[ecrea] Antwerp Joint Sessions - paper proposals

Please find details below of the upcoming ECPR Joint Sessions Workshop 
on /Parties and Campaigning in the Digital Era/ that will be run by 
myself and Andrea Rommele at the Hertie School of Governance 
(Berlin).The joint sessions offer a unique opportunity for a 5 day 
workshop on a specific theme with up approximately 20 other researchers.

We would like to take this chance to encourage you and your research 
students to consider submitting a proposal for the workshop and are 
happy to discuss the objectives and content further with you, if you 
have an idea for a paper.

We look forward to a stimulating workshop in Antwerp. Please forward 
this message to others you think would be interested to submit a paper 
proposal.

Best regards,

Rachel

For further details of the workshop see

http://new.ecprnet.eu/Joint%20Sessions/2012_Antwerp/WorkshopDetails.aspx?WorkshopID=20 


*
Abstract *

Elections worldwide have all seen parties launch social media 
initiatives to communicate with voters , many copying directly from 2008 
efforts of Barack Obama and his mobilization and activist oriented 
‘MyBO.com’ site. Beyond the surface-level similarities, however, to what 
extent are these developments and use of web 2.0 by political actors 
taking hold and promoting a new more devolved style of citizen-led forms 
of activism – modes that challenges the top-down model of the 
professionally managed campaign that has emerged in a wide range of 
national election contexts over the past three decades? Alternatively, 
are the new internet tools actually allowing central elites to more 
closely monitor, direct and coordinate local voluntary efforts? Perhaps 
they make little difference and simply reinforce existing practices? The 
question of the impact of digital tools for political organizations in 
terms of their internal organizational structures, relationships to 
members / supporters, and overall contents and style of their 
communication with voters are one’s that this workshop will address. 
More generally through drawing on comparative examples we will seek to 
provoke debate on whether we are witnessing a second wave of the 
‘Americanization’ of campaign style? Or whether there is a more diverse 
and pluralized approach to social media campaigns worldwide?

Full list of workshops see:

http://new.ecprnet.eu/Joint%20Sessions/2012_Antwerp/Workshops.aspx - 
list of workshops

http://new.ecprnet.eu/Joint%20Sessions/2012_Antwerp/JointSessionsPaperProposal.aspx?EventID=6 
– form to complete to submit a proposal