[ecrea] cfp / Videoactivism, culture and participation

*
CALL FOR PAPERS*: Videoactivism, culture and participation. Theory and 
practice of social change in the age of the networks.

*Deadline for proposals* 27/01/2014.

Coordinated by Dr. Francisco Sierra ((fsierra /at/ us.es)) and Dr. David 
Montero ((davidmontero /at/ us.es))

*Description*

>From different academic positions in the field of new technologies of 
information and communications (NTIC) it has become a commonplace to 
speak of the unstoppable emergence of audiovisual content on the net. 
The figures and forecasts are downright impressive: video downloads 
reached 20m. terabytes in 2012, which means an increase of over 50% in 
relation to 2010. It is estimated that, by 2016, 1.2m minutes of video 
will cross the net every second of the year. Also improvements in 
connectivity on mobile phones already highlight the fact that on-line 
video will be the fastest growing application at a rate of 75% between 
2012 and 2017. Further to this, the availability of free editing 
software, constant bandwidth increases and access to on-line 
repositories have enriched audiovisual contributions on the net, adding 
to the phenomenon key social, cultural and political dimensions.

In spite of this, academic analyses devoted to on-line video are scarce 
and critical approaches virtually non-existent. Techno-economical 
research has become the norm: market studies, new business models, pros 
and cons of audiovisual marketing, assessments of the network's ability 
to deal with the increasing demands of audiovisual contents, etc. On the 
other hand, aspects such as on-line video contribution to higher 
education, its value in relation to political activism or the ways in 
which it could enliven debates around citizenship still appear blurred 
and in need of rigorous academic attention.

On the one hand, it has been pointed out that forms of social 
interaction and reproduction which characterize sites such as YouTube 
represent a clear example of participatory culture as they allow for the 
articulation of communities around creative practices and interests 
fully integrated in each of their members lifeworlds. Regarding their 
political potential, these platforms would appear as spaces where new 
ways of performing citizenship become visible, with a significant role 
to play in political campaigning and social protest (for instance as a 
counter-surveilance strategy in cases of police brutality.

Other voices have emphasized the need to frame the sort of participatory 
culture associated with on-line video in relation to the complex power 
dynamics which structure the main video-sharing websites. Here, 
attention is paid to the increasing commercialization of video platforms 
and the exploitation of user-generated content for financial gain. 
Participatory values and political activism emerge as unintended 
consequences rather than conscious aims, which underlines the importance 
of conceiving participation in these platforms from a clear logic of 
social appropriation.

Nonetheless, these insights pose more questions than they answer. Is 
participation through on-line video limited to the embodiment of a more 
participatory conception of culture or does it have a direct impact on 
the public sphere? Which new forms of sociability do on-line video 
platforms generate? How is the conflict between commercial interests and 
citizen participation articulated within them? Which is the actual 
transforming power of participatory  video practices? Which patterns of 
social appropriation can be observed? Is on-line video transforming 
traditional forms of protest and political activism in itself? Can it 
subvert the role played by citizens in relation to all-powerful TV 
corporations? Does it have any influence in the political articulation 
of daily life?

The present volume aims sketch the theoretical set up which would allow 
a sound critical debate over the impact on-line video is having in 
contemporary societies, placing creative experiences among the different 
ways of citizenship building and community development promoted by the 
use of NTIC. Following this, contributions which approach on-line video, 
in general, and videoactivism on the Internet in particular, from a 
critical standpoint are specially welcome.

We seek critical contributions around issues such as:

    •    Netactivism and use of on-line video by social movements
    •    Digital literacy and audiovisual language
    •    On-line video, surveillance and control
    •    Socially transforming experiences based on the use of on-line 
video
    •    YouTube and political economy
    •    Corporative culture in on-line video platforms: censorship, 
commercial strategies, etc.
    •    Political satire, propaganda and virality on the Internet 
(video memes)
    •    Impact of on-line video practice within the public sphere
    •    Visibility of minorities
    •    Copyright, Copyleft and Creative Commons
    •    First-person narratives on video, lifeworlds and new 
subjectivities (vlogs)
    •    Digital video and human rights (witness.org)
    •    Participatory experiences based on audiovisual technology
    •    Co-creation and collective intelligence vs. commercial 
exploitation of user-generated content

Interested authors can send their proposals (400-500 words) and a 
complete CV to the following e mail address: (fsierra /at/ us.es)

*Deadline for proposals* is 27/01/2014

The deadline for complete articles will be negotiated directly with 
selected contributors.

*Contact*

Dr. Francisco Sierra Caballero
Senior Lecturer / Interdisciplinary Research Group on Communication, 
Politics and Social Change (COMPOLITICAS)
Facultad de Comunicación (Universidad de Sevilla)
Avda. Américo Vespucio S/N (41092)
Sevilla / Spain
(fsierra /at/ us.es)
Tel. +34 954559683