[Commlist] ESA 2026 Warsaw Conference RN18 CFP

*ESA 17th Conference 2026*
*CFP//RN18:* Sociology of Communications and Media Research
*Title: /Reclaiming the Political: Toward a Critical Sociology of 
Mediated Democracy/*

Description:
In times marked by crises and turbulence, communications and media stand 
at the heart of democratic possibility and peril. As liberal 
institutional configurations are confronted with intersecting challenges 
of authoritarianism, socioeconomic inequality, and ecological breakdown, 
the sociology of communications and media must play a pivotal role in 
analysing how capitalism mediates communication and how solidarities are 
either fragmented or forged. RN18 invites papers that critically examine 
how communication shapes and is shaped by struggles for democracy, 
equity, and sustainability. We seek contributions that interrogate the 
structural entanglements of media and communication with capitalism, 
labour, ideology, and political discourse; that explore the role of 
journalism, digital platforms, and media in sustaining or undermining 
democratic imaginaries; and that assess how communicative practices 
enable or hinder collective action and public engagement across diverse 
social groups. In light of mounting disillusionment with liberal 
political orders and market-driven media infrastructures, contributors 
are encouraged to reflect on the prospects of post-capitalist and 
post-liberal democratic horizons, imaginaries that foreground 
decommodification, radical egalitarianism, participatory governance, 
epistemic justice, and ecological care. What forms of democracy might 
emerge when communication is disentangled from profit logics, when 
solidarity transcends national borders, and when media systems and 
advanced technologies are reoriented toward common goods? We are 
particularly interested in submissions that reflect on the contradictory 
implications of digital technology and AI, from their deployment in 
reinforcing techno-economic ordering, surveillance and post-truth 
regimes, to the potential in enabling civic empowerment and new forms of 
counter-power. We welcome all scholars committed to advancing 
theoretical and empirical, critical sociological insight into the 
conditions, crises, and prospects of mediated democracy today.
Deadlines: *30 January 2026 Abstract submission deadline*
Create an account in ConfTool 2026 in order to submit an abstract and 
register for participation in the 17th ESA Conference in Warsaw, 25-28 
August 2026. Registrations from previous ConfTools have not been 
transferred – you need a new account.
ConfTool 2026: https://www.conftool.com/esa2026/



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