IAMCR 2015: Diaspora and Media Working Group - CfP - Deadline 9 February

The IAMCR Diaspora and the Media Working Group invites submissions of abstracts for papers and panel proposals for the IAMCR 2015 conference to be held in Montréal from 12th to 16th July 2015.

Conference theme: “Hegemony or Resistance? The Ambiguous Power of Communication”

See the conference key dates and deadlines: http://iamcr.org/congress/montreal2015-keydates

See all Calls for Papers for IAMCR 2015: http://iamcr.org/congress/montreal2015-cfp

Visit the conference website: http://congresiamcr.uqam.ca

The Conference will be held under the general theme, “Hegemony or Resistance? The Ambiguous Power of Communication”. We will consider proposals on any issue within the usual scope of the Working Group, but will prioritize those that relate to the Conference theme, that is, examining diasporic media and communications in the context of hegemony and resistance.

More broadly, as the relationship between diasporas and globalization is enhanced and intensified as a result of the transnationalization of the media, processes of reconfiguration of place, space and culture are set in motion which affect everyday life for diasporic communities. Communication media, old and new, increasingly link producers and audiences and enable unprecedented social networking across national boundaries. Media are thus fostering both the deterritorialization and reterritorialization of diasporic identities, as well as challenging and transforming established notions of the nation-state; of the contours of world regions; of tradition, heritage and citizenship; and of modes of belonging.

The Working Group aims to bring together interested researchers to discuss these processes and their broader implications, and to present empirical and theoretical work at the 2015 Conference around the following general themes:

the interplay of the transnational, translocal and the local in diasporic communications;
diasporic communications and the making of diasporic identities;
transnational diasporic communication strategies and practices;
diasporic audiences and cultural politics;
diasporic cultural production and consumption;
integration, cultural separatism and hybridity;
diasporic media and cosmopolitanism;
diasporic media and community media;
diasporic media and mainstream media;
congruity/incongruity between diasporic formations and world regions;
new research agendas;
theoretical and methodological approaches in the study of diasporas and the media.

Individual papers and panels are possible, but all proposals must be submitted through the online Open Conference System at http://iamcr-ocs.org from 1 December 2014 – 9 February 2015. Early submission is strongly encouraged. There are to be no email submissions of abstracts addressed to any Section or Working Group Head.

It is expected that for the most part, only one (1) abstract will be submitted per person for consideration by the Conference. However, under no circumstances should there be more than two (2) abstracts bearing the name of the same applicant either individually or as part of any group of authors. Please note also that the same abstract or another version with minor variations in title or content must not be submitted to other Sections or Working Groups of the Association for consideration, after an initial submission. Such submissions will be deemed to be in breach of the conference guidelines and will be automatically rejected by the Open Conference System, by the relevant Head or by the Conference Programme Reviewer. Such applicants risk being removed entirely from the conference programme.

The Diaspora and the Media working group will accept abstracts in English, French or Spanish, but English is preferred to facilitate the international peer review process. We will arrange for presentations in English, French or Spanish. However, sessions in languages other than English are possible only if the number of qualified proposals warrants it and complete sessions can be put together in the same language. Please indicate if you would be willing to make your presentation in English if we are unable to accommodate your first choice.

Upon submission of an abstract, you will be asked to confirm that your submission is original and that it has not been previously published in the form presented. You will also be given an opportunity to declare if your submission is currently before another conference for consideration.

Presenters are expected to bring fully developed work to the Conference. Prior to the Conference, it is expected that a completed paper will be submitted to Section, Working Group, Session Chairs, and/or Discussants.

Submissions Format

All proposals must include: title, author/coordinator name(s), institutional affiliation(s), and full contact information (mailing address, email address, and telephone number).
For individual or co-authored papers applicants must submit a 300-500 word abstract.
For panel proposals, the panel coordinator must submit a well-defined statement of purpose (150-300 words), a complete list of panel participants, and full abstracts (as above) for each presentation in one document.

For all applicants: Please indicate if you would be willing to chair a session.

Diaspora and the Media Working Group

Head:
Roza Tsagarousianou [Contact]
tsagarr[at]westminster.ac.uk

Vice-Head:
John Sinclair [Contact]