[ecrea] Young Scholars Workshop: Mediatized Celebrity and Popular Media in Historical and Visual Communication Research

Young Scholars Workshop: Mediatized Celebrity and Popular Media in 
Historical and Visual Communication Research

Sponsored by the Communication History and Visual Communication 
Divisions and the Young Scholars in Communication History Network of the 
German Communication Association (DGPuK) in cooperation with the ECREA 
Young Scholars Network (YECREA)
Wednesday April 2, 2014
Trier, Germany

Popular media and celebrity culture are integral elements of current 
highly media-orientated societies. They contribute to the production, 
and circulation of social and cultural meaning and are thus relevant 
instances for societal self-reflection and the scientific observation of 
contemporary and past societies. So far, communication research has 
widely underestimated the significance of popular media formats for 
mundane yet important decisions in the banal everyday. Hence we know 
relatively little about media genres dedicated to music, adolescents, 
kids, sports, fashion, travel, food or celebrity. Research on popular 
media and celebrities is often limited to case studies and the analysis 
of particular phenomena, special formats and contemporary media 
contents. Moreover, popular media and celebrity culture are rarely seen 
as relevant to comprehending the complex interrelations of changes in 
media, culture and society. Even though celebrity culture is 
intrinsically connected with the increasing relevance of the visual in 
contemporary societies, we must not forget that celebrity culture is a 
phenomenon that predates the 20th century. Hence, historical analyses 
and long-term perspectives are required.

With this workshop we thus want to address the significance of ”the 
insignificant” and focus on popular media and celebrity culture from 
various disciplinary perspectives, with particular emphasis put on 
visual and historical dimensions. The Young Scholars workshop is 
targeted at international early career scholars and seeks to provide a 
forum for the theoretical, methodological and empirical exploration of 
popular media and celebrity culture in communication research. Exemplary 
questions to be considered in the workshop comprise but are not limited to:

·       How can popular media be approached from a historical 
perspective? How has the concept of „popular“ changed historically in 
different social and cultural contexts and media environments?

·       Which theoretical and methodological challenges regarding 
popular media and celebrity culture have to be addressed in historical 
and visual communication research? What are promising theoretical 
concepts and how can they be linked to celebritization and 
celebrification (Driessens 2012)?

·       What can we learn about society by observing and analyzing 
popular media and media celebrities?

The ambition of the workshop is to discuss theoretical and 
methodological approaches to mediatized celebrity and popular media and 
to facilitate exchange and networking between early career scholars and 
experts in the respective fields of research. The workshop is divided in 
plenary sessions and working groups. Keynotes by renowned experts will 
introduce in the research field and provide theoretical inputs from 
different disciplinary perspectives. In subsequent workshop sessions 
young scholars are given the opportunity to present their projects and 
to discuss them with the keynote speakers. Every project will receive 
in-depth feedback by the keynote speakers and other participants.

Applications should include a short CV and a statement of not more than 
2 pages (in English) outlining the project and its reference to or their 
interest in popular media and celebrity culture, as well as the stage of 
development of the project. Additionally a set of questions or problems 
that the applicant would like to see discussed during the workshop is to 
be included. This information will be used to identify common problems 
and issues to be tackled in the workshop.

Applications are to be emailed to: 
(christian.schwarzenegger /at/ phil.uni-augsburg.de) until February 23, 2014. 
Notifications of acceptance will be ready by March 1, 2014.

Workshop organizers:

Thomas Birkner, Stephanie Geise, Katharina Lobinger, Christian 
Schwarzenegger



Please note that the workshop will take place the day before the joint 
conference of the DGPuK Communication History and Visual Communication 
Divisions (http://www.uni-trier.de/index.php?id=51001). Workshop 
applicants are highly encouraged to participate in the conference. The 
farewell drinks of the Young Scholars Workshop will be combined with the 
get- together of the conference on Wednesday evening.

---------------
ECREA-Mailing list
---------------
This mailing list is a free service from ECREA and Nico Carpentier.
--
To subscribe, post or unsubscribe, please visit
http://www.ecrea.eu/mailinglist
--
ECREA - European Communication Research and Education Association
--
Postal address:
ECREA
Chaussée de Waterloo 1151
1180 Uccle
Belgium
--
Email: (info /at/ ecrea.eu)
URL: http://www.ecrea.eu
---------------