[ecrea] iamcr Durban conference section and wg calls - part 2

+++

IAMCR 2012 - Mediated Communication, Public Opinion & Society Section 
Call for Papers

erythrina_caffraThe Mediated Communication, Public Opinion & Society 
Section invites submissions for its open sessions at the IAMCR annual 
conference that will be held in Durban, South Africa, July 15-19, 2012. 
The overall conference theme is 'South North Conversations'.

The deadline for submissions is February 14, 2012. (For more information 
on submissions and decisions, see below)

Our section firstly encourages submissions that relate theoretical and 
empirical work that is relevant to the overall theme of the conference 
whether on mediated communication use and implications to South and 
North Conversations or on the implications of media and public opinion 
to conversations or the lack of conversations among South and North 
nations or within nations.

We secondly wish also to continue our well established tradition to 
promote the further theoretical discussions on the contribution of 
prominent thinkers on the field of communication research. In the last 
years we organized panels that discussed the contribution of the works 
of Goffman, Habermas, Schutz, Bourdieu, Foucault, McLuhan, Walter 
Benjamin and Roland Barthes. Following that tradition we would like to 
organize for the Durban conference at least one session centred on the 
contribution of the works of Antonio Gramsci to the theory and research 
in the field of communication. In addition, we plan a panel to promote 
the dialog and exchange of theoretical approaches concerning media 
research between south and north – abstracts for that panel are also 
welcome.

Thirdly, we would like to continue to make space for the presentation 
and discussion of theoretical and empirical papers about Family and 
Mediatization. Despite the social and cultural changes it seems that the 
family is still the main place of media domestication and media use, and 
it is the place where children learn to operate with media and start 
their lifelong media career. The main question we would like to discuss 
is: how this takes place today in the different cultures, different 
classes and with reference to the different possibilities to deal with 
media.

Finally, we would like to continue our long standing interest in the 
discussion, development and critical assessment of the methodologies we 
use and we need for communication research and especially for 
international and cross cultural research projects, both quantitative 
and qualitative.

Abstracts should be sent to the MCPOS Section Heads only through the 
Open Conference System (OCS), and should be 500 words long in English. 
Each abstract must include title, name(s), affiliation, institutional 
address and email address of author(s) and a short (up to 100 words) 
bio-data.

It is also possible to propose a full panel of no more than four 
participants, which should come from at least three different countries. 
In this case we expect the four abstracts of the participants and their 
short bio-data and in addition a framing text about the idea and the 
goal of the full panel. It would also be recommended to name a panel 
chair and a discussant.

IAMCR accepts presentations in English, French and Spanish. However, it 
is requested that abstracts will be submitted in English.

Non members of IAMCR and/or of the section are welcome to submit and 
present if accepted, following the same procedure as described above and 
if accepted also the procedure as described below.

Papers and panels proposals will be reviewed by the two heads of section 
and by further specialists, named by the heads.

Decisions on acceptance of abstracts will be communicated to individual 
applicants by the Section Heads no later than March 12, 2012.

If a proposal is accepted, the sender must fulfil two preconditions to 
be included in the final program of the section. She or he must upload a 
full paper by June 10, 2012 via the OCS, register for participation at 
the Conference and mail a copy of the registration to the heads of section.

For more information on the submission of abstracts, registration, 
theme, location, etc., please go to the IAMCR institutional website, or 
to the Durban 2012 Conference website.

All Abstracts, although to be identified for specific Sections or 
Working Groups, should be submitted only via the central Open Conference 
System (OCS).

Deadlines

The deadline for submission of abstracts is February 14, 2012. Please 
note that this deadline will not be extended.

The OCS system will open on December 1, 2011, and will close on February 
14, 2012.

Decisions on acceptance of abstracts will be communicated to individual 
applicants by the Section Heads no later than March 12, 2012.

On the same day, March 12, 2012, conference registration will open for 
bookings by participants.

For those whose abstracts are accepted, full conference papers are to be 
submitted via the IAMCR OCS by June 10, 2012.

General Guidelines for Abstracts

Abstracts should be 500 words in length.

All abstract submissions must be made centrally via the OCS. 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 three 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 
Program Referee. Such applicants risk being removed entirely from the 
conference program.

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.

Questions for further information should be addressed to the section heads.

Looking forward to seeing you in Durban!

Hillel Nossek
College of Management Academic Studies, Israel
hnossek [at] colman.ac.il

Friedrich Krotz
University of Bremen, Germany
krotz [at] uni-bremen.de

+++

IAMCR 2012 - Participatory Communication Research Section Call for Papers
erythrina_caffra

IAMCR Durban 2012

Annual Conference of the
International Association for Media and Communication Research
Durban, South Africa
July 15-19, 2012

Theme: ‘South-North Conversations’
The International Association for Media and Communication Research 
invites submissions of abstracts for papers and panel proposals for the 
2012 IAMCR conference to be held from July 15-19, 2012 at the Howard 
College Campus of the University of KwaZulu Natal (UKZN) in Durban, 
South Africa.

The deadline for submissions is February 14, 2012.


The conference will be held under the general theme, 'South-North 
Conversations'. The theme reflects the asymmetry of global communication 
flows, but without implying the negatives that usually accompany 
discussions of the 'digital divide'. The theme also calls for balanced 
and empowering narratives that do not regard those in ‘the South’ as 
victims primarily in need of handouts from the more affluent.

Participatory Communications Research Section

The PCR section has been among the most vibrant sections at IAMCR. It 
has, over the years, explored the theory and practice of participatory 
communications, and has played an important role as a platform for new 
thinking. While the PCR section has traditionally accommodated old and 
new approaches to participatory communications, it has over recent 
years, intentionally encouraged inter-disciplinary approaches marked by 
creativity, critique and innovation.

This year’s theme ‘South-North Conversations’ offers the section an 
opportunity to highlight advances in the theory and practice of 
participatory communications from the South and North. The section 
welcomes abstracts that explore the theory and practice of participatory 
communications, tensions and struggles between agency and structure, 
power flows, methodological innovations, engagements with participatory 
communications as process, political economy, the relationship between 
PC and gender and other markers of identity, urban interventions, social 
movements, ICTs and social networking.

While all abstracts will be reviewed, the section is specifically 
interested in abstracts on the following themes:

Contributions by Critical Theories and Theorists from the South
The Co-option of Participatory Communications by Corporate Structure
Rethinking the Role of the State in facilitating/promoting Participatory 
Communications in the Context of Globalization
Social Networking, Social Movements & Social Change
Participatory Communications, Free and Open Source Software & Social Change
The Critique of Empowerment, Participation & Other Buzzwords within the 
Development Industry
Understanding Participatory Communications as Process
Theorising Voice: Listening, Speaking and Public Spheres
Participatory Communications in Africa
Participatory Communications and the Marginalised

Deadlines

The deadline for submission of abstracts is February 14, 2012. Please 
note that this deadline will not be extended.

The OCS system at http://iamcr-ocs.org will open on December 1, 2011, 
and will close on February 14, 2012.

Decisions on acceptance of abstracts will be communicated to individual 
applicants by the Section or Working Group Head no later than March 12, 
2012.

On the same day, March 12, 2012, conference registration will open for 
bookings by participants.

For those whose abstracts are accepted, full conference papers are to be 
submitted via the IAMCR OCS by June 10, 2012.

Guidelines for Abstracts

Abstracts should be between 300 and 500 words in length.

All abstract submissions must be made centrally via the OCS at 
http://iamcr-ocs.org. There are to be no email submissions of abstracts 
addressed to any Section or Working Group Head.

In the interest of equity, the PCR Section encourages the submission of 
1 abstract per individual. We encourage Spanish speakers to submit their 
abstract in Spanish.

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.

For further information, please contact the Local Organizing Committee 
(LOC) or consult the Conference Organizers via the website at:

http://www.iamcr2012.ukzn.ac.za/

or by email at:

IAMCR2012[at]ukzn.ac.za

Satarupa Dasgupta (Vice Chair)
Florencia Enghel (Vice Chair)
Pradip Thomas (Chair)

+++

IAMCR 2012 - Political Communication Research Section Call for Papers

erythrina_caffraThe Political Communication Research Section will be 
organizing panels at the 2012 IAMCR conference in Durban, South Africa. 
The section is of course interested in Political Communication papers 
related to the main theme of the conference.

The section also is also seeking papers on any of the whole range of 
political communication research: the media and political socialization, 
political campaigning, public opinion and political participation, 
interactions between the media and intermediary organizations such as 
interest groups and political parties, as well as the involvement and 
uses of the medias in campaigns, election; and also the media and 
marketing processes in government, from policy making to day to day 
politics at the local level, including Town Halls and other Local 
Government Institutions communication, from their day to day governance 
to the answers given to problematic neighborhoods. The use of Internet, 
blogs and all king of Internet social networks in modern political 
communication is also of interest to the section, as well as other new 
media and e-government processes.
Paper proposals should be one page, and should list the author's name, 
address, university affiliations, telephone, fax, and e-mail, followed 
by the paper's title and an abstract of 500 words/1500 signs. The 
abstract should specify the subject, questions asked, methodology and 
findings.

Anyone interested in presenting a paper should send his application, 
before the deadline indicated on IAMCR website, through IAMCR's Open 
Conference System (OCS). See the "general" call for paper at:

http://iamcr.org/iamcr2012cfp

and enter your proposals at:

http://iamcr-ocs.org/index.php/2012/2012

Proposals will be peer-reviewed, and in order to improve the on-site 
discussions, all panels will have a discussant. Colleagues willing to 
act as discussants may apply as far as they have already taken part to 
at least two previous meetings of the section and/or are well-known 
researchers in the field. Paper givers may also volunteer to be 
discussants in other panels than theirs. Would-be discussants should 
specify in which field of political communication they are rather 
willing to work and also send in the same personal data required from 
paper givers.

Also, in keeping with our section’s tradition of exploring points of 
intersect with other research groups of IAMCR, this year we wish to 
convene a joint panel with the Law Section on the theme: “Electoral Law 
and Political Communication” (see the Joint Session specific CFP). Those 
who wish to submit a proposal for this session are encouraged to contact 
either Philippe J. Maarek (maarek [at] univ-paris12.fr), Head of the 
Political Communication Research Section, or Sandra Braman (braman [at] 
uwm.edu), Head of the Law Section, with an abstract proposal in the 
format of the general call for paper for these sections and within the 
same deadline.

For any further information, it is possible to contact the section head, 
Professor Philippe J. Maarek, at maarek [at] univ-paris12.fr.

E-mail should be privileged, but he can also be reached as follows:

Philippe J. Maarek
Professeur à l'Université Paris Est -UPEC
41 rue du Colisee,
75008 Paris,
France
Fax: +331- 43.59.57.03,
Tel: +331- 42.25.85.82





Law Section and Political Communication Research Section Joint Session

Electoral Law and Political Communication

In many countries, the regulation of election campaigns – Electoral Laws 
– are undergoing change in ways that affect political communication and, 
therefore, the role of communication during "democratic" election 
campaigns. In some countries, the laws are becoming more complex in an 
effort to try to level the playing field for candidates of all parties 
and ensure equal access to campaign debates for those from all 
perspectives. In other countries, the law is changing in such a way that 
the playing field is becoming LESS even, making it easier for those with 
the most money to dominate – or take over altogether – the communicative 
space for elections.

Regulation of campaign financing is a policy tool that has been used in 
both ways: in some countries, there are stronger limits on what can be 
spent, and how, while in others such restraints have been removed. This 
panel will provide a comparative look at changes in election campaign 
laws as they affect political communication across countries.

Both papers analyzing the political and communicative effects of changes 
in election laws within countries and comparatively across countries are 
welcome.

Those who wish to submit a proposal for this session are encouraged to 
contact either Philippe J. Maarek (maarek [at] univ-paris12.fr) Head of 
the Political Communication Research Section, or Sandra Braman (braman 
[at] uwm.edu), Head of the Law Section, with an abstract proposal in the 
format of the general call for paper for these sections and within the 
same deadline.

+++

IAMCR 2012 - Political Economy Section Call for Papers
erythrina_caffra

IAMCR Durban 2012

Annual Conference of the
International Association for Media and Communication Research
Durban, South Africa, July 15-19

Theme: ‘South-North Conversations’

The Political Economy Section looks forward to the next IAMCR Conference 
and invites submissions (both individual proposals and collective 
panels) for the 2012 conference to be held at the Howard College Campus 
of the University of KwaZulu Natal (UKZN) in Durban, South Africa, 15-19 
July.

The conference will be held under the general theme, 'South-North 
Conversations'. The theme reflects the asymmetry of global communication 
flows, but without implying the negatives that usually accompany 
discussions of the 'digital divide'. The theme also calls for balanced 
and empowering narratives that do not regard those in ‘the South’ as 
victims primarily in need of handouts from the more affluent.
The general conference theme is therefore highly relevant for a 
cross-cutting Section such as Political Economy and the following 
conference general sub-themes seem particularly relevant for the section:

Uneven access to technological, political and social capital;
Issues of the so-called ‘digital divide’ post WSIS;
Asymmetrical news and information flows;
Trend lines and origins of innovations, apps and new media;
The spectre or reality of cultural imperialism;
Fighting back: empowerment of the local, the regional and integration 
into the global;
Local languages – a growth area in media in the north and south;
Media, development, democracy;
Social media, challenge and advocacy;
Users and service providers: north and south;
Communication as a tool of empowerment of the marginalised and the 
stigmatized;
Global media hegemony, regional hegemony and counter hegemony.

In addition to and/or in articulation with the conference sub-themes, 
the Political Economy Section also welcomes submissions on:

Political economy of the Internet, social media, and mobile communications;
Moral economies, gift economies and free culture/free economy;
Media capital and financialization of corporate media;
Public interest and public goods;
Political economy of audiences;
Political economy of journalism;
Political economy of personal information;
Power, media policy and regulation;
Media, citizenship and democracy;
Tracking and analyzing processes of de-commodification or de-marketization;
Cultural and creative work in the context of digitization and global 
capitalism;
Continuing crisis (financial, moral, others);
Communication experiences of the OccupyWallStreet and Indignados around 
the world as counter hegemonic social agents.

Aiming to reflect the state of the art, the Section is particularly open 
to new theoretical approaches and empirical developments.

Deadlines

The deadline for submission of abstracts is February 14, 2012. Please 
note that this deadline will not be extended.

IAMCR's OCS system will open on December 1, 2011, and will close on 
February 14, 2012.

Decisions on acceptance of abstracts will be communicated to individual 
applicants by their Section or Working Group Head no later than March 
12, 2012.

On the same day, March 12, 2012, conference registration will open for 
bookings by participants.

For those whose abstracts are accepted, full conference papers are to be 
submitted via the IAMCR OCS by June 10, 2012.

Guidelines for Abstracts

Abstracts should be 300-500 words in length.

All abstract submissions must be made centrally via the Open Conference 
System (OCS).

The Political Economy Section accepts only one paper per author. 
Proposals should only be proposed to one section or working group.

Information

General information on the conference:

For further information on the conference, please contact the Local 
Organizing Committee (LOC) or consult the Conference Organizers via the 
website at:

http://www.iamcr2012.ukzn.ac.za/

or by email at:

IAMCR2012[at]ukzn.ac.za

Information on the Political Economy Section:

For more information about the Political Economy Section and its plans 
for the Durban conference, please contact the coordinating team:
Chair: Helena Sousa
University of Minho, Portugal
helena[at]ics.uminho.pt
Vice-Chair:
Rodrigo Gómez
Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Mexico
rgomez[at]correo.cua.uam.mx
Vice-Chair: Janet Wasko
University of Oregon, United States
jwasko[at]uoregon.edu

+++

The Comic Art Working Group invites submissions for its open sessions at 
the IAMCR annual conference that will be held in Durban, South Africa, 
July 15-19, 2012. The overall conference theme is 'South-North 
Conversations.'

The deadline for submissions is February 14, 2012. (For more information 
on submissions and decisions, see below)
Abstracts should be sent to the working group chair only through the 
Conference website, and should be 200-250 words long in English. Each 
abstract must include title, name(s), affiliation, institutional address 
and email address of author(s) and a short (up to 100 words) bio-data.

IAMCR accepts presentations in English, French and Spanish. However, it 
is requested that abstracts be submitted in English.

Non members of IAMCR and/or of the working group are welcome to submit 
and present if accepted, following the same procedure as described above 
and, if accepted, also the procedure as described below.

Decisions on acceptance of abstracts will be communicated to individual 
applicants by the working group chair no later than March 12, 2012.

If a proposal is accepted, two preconditions must be met to be included 
in the final program: upload a full paper by June 10, 2012 via the IAMCR 
Open Conference System (OCS) and register for participation at the 
conference.

For more information on the submission of abstracts, registration, 
theme, location, etc., please go to the IAMCR institutional website or 
at the Durban 2012 Conference website.

All abstracts, although to be identified for a specific working group, 
should be submitted only via the central Open Conference System (OCS).

John A. Lent
International Journal of Comic Art, USA
john.lent [at] gmail.com

Deadlines

The deadline for submission of abstracts is February 14, 2012. Please 
note that this deadline will not be extended.

The OCS system will open on December 1, 2011, and will close on February 
14, 2012.

Decisions on acceptance of abstracts will be communicated to individual 
applicants by the Section Heads no later than March 12, 2012.

On the same day, March 12, 2012, conference registration will open for 
bookings by participants.

For those whose abstracts are accepted, full conference papers are to be 
submitted via the IAMCR OCS by June 10, 2012.

General Guidelines for Abstracts

Abstracts should be 200-250 words in length.

All abstract submissions must be made centrally via the OCS at . 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 three 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 
program referee. Such applicants risk being removed entirely from the 
conference program.

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.

+++

IAMCR 2012 - Communication and HIV/AIDS and Health Communication and 
Change Working Groups Call for Papers

erythrina_caffraThe Communication and HIV/AIDS Working Group and the 
Health, Communication and Change Working Group of the International 
Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR) welcome the 
submission of papers for the 2012 Conference to be held in Durban, South 
Africa from July 15-19, 2012 at the Howard College Campus of the 
University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN).

The theme of the conference, ‘South-North Conversations’, reflects the 
inherent asymmetries in communication flows between the developed and 
the developing nations.

Wider understandings of ‘developed- developing- underdeveloped’ 
countries in transition as well as the ‘core-periphery’ are changing. It 
can be evidenced by BRICS (Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa), the 
‘African Renaissance’ and the African Union. We cannot, therefore, 
continue to assume that communication and media – seen in terms of value 
and meaning systems, historical trajectories, monetary and technological 
transfers – can continue to be seen as they have been in the past.

Yet the reality of disparity and inequalities persist, and these need to 
be situated and evaluated. South-North Conversations asks us to engage 
with disparities and inequalities in conversation – as partners, with 
peer-to-peer equality, in a more optimistic vision of global engagement. 
We hope to not only focus on topics close to the concerns of the host 
nation, South Africa, but also to a range of regional interests across 
the globe. Some of the sub-themes include:

Uneven access to technological, political and social capital;
Asymmetrical news and information flows;
The un-dead spectre of cultural imperialism;
Media & social media, social challenge and advocacy;
Communication as a tool of empowerment of the marginalised and the 
stigmatized;
Dependency on uneven donor-recipient relationships;
Lack of indigenous theory formation.

HIV/AIDS has been in existence around the world for over 25 years, and 
illnesses with a longer history continue to pose challenges across the 
socio-economic and medical spectrum. The greatest effects of the 
epidemic are felt predominantly by the most marginalized sectors of 
society, in developed and developing countries. This takes place in the 
context of increasing polarizations between the very rich and the very 
poor, increasing processes of exclusion and marginalization. This 
remains true for other health conditions, as these social processes are 
produced and reproduced across a range of health conditions. This 
includes unequal and value-laden communication flows between centres and 
peripheries, with political and socio-economic contexts and histories 
playing a role in how communication is perceived and used to address the 
problems. As such, anomalies and inequalities exist in the flow of 
knowledge between ‘North-South’ and centre-periphery within and between 
societies.

Call for Papers

The working groups wish to invite papers that engage with these dynamics 
in relation to HIV/AIDS and broader health conditions and concerns. We 
are interested in both theoretical and practice-based work that reflect 
upon health, including HIV/AIDS, in communication practice. In the 
context of this year’s conference theme, we are interested in issues 
related to health and/or HIV/AIDS and dynamics of inequalities and 
difference: How does communication intersect with HIV/AIDS, health and 
social change in the context of cores and peripheries. How can dialogue 
about HIV/AIDS, health and social change processes take place within the 
context of South-North relations? How have communication processes 
between the South and North been affected and changed by the epidemic 
and the changing nature of health and dis/ease? Where have spaces of 
communication about health and/or HIV/AIDS been created? What are their 
dimensions and textures? What are the uses of and intersections with 
alternative media and health and/or HIV/AIDS? What about health 
conditions, and the role of media and communication in constructing 
health discourses?

In addition to conference-specific themes, we will continue to encourage 
papers that engage with critical, dynamic reflection on communication 
research and practice, addressing the multiple dimensions of health, 
HIV/AIDS, communication and change, from multiple disciplinary 
perspectives. We encourage papers that enhance understandings of the 
role of media and communication in general about health, illness and 
disease, and the contexts in which diverse audiences engage with, 
negotiate, accept and/or resist these. This may include, for example, 
communication policy, implications of cultural contexts for 
communication, the influence of biomedical interventions on 
communication practice, campaign fatigue, governance and accountability, 
communication and the construction of illness and the gendered nature of 
the health and HIV/AIDS. Please consider the implications of your paper 
for communication theory and/or practice.

We are particularly interested in papers that present innovative 
approaches to HIV/AIDS and/or communication theory and practice, and 
take a critical approach to communication, exploring the 
interdisciplinary, multi-dimensional nature of the epidemic. As such, we 
hope to see more studies that move beyond traditional health 
communication models, and reflect upon the diversity of approaches to 
communication, including, for instance, social change communication, 
citizen/alternative/radical media approaches, participatory 
communication, advocacy communication, folk media and other cultural 
approaches.

Both individual abstracts and panel proposals are encouraged. The 
sessions of the working groups will be organized to suit emerging themes 
from submitted abstracts.

Logistics & Deadlines

It is expected that for the most part, only one (1) abstract will be 
submitted per person for consideration by the Conference. The working 
groups will consider no more than two abstracts per presenter. However, 
under no circumstances should there be more than three (3) 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 Referee. Such applicants risk being 
removed entirely from the conference programme.

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.

Abstracts or panel proposals should include: the name(s) of author(s) 
and professional title(s); institutional affiliation; and e-mail 
address/contact information. Due to scheduling considerations, a limited 
number of panels will be accepted.

The deadline for submission of abstracts (between 300 and 500 words in 
length) is February 14, 2012. You will be informed whether or not your 
abstract is accepted by March 12, 2012. The deadline for full conference 
papers is June 10, 2012.

Abstract Submission

All abstract submissions must be made centrally via the Open Conference 
System (OCS). There are to be no email submissions of abstracts 
addressed to any Section or Working Group Head.

If you have trouble with the online submission process or questions 
related to this call for papers, please contact the co-chairs of the 
working group.

Please CC the co-chairs of the Communication and HIV/AIDS Working Group 
and the Health, Communication and Change Working Group:
Sarah Cardey:
s.p.cardey [at] reading.ac.uk
Ravindra Kumar Vemula:
ravindrakumar [at] efluniversity.ac.in
Nanna Engebretsen:
nanna.engebretsen [at] hil.no
Marjan De Bruin:
marjan.debruin [at] uwimona.edu.jm
Kate Holland: kate.holland [at] canberra.edu.au

Please note that if your abstract is accepted, you may be called upon to 
facilitate or moderate one of the working group sessions.

The Working Group will be cooperating with Critical Arts: South-North 
Cultural and Media Studies, in producing a theme issue arising out of 
the conference deliberations.

Papers presented at the conference will be considered for this issue but 
must be written as journal articles in the required style.

The issue is scheduled for 2012/5 (November). Selection will be done by 
the guest editors (Sarah Cardey et al.) at the conference and production 
will commence on 1. August. Critical Arts is ISI and IBSS listed, 
amongst other indexes.

For further information see:

http://ccms.ukzn.ac.za/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=151&Itemid=87
This issue of Critical Arts is being is being sponsored by USAID/PEPFAR 
through Johns Hopkins Health and Education in South Africa an affiliate 
of the Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health, 
Centre for Communications Programs.

Author Services
Taylor & Francis
eJournals Archive (1980-1992)

+++

IAMCR 2012 - Digital Divide Working Group Call for Papers

erythrina_caffraThe Working Group on Digital Divide of the International 
Association for Media and Communication Research invites submissions for 
the IAMCR Conference that will be held from July 15-19, 2012 at the 
Howard College Campus of the University of KwaZulu Natal (UKZN) in 
Durban, South Africa. The deadline for submissions is February 14, 2012.

The conference will be held under the general theme, 'South-North 
Conversations'. The theme reflects the asymmetry of global communication 
flows, but without implying the negatives that usually accompany 
discussions of the 'digital divide'. The theme also calls for balanced 
and empowering narratives that do not regard those in ‘the South’ as 
victims primarily in need of handouts from the more affluent.



The term ‘Global South’ refers to countries, territories and communities 
that have been excluded from the mainstream of economic, social and 
communication development. In much of the discourse around global 
geo-politics, these countries and communities are still regarded as the 
recipients of economic and technical largesse from more developed 
sources. In this conference, we wish to interrogate this position, and 
to emphasize the communicative empowerment and the positive potential of 
media and communication in and from the ‘Global South’.

Selected Issues

The Working Group on Digital Divide welcomes papers and panels related 
to the conference theme, including such topics as:

Digital divide at the global and regional level as a consequence of 
South-North disconnection
Issues of the digital divide post WSIS: new dimensions of digital 
inequality in frames of the digital revolution
Asymmetrical news, information flows and content supply in new media
Uneven access to technological, political and social capital
Local languages in digital environment - a growth area for media in the 
North and South
Users vs. content vs. service providers: North and South
Digital inclusion for digitally less advanced: how the South could 
benefit from the North
Communication in the digital environment as a tool of empowerment of 
democracy and education
Journalism, digital media and modern newsroom practices: experiences in 
North and South
Gender, age, education and other social issues in the context of digital 
divide in the North and South

Deadlines

The deadline for submission of abstracts is February 14, 2012. Please 
note that this deadline will not be extended.

The Open Conference System (OCS) will open on December 1, 2011, and will 
close on February 14, 2012.

Decisions on acceptance of abstracts will be communicated to individual 
applicants by their Section or Working Group Head no later than March 
12, 2012.

On the same day, March 12, 2012, conference registration will open for 
bookings by participants.

For those whose abstracts are accepted, full conference papers are to be 
submitted via the IAMCR OCS by June 10, 2012.

Guidelines for Abstracts

Abstracts should be between 300 and 500 words in length.

Abstract submissions

All abstract submissions must be made centrally only via the Open 
Conference System (OCS). 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 three 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 Referee. Such applicants risk being removed entirely from the 
conference programme.

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.

For further information, please contact the Local Organizing Committee 
(LOC) or consult the Conference Organizers via the website at:

http://www.iamcr2012.ukzn.ac.za/

or by email at:

IAMCR2012[at]ukzn.ac.za

----------------
ECREA-Mailing list
----------------
This mailing list is a free service from ECREA.
---
To unsubscribe, please visit http://www.ecrea.eu/mailinglist
---
ECREA - European Communication Research and Education Association
Postal address:
ECREA
Université Libre de Bruxelles
c/o Dept. of Information and Communication Sciences
CP123, avenue F.D. Roosevelt 50, b-1050 Bruxelles, Belgium
Email: (info /at/ ecrea.eu)
URL: http://www.ecrea.eu
----------------