<nettime-ann> CFP: Convergence Special Issue: New Media, Global Activism and Politics (August 30, 2013)

[Carolyn Guertin <carolyn.guertin@gmail.com>]

.

Convergence

The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies 

Call for Papers

Special issue on:  New Media, Global Activism and Politics

Vol. 20, no. 3 (August 2014)

Guest editors:  Carolyn Guertin (University of North Texas at Dallas) and Angi Buettner (Victoria University of Wellington)

 

Deadline for refereed research articles:  30 August 2013 

Indignados. Arab Spring. #Occupy. The 99%. Idle No More. #Upsettler. GlobalNoise. Strike Debt. These are just some of the new terms to emerge from the global mass protests of the last two years. They are part of a sea change as political engagement, citizen journalism and tactical media evolve as tools of protest and communication. These terms mark only one small part of a much larger shift in media production and distribution that is the rise of user-generated content or social media. Within digital culture, the creative act has become a form of activism carried out through the repurposing of pre-existing materials and media for political change—and it is a practice that has swayed policy, overturned governments and politicized subcultures and peoples on a global scale. 

In the 19^th century, the crowd emerged as a new social force. It was a force, it was argued, that shook the foundations of society and led individuals to commit irrational acts. In the 21^st century, we have seen the power of crowds re-emerge as an ostensibly smarter and more nimble cultural force empowered by mobile technologies, crowdsourcing methodologies and networked systems.  How has activism changed as a result of new technologies? How are new media enlisted to assist in the planning and enactment of socio-political change? How are governments and political candidates using social media? How has social media altered policies, elections and the democratic process? 

Topics might include:

 

-       Hacktivism

-       Wikileaks

-       Arab Spring

-       #occupy

-       Indignados

-       Idle No More

-       #upsettlers

-       Global Noise

-       Crowdsourcing

-       Lobbying

-       Flashmobs, smart mobs or network armies

-       Riot simulation or protest modeling

-       Microblogging as a form of protest

-       Protest apps, including geolocative ones

-       Eco-activism

-       Activism in education

-       Gaming and new media activism

-       New media and the environment

-       Politics and new media

-       Activist or protest art

-       Appropriation, subvertising, culture jamming or memes

-       Slacktivism

-       Clicktivism

-       Cyberfeminism

-       DIY culture

-       Global protest networks

-       Participatory culture

-       eDemocracy

-       Government sponsored social media

-       Public media initiatives

-       Elections and social media 

Queries may be directed to the guest editors, Carolyn Guertin at carolyn.guertin@gmail.com or Angi Buettner at Angi.Buettner@vuw.ac.nz

Convergence is published by Sage and all contributors must consult the guide to manuscript submission at: 

http://www.uk.sagepub.com/journalsProdDesc.nav?prodId=Journal201774#tabview=manuscriptSubmission for details of house style.

 

--
Carolyn Guertin, PhD

Languages and Communications, University of North Texas

author of Digital Prohibition: Piracy and Authorship in New Media Art (Continuum, 2012)

Website: http://carolynguertin.com/
Email: carolyn.guertin@gmail.com
Skype: carolyn_guertin

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