[ecrea] Cfp: Changing orders of knowledge? Encyclopaedias in transition

CALL FOR PAPERS



Theme section: Changing orders of knowledge? Encyclopaedias in transition



To appear in the peer-reviewed journal Culture Unbound: Journal of 
Current Cultural Research



Guest editors: Jutta Haider & Olof Sundin, Department of Arts and 
Cultural Sciences, Lund University, Sweden



We are witnessing a transition period for encyclopaedias and 
encyclopaedic knowledge. Since the 1990s alone encyclopaedias have gone 
through several remediations: from printed volumes to CD-ROM, from 
CD-ROM to on-line editions on the web and most recently as smartphone 
applications. Nowadays encyclopaedic knowledge is produced, distributed 
and used largely within digital networks. Mobile devices make it always 
available, everywhere. While understandably a lot has been said about 
Wikipedia and from almost every angle, other contemporary encyclopaedias 
have not received that much attention in research. Yet they are two 
sides of the same coin. This theme section wants to contribute to 
changing the balance somewhat.



The modern encyclopaedia, with its roots in the enlightenment, has come 
to symbolise learning and education. In the West it has since long been 
a yardstick for what is accepted as public knowledge in a given time and 
culture. It stands for trustworthiness and stability, at the same time 
as it has always changed hand in hand with cultural and technical 
developments. Most recently their production, consumption, use, 
distribution and significance, all are undergoing profound changes. At 
the same time as these changes contribute to re-structuring what 
encyclopaedias and encyclopaedic knowledge are, this type of knowledge 
is more easily accessible, more in demand and more often referred to 
than ever before.



For this theme section we invite authors to reflect upon the encounter, 
productive or otherwise, between encyclopaedic knowledge formed by a 
plethora of traditions and the constantly changing material conditions 
for production, communication, use and circulation of knowledge. In 
particular so-called traditional encyclopaedias in their contemporary 
digital manifestations are in focus. While emphasis on relevant 
sociotechnical and cultural aspects of the present is encouraged, there 
will be some room for historical studies that focus on encyclopaedias in 
transition and for studies on Wikipedia (and other new forms from social 
and cultural perspectives of encyclopaedias and related phenomena)



Topics of interest might be, but are not limited to:

·      Everyday meaning of encyclopaedias and encyclopaedic knowledge.

·      Encyclopaedias in the classroom and other educational uses.

·      Economic aspects and the role of changed business-models.

·      Critical studies of encyclopaedic knowledge.

·      Globalisation of knowledge and the role of encyclopaedias.

·      Production of encyclopaedias and encyclopaedic knowledge.

·      Encyclopaedias as a yardstick for public knowledge.

·      Communication of encyclopaedias and encyclopaedic knowledge.

·      The situatedeness of encyclopaedias in the networked society.



We are also looking for relevant book reviews for this issue!



Please indicate your interest in contributing by submitting a title and 
short abstract (approximately 500 words) before 1st April 2013. The 
deadline for full papers is 1st of October 2013 and publication is 
planned for the spring of 2014. The articles should between 4,000 and 
10,000 words long. Please send enquiries, abstracts and finished papers 
to (jutta.haider /at/ kultur.lu.se) or (olof.sundin /at/ kultur.lu.se)



Culture Unbound: Journal of Current Cultural Research is an academic 
journal for border-crossing cultural research, including cultural 
studies as well as other interdisciplinary and transnational currents. 
It serves as a forum with a wider scope than existing journals for 
cultural studies or other, more specific, sub-fields of cultural 
research and it is globally open to articles from all areas in this 
large field. http://www.cultureunbound.ep.liu.se/index.html



For a guide for authors please refer to: 
http://www.cultureunbound.ep.liu.se/instructions-for-authors.html.



--------------------
Jutta Haider, PhD
Senior Lecturer / Assistant Professor
Department of Arts and Cultural Sciences
Lund University, Sweden
E. (jutta.haider /at/ kultur.lu.se)
W: http://www.ht.lu.se/o.o.i.s?id=21232&p=1233

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