[Commlist] Call for Papers: Journal of Visual Political Communication (Public health in the public sphere)

Call for Papers: Journal of Visual Political Communication

ISSN 2633-3732 | Online ISSN 2633-3740


Special Issue: Public health in the public sphere


Call for Papers can be found here >> 
https://www.intellectbooks.com/asset/43803/1/Journal_of_Visual_Political_Communication_CFP.pdf


Advertising posters and election posters are generally recognized by the 
public as ways of persuading us to do something which is of benefit to 
the sender, namely buying their products or securing their 
representation in political assemblies. But when it comes to posters 
advocating public health, the objective is quite different: to persuade 
the readers to initiate some sort of personal change for their own good. 
In short, how do you persuade people to ’do the right thing’, and how do 
you convince them that it is in fact the right thing?


Prominent examples of these campaigns include the use of condoms to stop 
veneral diseases, the combat against excessive consumption of alcohol, 
or appeals to quit smoking. But there have been numerous other fields of 
private life which have been subjected to persuasive communication: 
consumption of vegetables, of eggs, or of dairy products, and activities 
of physical exercise, to mention a few. All of these can be seen as a 
politization of the private sphere, and they are often conducted in the 
public sphere through posters, flyers, or advertising.


The criticism against these kinds of campaigns range from liberal 
opposition to the ’nanny state’ to the defence of individual freedom, 
but a significant factor in the negative comments has been the visual 
design of the campaigns. They are more often than not designed by 
professionals from public relation and advertising, striving for maximum 
attention in the public, something which results in visually salient 
posters and ads. Thus, the campaigns are secured maximum attention in 
the public sphere and in the media, but at the same time, they arouse 
strong feelings in the public. People feel accused, they feel that they 
are being shamed, and in some cases they are even scared or disgusted by 
the images used. Critics point to these feelings as being 
counter-productive to the goal of public health campaigns, while 
defendants claim that it is necessary to adjust the visual profile of 
the campaigns to the surrounding visual culture to be able to make any 
impact.


We are looking for papers exploring all aspects of the use of images in 
public health campaigns, in the form of case studies, comparative 
studies, or historical studies. Cultural and other contextual factors 
and how they influence the use of imagery is one point of interest to be 
addressed, but possible areas of research also include:


  *

    The use of images to scare the public into action.

  *

    The use of humour, compassion, or other instances of pathos, in text
    and image.

  *

    Visual argumentation and the use of doxa in campaigns.

  *

    The intermediality of campaigns, e.g. the interplay between posters
    and other media, but also between public health campaigns and
    commercial advertising.

  *

    The status of the sender, e.g. the difference between governmental
    or other official institutions, and independant organization. What
    is expected of official bodies, and how does this affect their
    possibilities e.g. when it comes to visual expressions?

  *

    The study of the effect of different visual means in public health
    campaigns.


Details


In the spirit of multimodality, The Poster encourages scholars from both 
social and political science, as well as cultural studies, arts and 
communication studies, to submit proposals for work for publication.


The journal is looking for:


  *

    Full papers: 7,000-9,000 words, plus illustrations, on the issue’s
    theme (for double-blind peer-review). Rich illustration of the text
    is welcomed. Theoretical papers as well as methodological discussion
    are welcome, but preferably in combination with empirical analysis
    of imagery. Case studies, comparisons across culture or historical
    studies are invited.

  *

    Shorter reflections: maximum 4,000 words plus illustrations on the
    issue’s theme, e.g. observations regarding new tendencies, case
    studies opening for discussion or encouraging further studies, or
    critical comments on recent events within the field.

  *

    Reviews: reviews of relevant books, exhibitions and political
    gatherings, including critiques of contemporary historical
    revisionists.


Timeline


Abstracts (250 words) due 1 February 2020.


Selected contributors will be informed in the following week if the 
journal would be interested in seeing a full manuscript.


Full manuscripts due 1 April 2020.


Please direct all submissions to Orla Vigsø at (orla.vigso /at/ jmg.gu.se) 
<mailto:(orla.vigso /at/ jmg.gu.se)>.


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