[Commlist] A Call for Chapters: Ethnographic Approaches to Alternative Cryptocurrency Function and Development [The Social Lives of Altcoins]

Call for Chapters: Ethnographic Approaches to Alternative Cryptocurrency 
Function and Development [The Social Lives of Altcoins]**

_Propose a Chapter 
[https://www.igi-global.com/publish/call-for-papers/submit/3742] 
<https://www.igi-global.com/publish/call-for-papers/submit/3742>_

Editors**

Erkan Saka & Anıl Sayan

Call for Chapters**

Proposals Submission Deadline: March 18, 2019

Full Chapters Due: May 1, 2019

Submission Date: May 31, 2019

There is an increasing number of studies on cryptocurrencies. Although 
many studies are substantive and vital as Holub and Johnson (2018:119) 
suggest most works focus on similar topics and there is a need to widen 
the scope of research areas (Hileman& Rauchus, 2017). Our book aims to 
enlarge the scope of the field with our specific emphasis and intends to 
focus on a topic that is understudied: Particular stories/ histories of 
alt-coins. The number of cryptocurrencies is rapidly increasing although 
bitcoin remains to be the most popular one in media and among lay 
citizens. Miners, traders, blockchain-based project startups, financial 
journalists, amateur investors, financiers, official discourses and 
other actors all contribute to an emerging industry of cryptocurrencies. 
A practical materiality (Maurer et al., 2013) emerges out these sets of 
actors that make up a particular cryptocurrency (and its community). 
Moreover, cryptocurrencies do have value propositions and initiate new 
mediators and social ties despite the initial claims in the emergence of 
Bitcoin.

While social attention is increasing on cryptocurrencies, the current 
literature is still scant regarding ethnographic interests. There are 
only a few ethnographic studies that triggered this particular 
perspective (Dodd, 2018; Mai, 2016). Especially, with the articulation 
of cryptocurrencies into different social spaces, ethnographic insights 
or examinations will be more critical, and they are a need for making 
holistic analyzes. Our book will provide comprehensive insights into the 
new monetary actors or intermediaries. Accordingly, there is a 
significant research opportunity to handle the phenomena from the 
ethnographic perspectives or critical thought, and this is what 
distinguishes our book from the upcoming projects. Our book will be one 
of the earlier publications in this field.

Recommended Topics**

Every chapter aims to focus on how different actors form an assemblage 
to create a particular altcoin. Local value (and knowledge) of 
cryptocurrencies are created in a contested manner between different 
actors. Mai et al. (2016), for instance, compared social media impact on 
Bitcoin performance by looking at internet forums and social media 
channels (especially Twitter). What particular business models by which 
means were communicated to launch an altcoin will be part of a chapter 
narrative. Overall, the book intends to study the social lives of 
altcoins (Appadurai ed. 1988 can also be seen as an early inspirational 
work) in considering above mentioned issues. Therefore, potential uses 
of our book are also composed of several academic disciplines;

- Anthropology

- Sociology

- Cultural Studies

- Science and technology studies

- Economy

- Law

- Public Policy

- Finance

- Accounting

Submission Procedure**

Researchers and practitioners are invited to submit on or before *March 
18, 2019*, a chapter proposal of 1,000 to 2,000 words clearly explaining 
the mission and concerns of his or her proposed chapter. Authors will be 
notified by *April 1, 2019* about the status of their proposals and sent 
chapter guidelines. Full chapters are expected to be submitted by *May 
1, 2019*, and all interested authors must consult the guidelines for 
manuscript submissions at 
http://www.igi-global.com/publish/contributor-resources/before-you-write/ 
prior to submission. All submitted chapters will be reviewed on a 
double-blind review basis. Contributors may also be requested to serve 
as reviewers for this project.

*Note:*There are no submission or acceptance fees for manuscripts 
submitted to this book publication, Ethnographic Approaches to 
Alternative Cryptocurrency Function and Development. All manuscripts are 
accepted based on a double-blind peer review editorial process. All 
proposals should be submitted through the eEditorial Discovery®TM online 
submission manager.

Publisher**

This book is scheduled to be published by IGI Global (formerly Idea 
Group Inc.), publisher of the "Information Science Reference" (formerly 
Idea Group Reference), "Medical Information Science Reference," 
"Business Science Reference," and "Engineering Science Reference" 
imprints. For additional information regarding the publisher, please 
visit www.igi-global.com <http://www.igi-global.com>. This publication 
is anticipated to be released in 2020.

Important Dates**

*Submission of Long Abstracts:*18th March 2019

*Submission of Full Chapters*: 1st May 2019

*Provision of peer-reviewed feedback:*31th May 2019

*Submission of revised accepted chapters:*9th August 2019

Inquiries**

Erkan Saka (_erkan.saka /at/ bilgi.edu.tr) <mailto:(erkan.saka /at/ bilgi.edu.tr)>_

Anıl Sayan (_anil.sayan /at/ bilgi.edu.tr) <mailto:(anil.sayan /at/ bilgi.edu.tr)>_

References**

Holub, M., & Johnson, J. (2018). Bitcoin research across disciplines. 
/The Information Society/, /34/(2), 114-126.

Maurer, B., Nelms, T. C., & Swartz, L. (2013). “When perhaps the real 
problem is money itself!”: the practical materiality of Bitcoin. /Social 
semiotics/, /23/(2), 261-277.

Dodd, N. (2018). The social life of Bitcoin. /Theory, culture & 
society/, /35/(3), 35-56.

Appadurai, A. (Ed.). (1988). /The social life of things: Commodities in 
cultural perspective/. Cambridge University Press.

Hileman, G., & Rauchs, M. (2017). Global cryptocurrency benchmarking 
study. Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance.

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