[Commlist] CFP: Critical Studies in Television Conference 2023

*Critical Studies in Television Conference*

5-7 July 2023

*Call for papers*

*Behind the Scenes and Screens: People and Power in Television*

Television continues to be a key site through which social and cultural 
power dynamics play out: behind the scenes, television struggles with 
traditional hierarchies that favour dominant discourses and people with 
multiple points of privilege. This is due to casualisation and long 
working hours remaining unsustainable for people for a number of reasons 
including caring responsibilities, non-normative bodies, or lower 
economic backgrounds. The onslaught on public service broadcasters who 
have a responsibility to become more inclusive (even if they often 
struggle with doing so), is unlikely to make this better. On screen, 
those productions that cater to already privileged audiences tend to be 
those allocated the highest budgets. This leaves people from less 
privileged backgrounds often under- or less well served.  In addition, 
audiences particularly affected by cost of living crises are unlikely to 
be able to pay for the plethora of subscription services that are 
thought to currently drive the renewal of television (Lotz, 2018). What 
this makes visible is that although we may now have less work to do to 
point to the cultural relevancy and value of (some) television, the 
field of television studies cannot afford to lose track of the question 
of power when examining its many sites of cultural production. At this 
year’s

/Critical Studies in Television/conference, we therefore want to place 
particular attention onto questions of power in relation to television 
as a social and cultural form. We invite papers, panels, posters, 
screenings, video essays, roundtables, and any other form of 
contribution on any aspect of television, but will prioritise 
contributions that engage with these questions of power. This includes 
both critiques as well as examples of good practice. Indicative – but 
not exhaustive – areas that could be examined are:

  * What historical incidents are there that indicate shifts in power
    dynamics on or off screen?
  * What do our collections and television archives say about
    (continuing or changing) power dynamics?
  * What role do social and cultural hierarchies play in determining
    power structures within production cultures and in decisions made
    about content?
  * What ways in are there for marginalised individuals and communities
    to find spaces of (self)representation?
  * What evidence of change is there in terms of hierarchies of taste?
  * What mechanisms are there to support those with non-normative
    bodies, lack of funds, caring responsibilities, etc. to enter the
    industry?
  * Which audiences are perceived as valuable and/or in need of serving,
    and which ones remain overlooked?
  * How do television’s economics impact upon issues of cultural and
    social hierarchies and how do they play out on and off screen?
  * What strategies do marginalised audiences, individuals and
    communities employ to satisfy their needs?

Please submit your abstract of approx. 350 words per abstract (ca 1,000 
words for a full panel) by 28 February 2023. This is a hybrid conference 
bringing together in-person and online attendees.

To submit your proposal, please follow this link:Vevox 
<https://vevox.app/#/m/157237002/survey>


Conference website: Critical Studies in Television Conference 2023 - 
Television Studies Research Group (edgehill.ac.uk) 
<https://sites.edgehill.ac.uk/tvresearchgroup/2023/01/23/critical-studies-in-television-conference-2023/>

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