[Commlist] CfP: Symposium on Cultures of Authenticity

*Cultures of Authenticity*

A two-day interdisciplinary symposium hosted by the Centre for Research 
in Communication and Culture (CRCC), Loughborough University

6^th -7^th May 2020

*Confirmed Keynote Speakers*

Prof Gunn Enli (University of Oslo)

Author of /Mediated Authenticity: How Media Constructs Reality /

/&/

Prof Sarah Banet-Weiser (London School of Economics)

Author of /Authentic™: The Politics of Ambivalence in a Brand Culture/

*Topic of the Symposium*

A widespread fascination with the authentic is said to have emerged as a 
response to the processes of homogenisation, rationalisation and 
standardisation at the heart of modernity. The concept of authenticity 
arose historically at a time of rapid social change and has again come 
to the fore where social, political, cultural and technological 
upheavals give rise to feelings of distrust, detachment and alienation 
against which supposedly authentic people, places and things are sought 
out for their reassuring certainty and value. Yet, there are huge 
contradictions and inequalities in who can make claim to authenticity 
and its construction and communication invariably involves competing 
narratives and oppositional assertions about what is authentic and how 
and why the authentic gains its value.

Thus, while the concept of authenticity has a long history, in recent 
years it has emerged as a prominent theme in many of the most pressing 
debates about contemporary communication and culture. In political 
communication there are ongoing concerns about misinformation and fake 
news, while the success of populist parties is often tied to their 
claims to be a more authentic representative of ‘the people’ than a 
detached and dispassionate elite. Similarly, the increasingly fractious 
debates around migration that are taking place across the globe often 
centre on the desire to protect ‘authentic’ national cultures from 
globalising forces and the perceived threat of ‘other’ people, products, 
ideas and images. In the area of culture, economy and policy, copyright, 
privacy and authorship remain central issues for the major media 
industries, while for smaller-scale content and craft producers, 
authenticity may operate as a key selling point and a marker of cultural 
distinction for both producers and consumers. Likewise, many parts of 
the tourism and heritage industries see the provision of authentic 
experiences as their raison d’etre, offering re(creations) of the past 
and access to ‘real’ cultural communities and traditions.

We therefore invite paper proposals from any disciplinary background for 
this two-day Symposium hosted by the /Centre for Research in 
Communications and Culture /at Loughborough University. We are 
interested in a broad range of papers exploring authenticity and 
abstract submissions addressing authenticity in relation to, but not 
limited to, the following themes:

  * Authenticity, politics and political communication
  * Consumption and the use of authenticity in branding and marketing
  * Authenticity, the internet and the rise of social media
  * Authenticity in subcultures, fan cultures and celebrity culture
  * Authenticity in tourism, heritage and memorialisation
  * Authenticity, literature and authorship
  * Authenticity in sports, lifestyle and leisure pursuits and practices

*Submissions*

Abstracts of up to 250 words for presentations of 20 minutes are invited 
to be submitted by *Friday 28^th February.* Abstract, title, author(s) 
name and institutional affiliation should be sent to (m.skey /at/ lboro.ac.uk) 
<mailto:(m.skey /at/ lboro.ac.uk)>.

*Registration*

Registration rates are the following:

Delegate £60

Concessionary Delegate £40

*Key Dates*

Abstract submission deadline

	

Friday 28^th February 2020

Abstracts notification

	

Friday 13^th  March 2020

Presenter booking deadline

	

Friday 10^th April 2020

Initial programme sent to participants

	

Friday 17^th April 2020

Conference

	

6^th & 7^th May 2020

*Event Organisation Team ***

Dr Michael Skey, Senior Lecturer in Communication and Media Studies

Dr Thomas Thurnell-Read, Senior Lecturer in Sociology


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