[Commlist] Call for Abstracts: Critical Theory and Media Conference

SASCT

*South African Society for Critical Theory 6^th  Annual Conference*

**

*14 to 16 November 2024*

**

*Durban University of Technology*

*Critical Theory, Digital Media and the Future of Democracy**

*

The South African Society for Critical Theory (SASCT) is pleased to 
announce its upcoming 6^th  Annual Conference, which will take place at 
the Durban University of Technology from the 14^th  to the 16^th  of 
November 2024, on the theme of /Critical Theory, Digital Media and the 
Future of Democracy/. This will be a hybrid conference, with in-person 
attendance suggested but with accommodation made for online 
participation and presentations.

Critical Theory, as an interdisciplinary field of study, explores power 
relations, social structures, and the ways in which these factors shape 
our world. Such considerations are crucial in 2024 which is an election 
year for 64 countries, including South Africa, and which is anticipated 
to be a watershed political moment for some. At the same time, the 
apparent universalisation of access to various means of digital 
production has polarised debate regarding the influence of digital media 
on democracies – consider the impacts of social media networking, 
natural language processing technology and large language models 
(‘artificial intelligence’), and automated computer-generation of 
pictures and video. Contemporary scholars like Fuchs (2021, 2022) have 
expressed their concern about the intersection of the political with 
these technologies, particularly in terms of the compression of public 
interest journalism/media, the rise of algorithms and clickbait 
influencing democratic backsliding. He theorizes “Industry 4.0” (IoT, 
AI, Big data, social media and cloud computing) as a digital German 
Ideology, cautioning us to employ necessary scepticism for any ideology 
which proclaims a revolution before it has actually taken place (Fuchs 
2018: 281). The critical apparatus of Critical Theory can allow us to 
reflect on digital (media) ownership and bring questions of control into 
sharper focus, thereby enabling discussion around declining public trust 
and the erosion of democracy in the contemporary technological milieu.

As part of such considerations, this conference welcomes papers that 
consider the

question of digital media in relation to Critical Theory, including but 
not limited to:

  * Theoretical frameworks for understanding Industry 4.0 (digital
    capitalism)
  * The role of power relations in shaping the digital environment
    (particularly in terms of ownership and regulation)
  * The relation between the digital divide and the political
  * The intersection of race, gender, and class with digital access
  * The cultural and historical dimensions of technological determinism
    for shaping political and social discourses
  * The potential for Hacktivism(s) to challenge dominant power
    structures and influence democracy
  * The potential for Critical Theory to address questions related to
    societal problems created by digital capitalism (as described in
    Fuchs’s ten problems of 2021)
  * The potential for new coalitions to respond regionally and globally
    to manage digital media more equitably

The conference welcomes approaches from all aspects of Critical Theory, 
broadly construed. In particular, the conference welcomes papers that 
address issues relating to: African Critical Theory, Digital Culture, 
the intersections between Critical Theory of European origin (Frankfurt 
School, Foucault, etc.), Black Existentialism, and Africana Critical 
Theory as well as contributions *on any and all* aspects of Critical 
Theory, e.g. the 3 generations of Frankfurt School Critical Theory, 
Postcolonial Theory, De-colonial Theory, Critical Feminism, Critical 
Film Studies, Critical Race Theory, Critical Theory of Technology, 
Critical Legal Studies, Post-structuralism, Psychoanalysis, Critical 
Hermeneutics, Liberation Theory, Critical Pedagogy, Critical Theology, 
Critical Anthropology, etc.

The Conference organisers would also appreciate papers that address 
thinkers whose work lies outside the “canon” of Critical Theory, but 
whose work can extend current research in Critical Theory or whose work 
in itself embodies alternative forms of Critical Theory. *Whilst the 
organisers encourage contributions that address the conference theme, 
the theme itself should be viewed as merely suggestive.*

*__*

*_Submission_*

Please submit a 300-word abstract to (sascrit /at/ gmail.com) 
<mailto:(sascrit /at/ gmail.com)> by the 9^th  of September 2024. Acceptance 
letters will be sent by the 16^th  of September at the latest. The full 
paper should be no more than 3500-4000 words for a 30 min presentation.

Proposals for panel discussions are also welcome.

*_Accommodation_*

In-person attendance at the 
<http://services.nwu.ac.za/sports-village> Durban University of 
Technology, South Africa is recommended. A list of places to stay will 
also be provided (these will be sent out with acceptance letters).

*_Conference fees_*

The fee for the three-day conference (including teas and lunches) is 
R1200 (including VAT).

The fee for participating graduate and PhD students is R300.

Speakers who present remotely will be charged R300.

*_Special issue_*

Note also that a special issue on the theme of the conference will be 
published in/ Acta Academica: Critical Views on Society, Culture and 
Politics/, a DHET-accredited journal.

*_Contact us_*

Should you have queries regarding any aspect of the conference then 
please do not hesitate to contact the conference organising committee:

Anusha Sewchurran: (Anusharanis /at/ dut.ac.za) 
<mailto:(Anusharanis /at/ dut.ac.za)> (host)

Mark Amiradakis: (AmiradakisMJ /at/ ufs.ac.za) <mailto:(AmiradakisMJ /at/ ufs.ac.za)>

Jean du Toit: (Jean.Dutoit /at/ nwu.ac.za) <mailto:(Jean.Dutoit /at/ nwu.ac.za)>

*_Bibliography_*

**

Fuchs, C., 2018. Industry 4.0: the digital German ideology. /tripleC: 
Communication, Capitalism & Critique/, /16/(1), pp.280-289.**

Fuchs, C., 2021. The digital commons and the digital public sphere: How 
to advance digital democracy today. /Westminster Papers in Communication 
and Culture/, /16/(1).

**

Fuchs, C., 2022. /Digital Democracy and the Digital Public Sphere: 
Media, Communication and Society Volume Six/. Taylor & Francis.

**

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