[ecrea] CFP: Digital Citizenship (Research Stream) - European Sociological Association (August - Turim 2013)

RS05: Digital Citizenship

Coordinator: Sónia Pedro Sebastão <(ssebastiao /at/ iscsp.utl.pt)>

ISCSP-CAPP Technical University of Lisbon, Portugal



The influence and potential of ICT for political participation have been 
debated since the 1970s. When the internet studies started to map the 
contributions of internet to democracy, the perspectives were 
optimistic. Authors like Rheingold (1995) and Rash (1997) believed that 
internet would supply to renew the interest of citizens in democracy, 
thanks to their empowerment and increased proximity with political 
decision-makers. The new medium would permit the creation of new spaces 
for debate, pressure and influence in the political policies process and 
communication, since it would have no centre and no gatekeepers. 
Nevertheless, and with the growing number of research that related 
internet and democracy, scholars started to realize that the range of 
influence of internet to improve the democratic debate and to gather 
citizens and politicians is limited (Hague & Loader, 1999; Coleman, 
1999; Wilhelm, 2000; Dahlgren, 2001 and 2009; Norris, 2001; Carpini & 
Keeter, 2002; Howard & Jones, 2004; Shane, 2004; Chadwick, 2006, 2009; 
Hindman, 2008) and somehow dangerous (Wilhelm, 2000; Hindman 2008).



This research stream aims to identify some of these limitations and 
perils, and also to shed some light into the ‘what’ is digital 
citizenship: a new citizenship or merely a

new form of civic expression.



The Internet has been used in political communication for the 
dissemination of ideas and programs of the institutions and political 
actors, as well as in an attempt to promote new civic practices and 
approach citizens involved in political life. The relation between 
Politics and the Internet has set the e-democracy concept. If previous 
studies have shown the Internet’s importance in promoting and supporting 
the expression of new civic practices, such as protest movements, public 
petitions, solidarity campaigns, among others (Norris, 1999 and 2002, 
Bennet and Entman, 2001), research has found that the participation of 
citizens in the same is not homogeneous, ranging from the indifferent, 
the informed, the merely “likers”, the

creators and participants (Shirky, 2009). Also the attitudes and 
behaviors of citizens have differences. We recognize the importance of 
the Internet in providing information about the country's political 
life, but the consumption of this information is a different matter.



This Research Stream aims to present and discuss scholar contributions 
to the understanding and characterization of Digital Citizenship, 
seeking for variety in what concerns methodological approaches, target 
groups and cultural realities. We welcome abstracts with clear 
presentation of the theme, purpose, methods and techniques, short 
research process description, preliminary results and main references.


FULL CONFERENCE INFORMATION:
European Sociological Association 11th Conference

TORINO, 28-31 August 2013

Call for Papers

Instructions

Authors are invited to submit their abstract either to the general 
session (open) or any specific session. Please submit each abstract only 
to one session. After abstract evaluation, coordinators will have the 
chance to transfer papers between sessions where applicable.

Abstracts should not exceed 1750 characters (including spaces, 
approximately 250 words). Each paper session will have the duration of 
1.5 hours. Normally sessions will include 4 papers.

Abstracts can only be submitted online no later than 1st of February 
2013 to the submission platform at: http://www.esa11thconference.eu. 
Abstracts sent by email cannot be accepted.

The information requested during abstract submission include: 1) 
name(s), affiliation(s) and email of all the author(s); 2) contact 
details of presenting author (postal address, and telephone in addition 
to email); 3) title of proposed presentation; 4) up to 4 keywords 
(optional).

Submitting authors will receive an email of acknowledgement of 
successful submission receipt. Abstracts will be peer-reviewed and 
selected for presentation by the relevant Research Network or Research 
Stream; the letter of notification will be sent by the conference 
software system in early April 2013. Each author cannot submit more than 
two abstracts (as first author).

Abstract submission deadline: 1st February 2013

Abstract submission platform: http://www.esa11thconference.eu

If you have further questions on the conference, please visit the 
conference website.

For information on the Research Networks, visit: 
http://www.europeansociology.org/





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