[ecrea] 6th ECPR General Conference

>6th ECPR General Conference, Political 
>Communication Section; Reykjavik , 25-27 August 2011
>
>Panel: Popular Culture and the Communication of Politics
>
>Chairs: Sanna Inthorn (Media Studies, University 
>of East Anglia, (S.Inthorn /at/ uea.ac.uk)), Michele 
>Micheletti (Political Science, Stockholm 
>University, (Michele.micheletti /at/ statsvet.su.se))
>
>
>Popular culture is gaining in legitimacy as a 
>focus of study in political science. Films, 
>novels, comic strips, theater plays, music, and 
>television series are increasingly used as the 
>empirical material to study and interpret 
>political agitation, political communication, 
>and political ideology. This observation is 
>neither new nor novel. Historical novels, plays, 
>and films found in all cultures have played such 
>a role in the past. Yet the current role of 
>popular culture in politics seems to be revised 
>and revitalized and to play a stronger role in 
>the understanding of and in engagements in 
>politics. Political leaders and political 
>agitators turn increasingly to popular culture 
>to craft and communicate their messages. The 
>concept of the political found in popular 
>culture is often wide. It can encompass the 
>relationships of power between humans and the 
>natural world and between genders and races, but 
>also the beliefs and practices of leaders and 
>ordinary citizens as well as the governance of 
>these relationships through institutions of the 
>state. The popular cultural texts do so in a 
>serious, interpretative, and, arguably, factual 
>manner, but also in playful and humorous ways. 
>Some observers and actors see in this a 
>dangerous simplification of the political world. 
>Others celebrate it for its potential to broaden 
>the reach of politics, for sensitizing citizens 
>to disturbing political events and developments 
>outside their own experiences, and for gaining 
>the attention of cynical and politically 
>disengaged citizens and, thus, offering a 
>mechanism to mobilize them into politics. Yet 
>regardless of assessment, this development comes 
>at a time when the traditional venues for the 
>creation and transmission of political knowledge 
>are in crisis and when changes in the ways in 
>which we conduct a variety of relations in both 
>the public and private sphere are pushing 
>politics and popular culture closer together. 
>Citizenship is increasingly narrated, created, 
>and performed in venues other than the 
>traditional political ones. Popular culture plays a crucial role here.
>
>This panel invites scholars to critically 
>reflect on the role of popular culture in 
>politics. We welcome papers which explore 
>specific cultural texts, genres and narrative 
>modes, but also papers on audiences as well as 
>activist, government, and industry practice. 
>This includes, but is not limited, to the following themes:
>
>- The representation of citizenship and 
>political power in specific genres, such as 
>science-fiction, comedy, or documentary.
>
>- The role of popular culture for civic 
>participation, including the use of popular 
>culture by political activists, but also the 
>representation of the political responsibility of citizens in popular culture.
>
>- The institutional forces shaping 
>representations of â¬Sthe political⬝ in 
>popular culture, such as codes of practice, technology, and funding.
>
>- The role of popular culture and popular 
>cultural personas in electoral politics.
>
>- The social, cultural, textual, and 
>psychological conditions through which audiences 
>engage with, and attach meaning to 
>representations of â¬Sthe political⬝ in popular culture.
>
>- The role of humour as compared to factual 
>knowledge and scientific expertise for political leadership and citizenship.
>
>- The connections between politics in audience 
>talk or media texts and the macro-politics of 
>government policy and legislation.
>
>
>Further Particulars:
>
>- The deadline for all paper proposals is 1 February 2011.
>
>- The decision on the final allocation of papers 
>will be made by the end of April 2011.
>
>- Papers will be submitted to the ECPRâ¬"s live 
>paper proposal system. Further particulars to follow in November 2010
>
>- Information on the ECPR general conference can 
>be found on ECPR's website: http://www.ecprnet.eu/
>

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