[Commlist] CFP: Media Studies - Generations, Digital Uses and Competences

*CALL FOR PAPERS - Generations, Digital Uses and Competences
A special issue of Medijske studije / Media Studies Journal to be 
published in January 2020

Edited by Maria José Brites (Lusófona University of Porto), Inês Amaral 
(University of Coimbra), Antonija Čuvalo (University of Zagreb)

Media generational identities are culturally, socially, economically and 
historically shaped. A single vision of generational identity is impossible.

This special issue welcomes different approaches to intergenerational 
and generational perspectives from various geographical landscapes. 
Moreover, it aims to discuss digital uses and digital competences within 
intergenerational and generational perspectives. The proposal is to 
assume as context the current digital media environment, which has 
shaped media history over the past decades. Non-Western voices covering 
generations, digital uses and competences are particularly welcome.

Historically, media were mostly considered as reinforcements of the 
generational gap, mostly in the family context. Though research by 
Livingstone and Haddon (2009) found that the intergenerational gap is 
diminishing in time, according to Bolin & Skogerbø (2013), the digital 
era is contributing to straight the generations. Čuvalo (2017) discerns 
shared media repertoires among the youngest, so-called digital 
generation or digital natives and the older generation of digital 
immigrants (Thomas, 2011). In this sense, there is the need to work 
closely on life course perspectives as a possible explanation of the 
diminishing or perpetuating of the generational gap (Amaral & Daniel, 
2018).  The context of digital literacy reinforced activities by civil 
society and schools and can bring some light to the discussion of this 
need (Brites, 2017). Furthermore, a generational perspective in scholar 
and familiar environments can empower the discussion.

There is a story to tell and gains to conquer from the historical 
reflection, although the real interconnection between the digital 
devices and the audiences is a recent issue. Research can benefit from a 
systematization from the past to the future and also in the current present.

*Descriptors:
*
A historical and cross-national perspective on generations and the 
digital environment
Non-media centric approach to media generations
Generations and the context of the digital environment
Generations and digital competences
Generations and intergenerational approaches
Digital literacy and generations
Digital literacy and intergenerational dimensions
Theoretical discussions on generations, digital uses and competencies
To define and explore methodologies critically to better understand the 
audience of digital generations, namely alternative methodologies.
To consider ethical discussions in researching generations and also 
intergenerational dynamics.

*Questions:
*
What can we learn with a historical perspective of generations and the 
digital, especially in the context of transitional and non-Western 
societies?
How does the digital environment may contribute to convergence on 
generations? Still, what are the differences in using the digital across 
generations?
What are the current and future trends that research results are giving 
to the field?
Is there a shift in the approach of different generations and the media?
What is the relevance of life course in the digital uses and competences?
How to portray the digital evolution uses across generations, 
considering that the generational context is not a static dimension?
What are the most appropriate theoretical approaches?
Is research giving insights about new methodological approaches? What 
are the methodological challenges?
What are the most challenging and needed ethical questions of this 
research field?
Is there still a generation gap in terms of digital uses and competences?
What social and cultural issues define generational contexts and 
condition intergenerationality far beyond competencies or uses?
How to equate intergenerationality and digital uses in different 
geographic contexts?

*References*
Amaral, I., & Daniel, F. (2018). The use of social media among senior 
citizens in Portugal: active ageing through an intergenerational 
approach. In International Conference on Human Aspects of IT for the 
Aged Population. Lecture Notes in Computer Science v. 10926 (pp. 
422-434). Springer, Cham. Print ISSN: 0302-9743, Online ISSN: 1611-3349, 
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-92034-4_32
Bolin, G., & Skogerbø, E. (2013). Age, generation and the media. 
Northern Lights, 11, 3-14. doi:10.1386/nl.11.3_2
Brites, M.J. (Coord.) (2017). Digital Literacy and Education (2014-July 
2016), national reports (Portugal, UK, Ireland, Spain, Serbia and 
Italy), ELN - European Literacy Network, Digital Literacy Team (WG2) 
https://www.is1401eln.eu/en/gca/index.php?id=149.
Čuvalo, A. (2017). Ritmovi medijskih generacija u Hrvatskoj: 
istraživanje repertoara medijskih generacija iz sociološke perspektive. 
Reviza za sociologiju, 47(3): 271-302. DOI: 
https://doi.org/10.5613/rzs.47.3.2.
Livingstone, Sonia & Haddon, Leslie (2009). EU Kids Online: Final 
Report. London: London School of Economics and Political Science.
Thomas, M. (2001)(ed.). Deconstructing Digital Natives. Young People, 
Technology and the New Literacies. New York & London: Routledge.

*All manuscripts should be submitted through the Open Journal System 
<https://hrcak.srce.hr/ojs/index.php/medijske-studije/index>.
*
*Submission guidelines can be found here 
<https://hrcak.srce.hr/ojs/index.php/medijske-studije/about/submissions>.
*
*The deadline for full articles is 7 October 2019.*

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