[ecrea] spring school on the intersection of media studies and the sociology of personal life

SPRING SCHOOL ON THE INTERSECTION OF MEDIA STUDIES AND THE SOCIOLOGY OF
PERSONAL LIFE
JOINT EVENT OF THE PHD PROGRAM IN COMMUNICATION STUDIES OF THE UNIVERSIDADE
CATÓLICA PORTUGUESA, RESEARCH CENTRE FOR COMMUNICATION AND CULTURE (CECC -
RESEARCH LINE “MEDIA, TECHNOLOGY, CONTEXTS”) AND DEPARTMENT OF MEDIA AND
COMMUNICATION STUDIES, SÖDERTÖRN UNIVERSITY
3RD SPRING SCHOOL CECC-UCP & MKV-SH  ::  LISBON, 11-15 APRIL 2016
Call for Applications
Recent trends in the study of personal life have tried to build alternative
conceptual frameworks to account for the diversity and fluidity of
contemporary relationships. Among these, both the sociology of personal
lives and media and communication studies have aimed at looking at the many
ways in which people relate meaningfully to each other, across space and
time, with different levels of commitment and emotional intensity,
regardless any pre-given genetic or legal bonds. Personal life therefore
encompasses actors and practices that include kin and non-kin, friendships,
workmates, acquaintanceships, relationships across households, generations,
cultures, workplaces and species. The scientific gaze turns both to how they
connect in time and space, building memory and identity; and to how they are
made in everyday life, by concrete daily life practices, where media are
included.
Personal life has therefore been much studied as structured around the
domestic space, the privatization of practices and its tensions with public
space and public display. However, this same domestic space is deeply
connected, in modern life, to commodification processes, within the context
of a consumer global culture in which the media play a determinant part both
in the private and public sphere. This is also why contemporary personal
experience cannot be understood outside the context of cultural and economic
globalization.
Many empirical studies have already developed, within a communication or
(social) psychology framework, specific issues that can be included in the
broader category of “personal life”, exploring its relation with the media.
Examples include studies about children’s uses of the internet, online
intimacies, dating and friendships. However, not only have they remained
quite dispersed, but also have they focused mainly on the impact of new
communication technologies, such as internet in general, or social media in
particular. It seems, therefore, that we face a scientific challenge: to
bring together the contributions of social sciences that focus increasingly
on intimacy and personal life, but often disregarding their inevitable
intertwining with the media; and those of communication and media studies,
which focus mainly in media use as a means to establish, enhance or disrupt
intimacy, but outside the boundaries of a personal life framework. This
spring course aims to address these gaps and bring together these current
trends, related to the study of intimacy and personal life, in the context
of everyday life practices, which should also be considered as media
practices.
The third International Spring School in Communication Studies brings
together researchers from different parts of Europe and welcomes
participants that are interested in the study of intimacy and personal life,
and its overlaps with the public sphere, crossing boundaries to encompass
the meanings it assumes when looked at in the context of media cultures.

Lecturers
Deborah Chambers, Newcastle University
Stina Bengtsson, Södertörn University
Verónica Policarpo, Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Sofia Johansson, Södertörn University
Göran Bolin, Södertörn University


This third Spring School seeks to assert itself as a multidisciplinary
event, looking for contributions from several scientific areas including
Media Studies, Sociology and Social Psychology. Original and high quality
submissions are expected.
There will be lectures by invited keynote speakers and in the afternoon, we
will have paper sessions with rotating respondents.
Participants will have 20 minutes to deliver their presentations, after
which there will be 30 minutes for questions and discussion of each
presentation with the chairs and the other participants.

Abstract and paper submissions
Proposals should be sent to (springschool.fch /at/ lisboa.ucp.pt) no later than
January 31st, 2016. Submissions should include paper title, abstract in
English (500 words), name, e-mail address, institutional affiliation and a
brief bio (max. 100 words) mentioning main research interests and ongoing
projects.
For Whom? The School is open to 15 PhD and Master students, post-docs and
junior researchers from Communication Studies, and related areas, as well as
all social scientists interested in the study of intimacy and personal life,
and its overlaps with the public sphere.
Where? In Lisbon, at the facilities of the Research Centre for Communication
and Culture (CECC). CECC is located at the Faculty of Human Sciences of the
Universidade Católica Portuguesa, in Lisbon.
When? April 2016, from the 11th to 15th. Participants are requested to
arrive 10 April. Over 5 full working days (Monday-Friday) they will attend
lectures and take part in discussion groups where they will present their
research projects. The working language is English. All participants will
receive a Certificate of Completion.
How and when to apply? Applicants should send an abstract in English (500
words) and a brief bio (max. 100 words) mentioning main research interests
and ongoing projects by email to (springschool.fch /at/ lisboa.ucp.pt), until
January 31st. The organizing committee will notify all applicants about
acceptance until February 15th.
Fee: The enrolment fee is 100 Euro, to be paid only on acceptance of the
application.

Organisers
Rita Figueiras, Verónica Policarpo, Göran Bolin

For more information visit http://springschool.wix.com/springschool2016

CECC - Centro de Estudos de Comunicação e Cultura
Research Centre for Communication and Culture
Universidade Católica Portuguesa
(cecc /at/ fch.lisboa.ucp.pt)
+351 21 72 14 193






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