Berkeley, California. Thanks to Yahoo! for sponsoring the Workshop.

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Social Media PostDoc Position at Microsoft Research New England
by Nancy Baym 16 Oct '12

16 Oct '12

The Social Media Collective at Microsoft Research (Nancy Baym, danah boyd, Kate Crawford, Mary L. Gray, Megan Finn) is seeking a Postdoc for 2013-2015. We are looking for a scholar whose work draws on anthropology, communication, media studies, sociology, and/or science and technology studies to bring empirical and critical perspectives to complex socio-technical issues.You can find the complete call including application information here: http://socialmediacollective.org/2012/10/15/postdoc-opening/ (short story: it's an amazing opportunity!) Nancy, Mary and Megan will be at Internet Research 13 this week in Salford - if you are there and interested (or have a student who might be), please feel free to talk with any of us about this. And everyone who is coming to #ir13 please come to the reception Microsoft Research sponsored reception Saturday evening! Cheers, Nancy

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Position Announcement: Director of the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, ASU
by Greg Wise 15 Oct '12

15 Oct '12

[Apologies for cross-posting; I thought this might be of interest to some on the list]: DIRECTOR, SCHOOL OF SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES New College of Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences Arizona State University The School of Social and Behavioral Sciences in the New College of Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences, at Arizona State University (ASU) invites application for School Director. This is an opportunity to take a leadership role in a rapidly growing and innovative interdisciplinary liberal arts college within ASU, the New American University. The successful applicant will be expected to provide administrative vision, leadership, and management for the School; contribute to the School's interdisciplinary teaching and research missions; to engage in research and teaching that complement and strengthen current offerings and emphases in SBS; and to foster interdisciplinary, transdisciplinary, and multidisciplinary research and teaching. We are seeking exceptional senior candidates for appointment at the rank of Full Professor. Required Qualifications: The person appointed must have an earned doctorate in a related field. In addition, candidates must demonstrate a) a research record of excellence warranting appointment as a Full Professor with Tenure at ASU; b) successful administrative experience at the chair level or above; c) an ongoing program of research and publication; d) a record of successful teaching; and e) evidence of ability to contribute to interdisciplinary collaborations in research and teaching. Desired qualifications: a) history of successful extramural funding; and b) successful leadership experience in an interdisciplinary program. Deadline: November 30, 2012; if not filled, every Friday thereafter until the search is closed. Application procedures: Only electronic applications are accepted. Send letter of application, a statement describing your research program and teaching philosophy, curriculum vitae, a statement describing your administrative philosophy, and three names of references along with contact information to: Ms. Jamie Howell at: NewCollegeJobs(a)asu.edu<mailto:NewCollegeJobs@asu.edu>. Applicants should reference position #10248 in their application. Members of our School are committed to excellence in teaching and research and SBS is proud of the accomplishments of our faculty, students, and graduates. We are a research-oriented school where our priority is the discovery of new knowledge of human behavior, social issues and social/cultural processes; the application of that knowledge to our students and the community of Arizona. Students are encouraged to participate in faculty-student collaborative research projects, explore cross-cultural and global perspectives in their courses, access the latest computer technology for projects and assignments, and apply what they have learned in a variety of community-based internship sites across the Phoenix metropolitan area. More information about the School, its faculty, and its degree programs can be found at: http://newcollege.asu.edu/sbs Arizona State University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. Women and minorities are encouraged to apply. ASU's non-discrimination statement may be found at: https://www.asu.edu/titleIX. All offers of employment are contingent upon the successful outcome (as determined by the university) of the pre-employment screening activities, including a criminal history check (or a fingerprint check), under Arizona Board of Regents policy 6-709. ASU has developed a vision for the "New American University." We believe the university can transform society and enable student success. We value innovation, transcend disciplinary boundaries, and foster work that engages with the community and the world http://newamericanuniversity.asu.edu/#1. New College, located on ASU's West Campus, has a special place in this mission as a socially embedded, interdisciplinary, liberal arts college with the resources of and, in the context of, an R1 research institution. Dr. J. Macgregor Wise Associate Dean New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences Arizona State University 4701 West Thunderbird Road Glendale, AZ 85306-4908 (602) 543 6646; (602) 543 4565 (fax) http://newcollege.asu.edu

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CFP: Beyond the Margins, DePaul University, May 17-18
by Paul Booth 15 Oct '12

15 Oct '12

BEYOND THE MARGINS May 17-18, 2013 / DePaul University Beyond the Margins, a graduate student conference hosted by the Media and Cinema Studies program in the College of Communication at DePaul University, invites current graduate students in any discipline to submit proposals focused on the dialectic between the mainstream and the marginal as it occurs within various media. This conference will serve as a forum to bring together graduate students with similar interests to share and discuss his/her work, with the general public welcome in the audience. Panelists are invited to approach the concept of marginality and the media from such critical perspectives as culture and representation, technology and distribution, history and canonization, audiences and journalism, creators and transgression, among other approaches. Each panelist will be given up to 20 minutes to present their paper. Potential topics for papers and panels include, but are not limited to: - The role of the academy in ‘reclaiming’ neglected media texts - Case studies of marginalized films, programs, texts, etc. - The ‘mainstreaming’ of sub-culture - The phenomenon of ‘cultural currency’ and media products - Cult audiences - ‘Trash’ media texts - The ‘cross-over’ phenomenon and media audiences - Social media and fandom - The political economy of marginal media texts - Advertising and niche audiences - Marginalization and race, gender and/or sexuality in the media - Journalism and the formation of ‘the popular’ - Public relations as advocate for marginalized audiences, publics, and or stakeholders - Public relations as a media advocacy tool - Marginal media texts and personal identity Proposals should be between 250-300 words, and should also provide a list of three to five keywords related to your subject along with a brief biography. Full panel proposals on a single theme are also welcome, and should include a 250-300 word description of the panel’s larger significance/objectives in addition to each panelist’s individual proposal. Panels must consist of exactly four panelists. Please email your abstract, keywords and biography to Prof. Blair Davis: bdavis47(a)depaul.edu The deadline for proposals is January 15th. Notification of acceptance will be given by February 1st. The subject line should contain the writer’s last name followed by “Beyond the Margins Abstract.” Please contact Prof. Davis directly if you have any questions or concerns.

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