[ecrea] Digital public spheres: call for papers - deadline : January 31 2013

*CALL FOR PAPERS* - Journal /Comunicação e Sociedade/ [Communication and 
Society], ISSN: 1645-2089, nº 23.

*Deadline: January 31, 2013*

Volume Coordinators: Helena Sousa, Manuel Pinto and Elsa Costa e Silva

Communication and Society Research Centre

University of Minho - Portugal

http://www.comunicacao.uminho.pt

*Theme: Digital Public Spheres - fragilities and challenges *

Despite criticisms, the concept of public sphere developed by Jürgen 
Habermas has remained a seminal notion on the democratic functioning of 
societies. The present-day transformation of the mass media paradigm 
poses new theoretical and methodological challenges regarding the 
understanding of citizens' participation in the public spheres. 
Discussions on public spaces are faced with various forms of 
socializing, networking and with new channels for dissemination and 
exchange of information. Conventional debates about power, control, 
citizenship, participation, self-expression and identity must be 
readdressed taking into consideration new contexts and possibilities. 
This issue of the 'Communication and Society' journal aims to explore  
the limits and virtues of public debates in new digital spaces. The 
volume coordinators particularly welcome proposals in the following areas:

- Conditions for the realization of digital public spheres;

- The role of social networks like Facebook, Twitter or blogs regarding 
the public sphere;

- The regulation of digital public spheres;

- Organizational and business interests in the digital public sphere;

- Old versus new media  and the public sphere;

- New media practices in the digital public sphere;

- Media literacy, citizenship and participation in the digital public 
sphere;

- Young people and the digital public sphere;

- Digital Exclusion / inclusion: processes, barriers and potential;

- Public policies: market versus 'empowerment' in the digital sphere;

- Methodological debates on the study of digital public spheres;

- The 'neutrality' of the network and ideological conformation;

- Digital identity in the public sphere: citizens, consumers, users and 
producers.

Book reviews on these topics are also welcome.

"Comunicação e Sociedade" is a double blind peer-reviewed journal.

http://www.cecs.uminho.pt/journal/index.html

Editorial rules for electronic submission of manuscripts can be found, 
both in Portuguese and English, at:

http://www.comunicacao.uminho.pt/upload/docs/revista_com_e_soc_normas_apresentação_originais.pdf

Original texts should be sent in Word format to (cecs /at/ ics.uminho.pt) 
<mailto:(cecs /at/ ics.uminho.pt)>

In 'Subject', the authors should write: Communication and Society 
Journal Vol 23


Languages: English and Portuguese

Notification on acceptance: March 2013

Publication date:  June 2013.