ECREA WEEKLY digest ARTICLES

July 2-3, 2021

Online conference

Deadline: February 1, 2021

BledCom 2021

The 28th International Public Relations Research Symposium (BledCom) will be fully digital. The conference will be held on July 2-3, 2021. This year’s theme is: “” We are happy to inform you that because of the generosity of our sponsors, which will cover the fee we will need to pay digital providers, we are able to waive the registration fees for BledCom 2021!

We plan to organise virtual classrooms for debates, as well as parallel sessions and plenary sessions organised to accommodate different time-zones. The program will enable synchronous discussions between participants.

As in previous years, this year also you will submit abstracts/panel proposals that will be evaluated and authors informed of the selection in a timely manner. We invite abstracts that are between 500 and 800 words (including title and keywords) with up to 5 references. Please note that as has been the norm in the past, BledCom welcomes all papers that are relevant to public relations and communication management and not just papers that discuss the conference theme.

Please note that the chances of your abstract being accepted are enhanced if you observe the following format in preparing it:

• Introduction and purpose of the study (and research question if there is one) – helps summarize the purpose and rationale of your study.
• Literature review – Helps place your work in context with the existing body of knowledge. 
• Methodology – Define the main method used for gathering data including sample size, and state the rationale for using this method. 
• Results and conclusions – Helps summarize the answers to the research questions while also outlining the implications of the results. Also summarize the limitations of the study and offer suggestions for future research. Practical and social implications – Offer the potential implications both for practice and society. 

Also provide us with 3 to 5 keywords that highlight your study. Abstracts should come as blind copies without author names and affiliations, who are to be identified on a separate cover page. Please use the suggested headings to structure the abstract. A list of literature is not necessary, but if it is provided it is included into the word count.

The presentations will be through short videos and will be meaningfully grouped and discussions arranged immediately afterward. Paper abstracts should be submitted via email to bledcom@fdv.uni-lj.si by February 1, 2021. Decisions will be made by March 4, 2021 after peer review. Full papers not exceeding 6.000 words will be due by September 16, 2021 for inclusion in the conference proceedings.

Journalism Education Conference 2021

May 13, 2021

Autonomous University of Barcelona

Deadline: February 28, 2021

From the ECREA 'Journalism & Communication Education' TWG, we are happy to invite you to submit abstracts for our 6rd annual Conference titled, “Trial and Error IV. Rethinking digital native communicators training”, that will take place at the Autonomous University of Barcelona on May 13, 2021.

The unpredictable situation of the pandemic forces us to perform virtually for the first time. But we are sure that it will also be a great opportunity to exchange ideas between communication teachers at the European level.

Keep in mind that different research approaches are accepted from all areas of the Communication and that it includes varied presentation formats.

For more information, we attach the call for abstract conference.

Deadline for submissions: 28th February, 2021

Official Website: https://trialanderror2021.blogspot.com/

Registration price: 30 euros

In addition, we encourage you to join this working group to follow all the news and events from the official Ecrea website.

https://www.ecrea.eu/…ion

University of Leeds

Can you provide the strategic vision and leadership necessary to enable the School to successfully develop and deliver its plans, through motivating and developing staff to achieve their full potential? Are you passionate about delivering world-leading research and an exceptional student experience in an international and interdisciplinary context?

You will lead and manage the School of Media and Communication, maximising strategic opportunities arising from the changing landscape of higher education and the University’s strategic plan, whilst leading and delivering excellence in research and education.

You will be an active member of the University’s Leadership Forum and of the Executive Committee of the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures promoting a coordinated approach to delivering innovative strategic academic development. You will be taking on a significant and complex leadership role in the Faculty, and must be able to lead with a clear vision, engaging others across the School, Faculty and University.

You will have the leadership skills, ambition and creativity to take forward the development and delivery of the School’s academic strategy and objectives. You will thrive on working collaboratively in a busy and dynamic environment to enhance the reputation of the School with a focus on quality and excellence.

Academic credibility is essential. You will have a sustained track record of excellence in research and/or student education, combined with excellent skills in team working and collaboration.

This represents an opportunity for a senior scholar proficient in inter-disciplinary and multi-disciplinary working to shape collectively the future of a School with a diverse portfolio of subject specialisms at a leading Russell Group University. You will be able to obtain very quickly a detailed working knowledge of the School’s complex, multi-disciplinary operations, including a very wide variety of research projects and programmes of both undergraduate and postgraduate study.

As an international research-intensive university with a strong commitment to student education, the University aims to create an inclusive environment that attracts, supports and retains the best students and staff from all backgrounds and from across the world. In line with this vision, the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures is committed to fostering a culture of inclusion, respect and equality of opportunity. We select candidates on the basis of merit and ability, and aspire to further diversify our Faculty community. We particularly welcome and encourage applications from candidates belonging to groups that have been under-represented in the University including, but not limited to: Black, Asian and ethnically diverse people; people who identify as LGBT+; and people with disabilities.

The University of Leeds has engaged the services of Berwick Partners (an Odgers Berndtson company), to whom applications should be sent.

To apply, please visit: https://www.berwickpartners.co.uk/opportunities/assignment/81716/

For an informal and confidential discussion, please speak with our advisors at Berwick Partners

Elizabeth James

Partner

D: +44 121 654 5924

M: +44 7715 993 443

elizabeth.james@berwickpartners.co.uk

Clare Bromley

Principal Researcher

D: 0121 654 5915

clare.bromley@berwickpartners.co.uk

Location: Leeds - Main Campus

Faculty/Service: Faculty of Arts, Humanities & Cultures

School/Institute: School of Media and Communication

Category: Academic

Salary: Competitive salary

Post Type: Full Time

Release Date: Thursday 14 January 2021

Closing Date: Monday 15 February 2021

Reference: ASN-81716

Downloads: Candidate Brief

Södertörn University

https://www.sh.se/om-oss/det-har-ar-sodertorns-hogskola/lediga-jobb

Id: 2652

Doktorand i MKV

Diarienummer: AP-2021/18

Södertörn University in south Stockholm is a dynamic institute of higher education with a unique profile and high academic standard. A large proportion of the university staff holds doctorates and there is a strong link between undergraduate education and research. Södertörn University has around 11 000 students and 840 employees. Södertörn University is an equal opportunities employer.

Media and Communication Studies is one of Sweden’s leading environments for media research and education. It engages with the contemporary media landscape and is founded on a historically informed understanding in which digital communication technologies and their contexts are related to their predecessors. The research environment currently comprises around 25 researchers/lecturers, including five full professors, eight associate professors (docents), and three doctoral students. All the doctoral students have an international profile, and English is the working language for the doctoral degree programme.

For more information, please click here (English version) or see www.sh.se/mkv (Swedish version). General Syllabus for third-cycle programmes in Media and Communication Studies (English version) or Swedish version.

Critical and Cultural Theory is an interdisciplinary research environment with seven subjects in the humanities. Research focuses on critically motivated studies of cultural artefacts and human practices. For more information, please click here.

The planned research for this studentship must be relevant to the Baltic Sea region or Eastern Europe, since the position is affiliated with the Baltic and East European Graduate School (BEEGS), www.sh.se/beegs, which is financed by the Foundation for Baltic and East European Studies, and part of the Centre for Baltic and East European Studies (CBEES) www.sh.se/cbees, at Södertörn University.

Entry requirements

The general entry requirements are:

1. a second-cycle qualification

2. fulfilled requirements for courses comprising at least 240 credits, of which at least 60 credits were awarded in the second-cycle, or

3. substantially equivalent knowledge acquired in some other way in Sweden or abroad.

The Faculty Board may permit an exemption from the general entry requirements for an individual applicant, if there are special grounds. (Ordinance 2010:1064)

Specific entry requirements are fulfilled by a student who has passed courses worth at least 90 credits in Media and Communication Studies, including a degree project worth at least 15 credits, or who has acquired the equivalent knowledge abroad or through a previous qualification. If there are special grounds, the Faculty Board may permit an exemption from the specific entry requirements for an individual applicant.

The ability to assimilate academic material in English and a command of the language necessary for work on the thesis are prerequisites for admission to the degree programme.

Admission and employment

This position includes admission to third-cycle education, i.e. research level, and employment on a doctoral studentship at the School of Culture and Education at Södertörn University. The intended outcome for admitted students is a PhD. The programme covers 240 credits, which is the equivalent of four years of fulltime study. The position may be extended by a maximum of one year due to the inclusion of departmental duties, i.e. education, research and/or administration (equivalent to no more than 20% of full-time). Other grounds for extension could be leave of absence because of illness or for service in the defence forces, an elected position in a trade union/student organisation, or parental leave. Provisions relating to employment on a doctoral studentship are in the Higher Education Ordinance, Chapter 5, Sections 1-7.

Date of employment: 1 September 2021

Information about admission regulations (including selection criteria) and third-cycle education at Södertörn University (English version) or Swedish version.

Further information

Göran Bolin, Director of Studies, Media and Communication Studies (third cycle), goran.bolin@sh.se

Claudia Lindén, Chairperson, Critical and Cultural Theory, claudia.linden@sh.se

Florence Fröhlig, Director of Studies, Baltic and East European Graduate School (BEEGS), florence.frohlig@sh.se

Mirjam Bargello Lindberg, Human Resources Officer, School of Culture and Education, mirjam.bargello.lindberg@sh.se

Application procedure

Please use Södertörn University´s web-based recruitment system “ReachMee”. Click on the link "ansök" (apply) at the bottom of the announcement.

Your application should be written in English and must include:

- an application letter

- curriculum vitae

- degree certificate and certificates that demonstrate eligibility to apply for the position

- Bachelor’s essay and dissertation at second-cycle level in the field in accordance with the entry requirements

- a research plan (project plan) of between 1000 and 1500 words. The project’s relevance to Critical and Cultural Theory and studies of the Baltic Sea region or Eastern Europe must be clear

- two references, with contact details.

If available, a maximum of three publications may also be attached.

Application deadline: 15 February 2021 at 23:59

On our website, sh.se/vacantpositions, there is an application template that the applicant needs to follow.

Publications referred to must be attached to the application. An application that is not complete or arrives at Södertörn University after the closing date may be rejected. The current employment is valid on condition that the employment decision becomes valid. Södertörn University may apply CV review. Welcome with your application! Union representatives: SACO: info.saco@sh.se ST: Karin Magnusson, tel: +46 8 608 41 75, karin.magnusson@sh.se SEKO: Henry Wölling tel: +46 8 524 840 80, henry.wolling@ki.se Södertörn University has made strategic advertisement choices for this recruitment. Therefore, we decline all contact with advertisers and other salespersons of advertisement.

Universität Siegen

In Faculty I ­– Faculty of Philosophy, Media Studies, the German Research Foundation (DFG) Collaborative Research Centre (CRC) 1472 “Transformations of the Popular” is looking for a postdoctoral research associate at the earliest possible date under the following conditions:

100% = 39,83 hours

Salary category 13 TV-L

fixed-term period until 31.12.2024

CRC "Transformations of the Popular"

The CRC is an interdisciplinary research network consisting of 18 projects and more than 60 scientists from the fields of literature studies, media studies, linguistics, history, music, education, social sciences, art history as well as theology and business administration, collaborating with national and international cooperation partners for a period of four years. The CRC will be funded by the DFG from January, 1st 2021. The CRC deals with interrelated, interdisciplinary research on the causes and consequences of the epochal erosion of the culturally dominant high/low axiology in the course of the development of quantifying methods of measuring attention and its popularisation. The CRC is divided into three areas of research „pop“, „popularisation“ and „populisms“.

Further information on the CRC’s research agenda and subprojects can be found at https://popkultur.uni-siegen.de/sfb1472/

Your tasks:

• Conceptualisation, organization and realization of the project “Fabricating ‘the people’ – Negotiating Claims of Representation in Social Media in Post-Gezi Turkey” as part of a team. The project explores how public opinion is both measured and fabricated in the context of post Gezi-Turkey drawing on ethnographic, digital and software studies methodologies
• Development of digital ethnographic methodologies
• Conducting fieldwork on Twitter related practices, networks, software ecologies and automation in the context of Turkey drawing on ethnographic methods
• Presentation of the research project at relevant international conferences
• Publication of research outcomes in relevant international journals
• Conceptualisation and organisation of international conferences, workshops and data-sprints
• Regular participation in the interdisciplinary event program and collaborative working groups of the CRC (including colloquia, lectures, conferences, research labs and workshops)
• Contributions to main topics of the CRC, including socio-technics of popularization in social media, popularization and quantification, popularization and populism

Your profile:

• Above-average doctorate in a discipline relevant to the project such as media studies, cultural studies, ethnology, sociology or science and technology studies
• Research expertise and interest in the field of social media, software- and platform studies, digital culture in Turkey or Twitter research
• Experience with (digital) ethnographic methods, interest in methods of software and platform research and the willingness to participate in methodological development
• Relevant academic achievements (publications, conference presentations)
• Experience with workshop or conference organisation
• Readiness for interdisciplinary cooperation
• Ability to work in a team, conduct tasks independently and very good communication skills
• Fluency in spoken and written English
• German and/or Turkish language skills would be desirable

Our offer:

• This position aims to promote the candidate’s scientific or artistic qualification (e.g. Habilitation) according to the Act of Academic Fixed-Term Contracts (Wissenschaftszeitvertragsgesetz), for which the ongoing media research in Siegen together with the Collaborative Research Centre 1187 “Media of Cooperation” and the GRK 1769 “Locating Media” offers an enabling environment.
• Responsibility for a field with great creative potential
• An agile environment that supports engagement with innovative educational work.
• The opportunity to make a visible contribution towards modern accounts of leadership, cooperation and diversity culture
• Numerous offers such as flexible working hours, company pension scheme, dual career service, coaching/mentoring and a comprehensive personnel development program

We look forward to receiving your application by 28.02.2021. Please apply exclusively via our application portal: https://jobs.uni-siegen.de. Unfortunately, we cannot consider applications in paper form or by e-mail.

Contact:

Prof. Dr. Carolin Gerlitz

+49 (0) 271 740 4692 (Sekretariat)

Carolin.Gerlitz@uni-siegen.de

Prof. Dr. Mine Gencel Bek

Mine.GBek@uni-siegen.de

The University of Siegen is an equal opportunity employer. The call for applications is explicitly aimed at people of all genders (m/f/d); applications from women are given preference in accordance with the North Rhine-Westphalian Equal Opportunities Act (Landesgleichstellungsgesetz). We also welcome applications from people with different personal, social and cultural backgrounds, people with severe disabilities and people of equal status.

The lack of women’s voices, status, and recognition in the news media is a challenge to both human rights and a sustainable future. Comparing Gender and Media Equality across the Globe addresses longstanding questions in the study of gender equality in media content and media organisations across countries and over time. Drawing on data from the Global Media Monitoring Project (GMMP), European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE), and the International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF), this book offers new insights into the qualities, causes, and consequences of gender equality in and through the news media. The book contributes to the critical discussion on gender and journalism, showing that the news media do not reflect reality when it comes to the actual progress of gender equality in societies across the globe. The study aims to inspire future research by making existing data on gender and news media equality available to the global research community. The book presents the GEM-dataset, comprising hundreds of indicators on media and gender equality, and the GEM-Index, an easy to use measure to keep track of key aspects of gender equality in television, radio, newspapers, and online.

“A trailblazing collection of high-quality studies from leading researchers all around the world. This splendidly edited book meets the great need for a comparative analysis of gender equality in and through news media in different regions. It is unique, full of useful empirical evidence, new insights, and reflections. This should without a doubt be required reading for anyone dealing with this issue – not least from the perspective of Agenda 2030”.

Professor Ulla Carlsson, UNESCO Chair on Freedom of Expression, Media Development and Global Policy at the University of Gothenburg

The book thoroughly describes the construction of the GEM-Index in the second chapter. The Index is included in the freely available GEM dataset, published alongside the book: https://www.gu.se/en/research/gemdataset

Download this publication: https://www.nordicom.gu.se/sv/publikationer/comparing-gender-and-media-equality-across-globe

The Institute of Communication Studies and Journalism, Faculty of Social Sciences of the Charles University in Prague

https://iksz.fsv.cuni.cz/en/admissions/phd-programme-media-and-communication-studies

The Institute of Communication Studies and Journalism at the Faculty of Social Sciences of the Charles University in Prague calls for candidates for the following PhD projects (each supported by a scholarship), for its English-language PhD programme in Media and Communication Studies:

Digital life and learning in the times of COVID-19 and beyond

The COVID-19 pandemic has played a profound role in people’s everyday experiences, which have even more than before moved to digital and third spaces. The potential two research projects would either qualitatively or by applying mixed method research explore those experiences through the lenses of digital and media literacy. One would be looking at education of children, while the other at social relationships and isolation. Both local and intercultural/international research projects are welcomed. They need to be interdisciplinary by being theoretically and/or methodologically rooted in media studies, as well as other disciplines such as education, childhood studies, cultural anthropology, philosophy, psychology, health, law, etc. Proposals of innovative research approaches are especially encouraged. The project is in English.

Potential supervisor: Markéta Supa, marketa.supa@fsv.cuni.cz

Intolerant belief systems and their intersection in the online communication

Western liberal democracies are polarizing along different lines and this polarization is specifically visible in the online discussions on various controversial topics. How does intolerance based on one characteristic (for example age) relate to other intolerant belief systems (gender, ethnicity, race, sexuality etc.)? How does intolerant public online communication reflect societal norms and culturalprejudice prevalent in the analysed culture? What is the role of disinformation media in promoting the intolerant belief systems?

The phenomenon can be studied on various research topic and case studies (ranging from politically exposed topics to debates among popular culture fans). Studies are supposed to be rooted in theories on online deliberation and its societal significance, intersectionality, post-truth society and other relevant theories. Project focusing on this field can be submitted in English or in Czech.

Proposed supervisor: Lenka Vochocová, lenka.vochocova@fsv.cuni.cz

Political leadership – new challenges, crisis and issues

The Ph.D. project should focus on these topics (political leadership as a marketing tool, changes in political communication, leadership crisis facing new issues) in relations to Climate change, Covid 19 pandemic, global migration etc., methodologically it can be approached from different angles. Theoretically, it should be rooted in the political marketing theory and political communication theory. The research can either focus on a specific case study or do a more comparative approach. This PhD project can also be submitted to the Czech-language PhD programme in Media Studies.

Proposed supervisor: Anna Shavit, anna.shavit@fsv.cuni.cz

Discursive constructions of the environment

This PhD position consists out of research into the discursive construction of the environment, climate and/or human-nature relationships, driven by a discourse-theoretical (or other post-structuralist) framework, that allows for attention for the workings of contingency, hegemony, materiality and discursive struggle. The research can be located in variety of social fields, including media, the arts and/or museums.

Proposed supervisor: Nico Carpentier, nico.carpentier@fsv.cuni.cz

Emerging Ethical Boundaries in Marketing and Strategic Communication

Currently, the communication profession (marketing, advertising, public relations, strategic, and digital communication) faces an unprecedented shift due to new information and communication technologies. This evolution also opens new questions and generates many new ethical problems, such as using personal data and information, the ability of the public (consumers, voters, customers) to understand the persuasive nature of some communication forms, the rise of hybrid journalistic and commercial products such as content or native advertising etc. We welcome Ph.D. projects tackling changes in communication that focus on an ethical aspect in the business field (covert advertising, ethical issues in a specific subfield such as tobacco or alcohol advertising, etc.) or research of the ability of the publics to understand persuasion.

Proposed supervisor: Denisa Hejlová, denisa.hejlova@fsv.cuni.cz

Current Media and Marketing Trends and Research in Health Communication

Health Communication in the Czech Republic is still a rather unexplored field, which has been highlighted recently due to the Covid19 crisis. We focus on health communication in general (theory, state of the field, expert interviews) or specific subfields, such as vaccination communication or nutrition literacy. We offer an interdisciplinary approach in cooperation with medical and health experts from medical faculties and other departments at Charles University.

Proposed supervisor: Denisa Hejlová, denisa.hejlova@fsv.cuni.cz

Environmental Communication and Corporate Social Responsibility (with a possible focus on the fashion industry)

Recently, many fashion brands included sustainability and environmental issues in their communication and actions and this issue is widely reported also in academic literature (Köcksal, Strähle, Müller and Freise, 2017; Yang, Song and Tong, 2017; Garcia-Torres, Rey-Garcia and Albareda-Vivo, 2017; Resta, Gaiardelli, Pinto and Dotti, 2016). It is not only the fashion brands talking about environment, but also stakeholders play an important role in the dialogue between fashion brands and its consumers. Recently, more consumers demand “brands with purpose”, that communicate its social responsibility, includes societal, political or environmental issues (Montgomery, 2019). We welcome Ph.D project focusing on producer or consumer research in this field, not only limited to fashion industry.

Proposed supervisor: Petra Koudelková, petra.koudelkova@fsv.cuni.cz

“Class Swap“: class-driven social experiments in Czech Reality Television culture

This PhD. project will explore Reality Television programmes which are grounded in swapping social positions of the upper-class participants who are sent to socioeconomically adverse environments (such as Milionář mezi námi [FTV Prima, 2020]; Experiment 21 [Prima Cool, 2020]; Utajený šéf [TV Nova, 2017-20]; Zlatá mládež [ČT, 2016 a 2018], etc.) International students are invited to select equivalent television programmes produced in English. The project will be theoretically informed by the scholarship on Reality Television as a neoliberal genre transforming complex issue of social inequalities into the bipolar structure of categories of “winners“ and “losers“. The study will follow methodologies of content analysis, discourse analysis and narrative analysis (or a combination thereof).

Proposed supervisor: Irena Reifová, irena.reifova@fsv.cuni.cz

Discourses and practices of othering

This PhD position involves research in the broad area of othering. It is expected to be driven by a post-structuralist approach, focussing on the construction and practices of othering through, e.g. the media, the arts, politics, or activism. Projects in this thematic area can examine, for instance, the discourses and practices that create (old and new) ethnic, political, cultural others, in specific contexts and/or at different times, or how these practices can relate to social struggle and resistance.

Proposed supervisor: Vaia Doudaki, vaia.doudaki@fsv.cuni.cz

Application

Interested candidates should submit their applications, using in the online application system, which will be open from 1st January to 30th April 2021. Interest in a particular PhD project should be mentioned in the motivation letter, together with a more developed proposal on the PhD project.

All relevant information, including the link to the online application system, can be found at here: https://fsv.cuni.cz/en/admissions/phd-programmes

and here: https://is.cuni.cz/studium/eng/prijimacky/index.php?do=detail_obor&id_obor=22693

Please download the form for filling your dissertation project proposal here: https://iksz.fsv.cuni.cz/sites/default/files/uploads/files/DISSERTATION%20PROJECT%20form%20in%20English.docx

For general questions, please contact for the Centre of PhD Studies cds.iksz@fsv.cuni.cz. For questions about particular projects, please contact the proposed supervisors.

The Open Doors Day for PhD Study in Media Studies is currently scheduled for March 11, 2021 (Thursday) at 14:00 at the Institute of Communication Studies and Journalism (Smetanovo nabrezi 6, Praha 1, 110 00) will be organised online.

Journal of Open Humanities Data

Deadline: March 1, 2021

Research in computational and quantitative approaches to humanities data is a fast growing interdisciplinary area. The first Computational Humanities Research workshop (CHR2020) took place online from 18 to 20 November 2020, organized by the DHLab of the KNAW Humanities Cluster in Amsterdam and The Alan Turing Institute. Although most research presented had a strong data-driven component, the focus of the workshop was primarily on methods, techniques, and computational analyses in humanities research. Thus, the challenges of the underlying humanities data for computational research remained relatively underexposed, but are at least as important. This special collection aims to highlight the challenges of humanities data for computational research. This special collection of the Journal of Open Humanities Data is open to both authors who presented at the CHR2020 workshop and intend to submit a paper highlighting the aspect of humanities data and to new authors.

For this special collection we invite submissions of two varieties:

1. Short data papers contain a concise description of a computational humanities research object with high reuse potential. These are short (1000 words) highly structured narratives that conform to the data paper template. A data paper does not replace a traditional research article, but rather complements it.

CHR2020 authors: If you have already published a paper in the CHR2020 proceedings and your research includes the creation of a dataset with potential for reuse, you are welcome to submit a short data paper that complements your CHR2020 proceedings paper.

New authors: If you are a new author and have created a dataset relevant to computational humanities research, you are invited to submit a paper in this category.

2. Full length research papers discuss and illustrate methods, challenges, and limitations in the creation, collection, management, access, processing, or analysis of data in computational humanities research. These are intended to be longer narratives (between 3000 and 6000 words + references), which give authors the ability to contribute to a broader discussion.

CHR2020 authors: If you have already published a paper in the CHR2020 proceedings, you are welcome to submit a paper in this category focussing on the specific features and challenges of the humanities datasets used in your research.

New authors: If you are a new author you are welcome to submit a paper in this category focussing on the specific features and challenges of the humanities datasets.

Topics of focus are: the features and challenges of humanities data for computational research, including scale and size, sampling and representativeness, data complexity, multidimensionality, multimodality, diachrony, as well as the challenges of preparing data for computational humanities inquiries.

Humanities subjects of interest to JOHD include, but are not limited to Art History, Classics, History, Linguistics, Literature, Modern Languages, Music and musicology, Philosophy, Religious Studies etc. Research that crosses one or more of these traditional disciplinary boundaries is highly encouraged.

The deadline for submissions to this special issue is: 1 March 2021. Manuscripts will be sent for double-blind peer review after editorial consideration, and accepted papers will be published online in the journal’s special collection. Please follow the submission guidelines to submit your manuscript.

Special Forum for Communication, Culture and Critique

Deadline: March 1, 2021

June 2021: Volume 14, Issue 2

Length: 1000-1500 words, inclusive of notes and references

The forum section in Communication, Culture & Critique publishes short, timely commentary pieces exploring contemporary issues in communication, media, and cultural studies for an international readership. COVID-19 is the focus of this forum, which is designed to gather narratives and commentaries from around the world, sharing situated and personal accounts of the pandemic’s many impacts on academic life. The forum’s essays will provide a critical perspective on academic life during the pandemic, with a focus on themes of power, inequality, and injustice. What opportunities and challenges have emerged from our amended work lives? How have existing inequalities been exacerbated or improved by the adaptations we have made to the ways we work? How have remote work practices affected the power dynamics in classrooms and academic departments? From reconciling homelife pressures while teaching/learning from home to adapting research projects and methods to accommodate the necessity of working remotely, these essays will explore how academics responded to COVID-19 in the 2019-2020 academic year.

Submissions should be narratives and commentaries, not research reports. Authors are encouraged to write in creative and/or experimental formats. While burnout and frustration are likely to shape some perspectives, we also seek submissions focused on humor and positive outcomes. Co-authored (or multi-authored) submissions are welcome. Forum topics may include:

• Precarious employment
• Work/life balance
• Connection and solidarity
• Inequality and injustice
• Travel and citizenship
• Coping habits and strategies
• Promotion and tenure
• Online teaching
• Childcare
• Enrollment and budgeting
• Graduate life
• Research and methods
• Digital pedagogy
• Service commitments
• Online conferences
• Advising
• Job searches
• Faculty meetings
• Mental health
• University schedules, policies, and practices
• Grants and funding

Publishing

Submission procedures: Submissions should be received by March 1, 2021 in Word format (.doc extension), following the 6th edition (2nd printing) APA style. Please submit your entry to Melissa Click at click@gonzaga.edu. Turnaround time will be swift to publish this forum section in a timely manner.

Inquiries and questions are welcome; please address them to Melissa Click at click@gonzaga.edu.

Call for Chapters

Deadline: June 30, 2021

Editors: CarrieLynn D. Reinhard (Dominican University), Ben Abelson (Mercy College) and Allison R. Levin (Webster University)

Before the concretization of fan studies as an academic discipline, fans would routinely be labeled and treated as “fanatics” -- people with excessive love for something or someone that could lead them to engage in maladaptive, even dangerous, behavior. Over time the term mental health disorders developed to mean a condition that affects a person’s behavioral, and emotional well-being. As both fanaticism and mental health are framed as being all about how people think, feel, and behave, public discourse framed fandom as a mental health issue. Along with being problematic due to class, racial, gender and other issues, this positioning meant that fandom was not well understood until the recent couple decades.

Now, scholars return to this idea of mental health and fandom, but for the purposes of understanding how being a fan relates to their own mental health. This collection explores what fans learn about mental health from their fandoms and how their fandoms can impact their own mental health, for better or worse. Discussing these issues and intersections will further our understanding of the complex ways in which fandom weaves into people’s lives.

Fans experience and express issues with mental health in various ways. The theoretical and empirical essays intended for this collection demonstrate the importance of neither deriding nor lauding fans and fandom. Instead, they engage with fans to understand how their fandom operates as another component of their lives, which can have positive and negative impacts on their mental health. Such examinations can further reduce any lingering stigma associated with fandom as well as highlight true areas of concern that fans and their communities would benefit from better understanding.

We are looking for empirical essays that consider the mental health issues experienced by fans, within fan communities, and/or related to fandom. Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

• Prevalence of mental health issues within fan communities
• How fans negotiate mental health issues
• How fandoms cause mental health issues
• Using fandom as a therapeutic tool
• Representation of fans’ mental health issues
• Fan activity as therapy
• What causes mental health issues within fans, fan communities, fandoms
• How fandom helps people cope
• How fans learn about mental health issues
• How fans talk about mental health issues
• Negative aspects of mental health issues in fandom
• Positive aspects of mental health issues in fandom

Chapter guidelines

Seeking empirically-based essays of 6000-7000 words, inclusive of references (APA citation style)

Current timeline:

• First chapter drafts due June 30, 2021
• Peer reviews due by July 31, 2021
• Final chapter drafts due by September 30, 2021
• Final manuscript submitted by October 31, 2021 for consideration

Contact CarrieLynn Reinhard with any questions: creinhard@dom.edu