[ecrea] Call for Papers: Semiotic Society of America 39th Annual Meeting

The Semiotic Society of America
39th Annual Meeting
October 2–5, 2014
Seattle, Washington

www.semioticsocietyofamerica.org

DEADLINE for Abstract and Proposal Submissions: May 16, 2014

Paradoxes of Life*
Challenge - Determination - Resilience

Ever since the paradoxes of Zeno (on the impossibility of motion) and 
Heraclitus (on the possibility of ever-present change)—through the work 
of Baudrillard, Eco, Escher, Hegel, Husserl, Merleau-Ponty, Peirce, 
Picasso, Russell, Whitehead, and others—philosophers, scholars, and 
artists have been exploring the phenomenological nature of paradoxes. 
Contemporary societies seem to be especially challenged by paradoxes in 
all aspects of life. And yet, antinomies in life are not fortuitous, nor 
do they result from incompetence. They are inherent in the human 
condition and innate forces in cultural and natural systems.

The irony is that when societies face crises, there is a tendency to 
confuse paradoxical situations with problems. This habitual tendency 
seems to be generated by intolerance for those ambiguities and 
uncertainties that are unavoidable features of paradoxes. But whenever 
paradoxes are perceived as problems, they can never be solved or 
dissolved. Rather, sooner or later, apparent solutions are discovered to 
be illusions, leading to ever-more-tangled problems. Thus, it is 
important to be aware of the difference between what we perceive as 
problems and what we experience as paradoxes.

Paradoxes present contradictions between irresolvably opposing aspects 
of life. But life feeds on these contradictory relations, and the 
evolution of life itself is paradoxical. Because we are born into a 
world of paradoxes, we are compelled to learn how to survive, to 
persevere, and to thrive in a reality that is constantly in a state of 
disequilibrium. Although we are challenged by the tension among various 
opposing forces, the resulting paradoxes can offer unique opportunities 
for engaging in crucial meaning-making processes. However, the manner in 
which we deal with the paradoxes of life is contingent upon our personal 
capacity for meeting challenges with determination and resilience. 
Indeed, how we deal with paradoxes can give us insight into the nature 
of complex semiotic processes. We invite you to consider this theme when 
planning your contribution to the annual meeting. A list of possible 
topics (in no way exhaustive) follows:

- The Structure of Paradox
- The Paradox of Teleology and Absurdism
- The Paradox of Continuity and Discontinuity
- The Paradox of Stability and Change
- The Paradox of Determinism and Free Will
- The Paradox of the Absolute and the Contingent
- The Life and Death Paradox
- The Paradox of the Whole and the Part
- Paradoxes of Self and Others
- Paradoxes of War and Peace
- The Semiotic Paradox of the Lie and the Truth
- Transmodernity and Paradoxes
- The Paradox of Language
- The Paradox of Troping
- The Paradox of Beauty and the Grotesque
- Religious Paradoxes
- Gender Paradoxes
- Paradoxes of Love
- Paradoxes of Communication
- Paradoxes of Space and Time
- The Paradox of the Real and the Imaginary
- The Paradox of Comedy and Tragedy
- Paradoxes of the Digital Age
- Finite and Infinite Paradoxes

* "Paradoxes of Life" is a non-restrictive theme of the 39th Annual 
Meeting. Any topic related to semiotics can be submitted as a paper, a 
panel, or a poster.


Submission of Abstracts and Proposals

Please visit http://semioticsocietyofamerica.org/index.php/ssa-meetings 
to submit your abstract or proposal for poster presentation. The 
deadline for submission is May 16, 2014. Please include the following 
information in your submission:

1. Author’s Name(s)
2. Institutional Affiliation and Academic Status
3. Email Address
4. Title of the Abstract
5. 150- to 200-Word Abstract (in Times New Roman 12)
6. Keywords (maximum 6 words)

Abstracts for individual papers or panels and organized sessions (3-4 
papers) as well as poster presentations must include all of the above 
information. Papers are for a 20-minute presentation. Early submission 
of abstracts and proposals is highly recommended. An acknowledgement of 
receipt of your abstract will be sent to you within two weeks from the 
date of receiving your submission. Electronic letters of acceptance will 
be sent to the selected participants by June 30, 2014.

Papers presented at the meeting will also be considered for publication 
in Semiotics 2014, the Yearbook of the Semiotic Society of America 
(SSA). The SSA Yearbook is an annual peer-reviewed publication series 
sponsored by the Semiotic Society of America, providing both a timely 
overview of current developments in semiotic research and a regular 
outlet for members of the society to publish papers on their current 
work. Further details and deadlines will be specified in the Annual 
Meeting Program.

Student submissions are eligible for the Roberta Kevelson Award, which 
will honor the best student paper presented at the 2014 Annual Meeting. 
Students who wish to be considered for the Kevelson Award should 
indicate their interest in their abstract submissions, and submit their 
full papers to Prof. Farouk Y. Seif at (fseif /at/ antioch.edu) by September 2, 
2014.


Special Events

*** Pre-Conference Marketplace of Semiotics: This year’s Annual Meeting 
will use the innovative, self-organizing process known as Open Space 
Technology to energize and engage participants in stimulating 
seminars/workshops. The process will generate a “Marketplace of 
Semiotics” that contains diverse sessions. These sessions will form 5–8 
distinctive seminars/workshops for students and scholars new to 
semiotics, but also of interest to experienced scholars. The Marketplace 
of Semiotics will include lunch and will commence with an exceptional 
keynote speaker; thereafter, experienced facilitators will conduct these 
self-generated seminars/workshops. More information and further details 
will be provided in the Program.

*** Poster Presentations: Poster presentations will be peer reviewed. 
Poster sizes should not exceed 3x3 feet in dimension and be done on 
matte finish or coated paper. Posters are intended to highlight best 
practices and research projects. Submission of poster proposals should 
include 150–200 words of brief description and a PDF of the actual 
poster. Presenters should make sure their final printed posters are 
received by the SSA Registration Desk at the Westin Seattle Hotel no 
later than 12:00 noon on October 1, 2014. All posters will be on display 
in a gallery throughout the duration of the annual meeting.


Conference Venue

Seattle, also known as the “Emerald City,” is the host city for the 39th 
SSA Annual Meeting. Seattle is one of the most beautiful and 
fastest-growing cities of North America. It was named after the 
prominent Native American figure Chief “Seathle,” who creatively dealt 
with the paradox of accommodating white settlers with Native Americans 
through a robust call for ecological responsibility. The Seattle 
metropolitan area is the home of leading companies such as Boeing, 
Microsoft, Amazon, and Starbucks.

The Annual Meeting will take place at The Westin Seattle Hotel in the 
heart of downtown. The Westin Hotel has exceptional amenities and is 
within walking distance of the Seattle Art Museum, the Seattle Symphony 
(Benaroya Hall), Pike Place Market, and the beautiful waterfront.

To make your room reservations, please visit 
https://www.starwoodmeeting.com/Book/2014SemioticSociety or call 
+01-888-627-8513. We encourage you to make your reservation by August 
22, 2014. After this date, it will be at the Westin’s discretion whether 
to accept reservations, which will be subject to prevailing rates and 
availability. The single or double room SSA special rate is $195.00 per 
night, including complimentary guest-room wireless Internet access.


Registration and Fees

Please note that, according to the SSA Constitution, “Only Individual, 
Student, and Honorary members in good standing may offer papers to the 
Program Committee for oral presentation at meetings of the Society” 
(Article 4, Section 4). Membership must be in good standing at or before 
the time of abstract submission.

Registration Fees:
- SSA Membership Dues (Regular) -- $50.00
- SSA Membership Dues (Student) -- $30.00
- Conference Registration Fee (Regular) -- $150.00 (late registration 
$175.00 after August 17, 2014)?
- Conference Registration Fee (Student) -- $70.00 (late registration 
$85.00 after August 17, 2014)
- Pre-Conference Seminars/Workshops Fee -- $30.00 (access to all 
seminars/workshops)

Meals Fee (includes the following) -- $100.00
• Breakfast (3 days)
• Lunch (3 days)
• All-day Beverage Service (3 days)
• Plated Dinner (1 night)
• Welcome Reception with hors d’oeuvres and wine/beer/sodas

How to Register:
Please visit http://www.pdcnet.org/wp/services/2014-ssa-conference/ or 
call: +01-434-220-3300 or the toll free number 1-800-444-2419 (U.S. & 
Canada).


More information will become available over the coming months at 
www.semioticsocietyofamerica.org.


We look forward to welcoming you in Seattle!

The 2014 Program Committee
Farouk Y. Seif, Chair and Organizer; Professor Emeritus, Antioch 
University Seattle
Robert S. Hatten, Professor, The University of Texas
Prisca Augustyn, Associate Professor, Florida Atlantic University
Karen Haworth, Office Administrator, University of West Florida
Gilad Elbom, Instructor, Oregon State University
Linda V. Nurra, Independent Scholar, Santa Barbara, California
Mariana Bockarova, Ph.D. Student, Harvard University
Adam A. Ferguson, Ph.D. Student, Binghamton University


---------------
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
Chauss�de Waterloo 1151
1180 Uccle
Belgium
--
Email: (info /at/ ecrea.eu)
URL: http://www.ecrea.eu
---------------