[ecrea] Call for Chapters: Promoting Social Change and Democracy through Information Technology

Call for Chapters: Promoting Social Change and Democracy through
Information Technology

http://www.igi-global.com/publish/call-for-papers/call-details/1246

Appologoes for cross-posting



Introduction

The long-raging debate over the potential of the Internet (so called
“new” or “social” media) and mobile telephony to invigorate citizens’
participation in a democracy and social change is not a matter of
speculation anymore. Nowadays, when citizens around the globe want to
voice their opinions and define their political identities they
increasingly do so by using online platforms, mobile telephones and
other information technology. Surely the emerging media and
communication landscape exhibit exciting new possibilities for
political discussion, protest mobilization and organization, offering
citizens new channels for speaking and acting together. It has thus
been argued that these information technologies lower the threshold
for political participation and for changing societies all over the
world. Development agencies and governments have started to take
interest in the use of information technologies to further democracy
in developing regions, not the least in the aftermath of popular
uprising in the MENA region (Middle East and Northern Africa) -
somewhat uncritically described as Twitter and Facebook revolutions.
Also the use of mobile phones to monitor elections in East Africa
through successful developments of platforms such as Ushahidi have
been important. Furthermore, the mobile phone is also used as a bank
through developments of M-Pesa, bringing banking services in rural
areas and to the poor, primarily in Africa. These platforms have
caught the attention of an audience far beyond the African continent.
Still there are many questions around the notion of the Internet,
mobile phones and other information technologies as tools for
democratic participation and social change. Voices have been raised
especially in relation to issues of surveillance, data privacy,
consumerism and corporate ownership of information technologies and
social networks. And even though we have access today to numerous
examples of the use of the internet and mobile phones for democratic
participation and social change - very few democratic movements and
social change projects have succeed through information technology
alone.



Objective


Hence, on the one hand we are witnessing how increasing access to
information technologies has resulted in an array of new uses,
practices and strategies often accompanied by success stories of
democratic development and social change - in particular with regards
to mobilization and visibility of development projects and social
movements. On the other hand, we are still groping in the dark when it
comes to understanding the place of the information technologies in
the shifting landscapes of democracy and social welfare around the
globe. We therefore invite scholarly research to shed light on these
issues. As such it will be novel in the field.

For this edited volume, we are looking for chapters that are both
empirically and theoretically driven. Empirically driven in that we
call for chapters on cases and projects where information technologies
(internet, social media, mobile phones) have been a prime component.
We are especially interested in insightful studies carefully attending
to contextual factors for success or failure. Theoretically driven in
that we are not looking for mere case descriptions or uncritical
project accounts. The articles should be relating and contributing to
theoretical discussions about the role of information technology in
the promotion of democracy and social change in fields of development
studies, informatics, media communication studies, political science,
sociology and alike.



Recommended Topics


We are looking for a geographic spread of cases and projects for
example relating to (but not necessarily):
•E-governance & E-government
•Role of ICT in social and political change
•Activist movements and citizenship practices
•Power relations among activists and citizens online
•Intersections of offline and online participation
•Issues of surveillance and privacy in contemporary participation
•Information technologies in the service for corruption fighting,
transparency and accountability
•Information technologies in the service for civic empowerment and
gender equality
•Information technologies in the service for poverty reduction
•Information technologies in the service for peace and human rights




Submission Procedure


Interested authors should send an extended abstract by February 28,
2014 of 700 to 1000 words describing:

•the case/ project under study
•method used to study this
•theoretical framework
•main findings
•key references



Submissions should be made through the link

http://www.igi-global.com/publish/call-for-papers/call-details/1246

Selected abstracts will be invited to submit a full chapter of between
7000 to 9000 words in length including references and abstract by June
30, 2014. A selected abstract is not a final acceptance notification.
Each chapter will undergo double blind peer review by two to three
reviewers.These reviews will be sent out August 30, 2014. Contributors
may also be requested to serve as reviewers for this project.




Publisher

This book is scheduled to be published by IGI Global (formerly Idea
Group Inc.), publisher of the "Information Science Reference"
(formerly Idea Group Reference), "Medical Information Science
Reference," "Business Science Reference," and "Engineering Science
Reference" imprints. For additional information regarding the
publisher, please visit www.igi-global.com. This publication is
anticipated to be released in 2015.



Important Dates

February 28, 2014: Extended abstracts due
March 31, 2014: Notification of acceptance
June 30, 2914: Full chapters are due
August 30, 2014: Reviews are sent out
September 30, 2014: Revised manuscripts are due
October 15, 2014: Acceptance notices are sent out
October 30, 2014: Final submissions due



Inquiries


Dr. Vikas Kumar at (prof.vikaskumar /at/ gmail.com) or Dr. Jakob Svensson at
(jakob.svensson /at/ im.uu.se)



--
Jakob Svensson, PhD
Media and Communication Studies
Dept. of Informatics and Media
Box 513
75120 Uppsala, Sweden
office: + 46 (0) 18 4711027
mobile: + 46 (0)734 434804




---------------
ECREA-Mailing list
---------------
This mailing list is a free service from ECREA and Nico Carpentier.
--
To subscribe, post or unsubscribe, please visit
http://www.ecrea.eu/mailinglist
--
ECREA - European Communication Research and Education Association
--
Postal address:
ECREA
Chaussée de Waterloo 1151
1180 Uccle
Belgium
--
Email: (info /at/ ecrea.eu)
URL: http://www.ecrea.eu
---------------