ECREA WEEKLY digest ARTICLES

Special issue on Cultural Literacies in Transition

Deadline: August 15, 2019

Guest editor: Kris Rutten

Theme:

On-going public and academic debate has focused on the importance of knowledge about culture and the arts, what is generally referred to as “cultural literacy”. Often the debate focuses on an alleged “lack” of such knowledge. Whereas traditional approaches to cultural literacy emphasized the importance of a shared national culture, the reading of books and the literary canon, in recent years there has been an increasing focus on what cultural “literacies” can imply within our current globalised, pluralized and media saturated societies. While the conception that the arts constitute (Western) High Culture has for a long time already been strongly criticized from a broad range of perspectives, this idea is still reflected in more traditional approaches to the importance and functions of culture and the arts. However, contemporary societal transitions raise a number of important questions about the specific content of cultural literacies (i.e. what is still considered to be relevant and valuable knowledge about culture and the arts?), about the potential functions of culture and the arts for society (i.e. what is considered to be the societal and educational value of knowledge about and engagement with the arts?) and about the specific role of cultural institutions today (i.e. how do cultural institutions address their roles as mediator and go-between of knowledge about the arts?).

This special issue seeks to reframe the discussion about cultural literacies from a number of different perspectives. (1) The concept of literacy itself has been studied as a normative concept, which is embedded in specific perspectives on economic progress, political democracy, and social, cultural and educational mobility. This has been referred to as the so-called “literacy myth” and there has been a growing body of research that critically addresses the question of what it implies to “become literate” and on whose terms, for example in relation to notions such as decolonisation and intersectionality. This implies that if we want to explore cultural literacies as important “equipment” for people to navigate the complexities of contemporary society, we need to extend its content beyond traditional conceptions of culture and the arts so as to be able to include a wider range of relevant dimensions. (2) What counts as a legitimate argument when discussing the value of knowledge about the arts is always related to particular perspectives on its societal functions. This implies we need a critical examination of the claims that are made within the public debate for the “importance” and “value” of culture and the arts for society and therefore we also need to focus on the larger societal context in which this debate is taking place. (3) If we explore the question of how cultural literacies, conceptualised from a critical perspective, can be enhanced by focusing on the potential of cultural institutions, then this implies we need to focus on the increasingly changing and sometimes also contested roles of cultural institutions as traditional mediators of culture and the arts.

For this special issue, we therefore seek contributions that explore how cultural literacies are currently defined, practiced, contested and negotiated in relation to different contexts by focusing on the following discussions:

• What is currently considered to be valuable knowledge about culture, art and aesthetics? How is this knowledge being challenged and how is it redefined? What does this imply for art education and for the curriculum in general?
• How are the societal functions of culture and the arts framed in the public and academic debate? What are the societal and educational values that are attributed to knowledge about and engagement with the arts?
• How is the role of cultural and art institutions changing as traditional mediators of knowledge about culture and the arts? What new forms of art mediation are emerging or how can such new forms be conceptualized?

Submission guidelines:

Deadline for abstracts: Please send your abstracts of 300 words by August 15th 2019 to Kris.Rutten@UGent.be.

Notification of selected abstracts by: September 1st 2019.

Deadline for article submission: based on the selection of the abstracts full papers will need to be submitted by: November 30th 2019.

Information and instructions for authors: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/RCRC

All completed manuscripts MUST be uploaded onto the online manuscript portal Scholar One. Go to Critical Arts on the Taylor and Francis site. There is an option on the top left pane of the screen that says ‘submit’, select this then click ‘submit online’ and follow the prompts.

Further inquiries about the special issue: Kris.Rutten@UGent.be

Alternatively, contact the Critical Arts editorial office at criticalarts@ukzn.ac.za or the editor-in-chief, Keyan Tomaselli at keyant@uj.ac.za

Critical Arts prides itself in publishing original, readable, and theoretically cutting edge articles. For more information on the history and the orientation of the journal, as well as guidelines for authors, and legal and editorial procedures, please visit: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/authors/rcrcauth.asp

Critical Arts is now published six times annually and is indexed in the International Bibliography of Social Sciences (IBSS) and the ISI Social Science Index and Arts & Humanities Citation Index and other indexes.

22nd International Conference

March 26-28 2020

Tallinn University, Estonia

Deadline: January 31, 2020

The Society for Phenomenology and Media (SPM) invites abstracts for its 22nd International Conference. Abstracts should address questions of specific media (books, TV, radio, film, press, digital communication, dance, graffiti, etc.). Individual papers and panels need not be limited to phenomenological approaches. All theoretical and philosophical perspectives are welcome (analytic, linguistic, phenomenological, Marxist, etc.). Submissions will be peer-reviewed by a host committee. The following categories are welcome:

• Individual paper abstracts (200 words)
• Proposals for 3-person panels (250 words)

Proposals will be received exclusively through EasyChair: https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=spm2020. Submissions are due to January 31, 2020.

All papers presented at the conference are eligible for publication in the SPM Annual Conference Proceedings; selected papers from the conference may also be submitted for publication in SPM’s annual publication, Glimpse, which is peer- and blind-reviewed.

Additional Information and Contact

Please refer to the Call for Papers on EasyChair (https://easychair.org/cfp/spm2020) and to SPM website (https://www.societyforphenomenologyandmedia.org) for further information. If you have any questions regarding the conference and submissions, please enter in contact:

Tales Tomaz, SPM Secretary, socphenmedia@yahoo.com

October 29-31

Hammamet, Tunisia

Deadline: June 21, 2019

The topics addressed by CRiSIS range from the analysis of risks, attacks to networks and system survivability, to security models, security mechanisms and privacy enhancing technologies. The authors are invited to submit research results as well as practical experiment or deployment reports. Industrial papers about applications or case studies are also welcomed in different domains (e.g., telemedicine, banking, e-government, e-learning, e-commerce, critical infrastructures, mobile networks, embedded applications, etc.).

The list of topics includes but is not limited to:

• Analysis and management of risk
• Attacks and defenses
• Attack data acquisition and network monitoring
• Cryptography, biometrics, watermarking
• Dependability and fault tolerance of Internet applications
• Distributed systems security and safety
• Embedded system security and safety
• Empirical methods for security and risk evaluation
• Hardware-based security and physical security
• Intrusion detection and prevention systems
• Organizational, ethical and legal issues
• Privacy protection and anonymization
• Risk-aware access and usage control
• Security and risk assessment
• Security and risks metrics
• Security and dependability of operating systems
• Security and safety of critical infrastructures
• Security and privacy of peer-to-peer system
• Security and privacy of wireless networks
• Security models and security policies
• Security of new generation networks, security of VoIP and multimedia
• Security of e-commerce, electronic voting and database systems
• Security of social networks
• Security of industrial control systems
• Smartphone security and privacy
• Traceability, metrology and forensics
• Trust management
• Use of smart cards and personal devices for Internet applications
• Web and cloud security

Paper submission:

Submitted papers must not substantially overlap with papers that have been published or that are simultaneously submitted to a journal or a conference with proceedings. Papers must be written in English and must be submitted electronically in PDF format.

The papers that will be selected for presentation at the conference will be included in post-proceedings published by Springer in the Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS) series (prior to publication the papers should be revised according to the review comments). Pre-proceedings will appear at the time of the conference.

Maximum paper length will be 16 printed pages for full papers or 6 pages for short papers, in LNCS style (http://www.springer.de/comp/lncs/authors.html). Authors of accepted papers must guarantee that their papers will be presented at the conference.

All paper submissions will be handled through the Easy Chair conference management system: https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=crisis2019.

Important dates

• Submission deadline (extened) June 21, 2019
• Notification to authors: July 20, 2019
• Camera-ready versions: September 22, 2019
• Conference dates: October 29-31, 2019

PRism special issue (volume 15, issue 1)

Deadline: August 12, 2019 (to be published in December 2019)

In this special issue, we welcome rigorous and original contributions that explore Indigenous voice as a space for theorizing communication. We welcome submissions that examine Indigenous/First Nations as participants in the generation of transformative knowledge claims. This can include but is not limited to:

• Indigenous/First Nations communication practices (including traditional forms e.g. storytelling)
• Indigenous/First Nations activism for social justice
• Indigenous/First Nations struggles for voice and sovereignty
• The role of Indigenous/First Nations media for public communication
• Indigenous/First Nations organizational communication with publics/stakeholders
• The use of social media by Indigenous/First Nations for public communication
• The presentation of images, news and/or other information by Indigenous/First Nations
• Media representation of Indigenous/First Nations in public communication

We welcome original research, case studies, theoretical, conceptual and methodological papers relating to the topic. We encourage contributions from Indigenous/First Nations scholars.

PRism is an open access peer-reviewed public relations and communication research journal (ISSN 1448-4404). PRism is devoted to promoting the highest standards of peer review and engages established and emerging scholars globally.

PRism was under the editorship of Elspeth Tilley from its foundation in 2003 until 2019 when the Center for Culture-Centered Approach to Research and Evaluation (CARE) at Massey University became the publisher of the journal. Mohan Dutta is the Director of CARE and the new Editorial Advisor of PRism. Steve Elers is the new Editor.

For more information visit http://www.prismjournal.org

Email prism@massey.ac.nz

Karin Fast, Andre Jansson

In Transmedia Work¸ Karin Fast and André Jansson explore several key questions that frame the study of the social and cultural implications of a digital, connected workforce.

How might we understand ‘privilege’ and ‘precariousness’ in today’s digitalized work market? What does it mean to be a privileged worker under the so-called connectivity imperative? What are the social and cultural forces that normalize the appropriation of new media in, and beyond, the workplace? These key questions come together in the notion of transmedia work – a term through which a social critique of work under digital modernity can be formulated. Transmedia work refers to the rise of a new social condition that saturates many different types of work, with various outcomes. In some social groups, and in certain professions, transmedia work is wholeheartedly embraced, while it is questioned and resisted elsewhere. There are also variations in terms of control; who can maintain a sense of mastery over transmedia work and who cannot?

Through interviews with cultural workers, expatriates, and mobile business workers, and ancillary empirical data such as corporate technology and coworking discourse, Transmedia Work is an important addition to the study of mediatization and digital culture.

Purchase here.

YECREA seminar

October 21-22, 2019

University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

 Deadline: June 15, 2019

The Young Scholars Network of ECREA (YECREA) is happy to invite all young scholars – doctoral students, post-docs, junior scholars, and other early-career scholars – to participate in two seminar sessions, organised as part of the joint conference on ‘Infrastructures and Inequalities: Media industries, digital cultures and politics’ in Helsinki.

This is a joint initiative of three YECREA Sections: Communication and Democracy; Digital Culture and Communication; and Media Industries and Cultural Production.

Details:

Date: 21-22 October 2019

Location: Metsätalo, University of Helsinki

Two parallel sessions (1.5 hours each)The deadline for applications is 15 June 2019 

Topics this workshop will cover:

Strategies for building researchers networks – exploring research communities, the potential of digital platformsBroadening scholarly communication – engaging with social mediaSeminar description:

Scholarly communication is undergoing significant changes and evolutions, particularly in today’s shifting media landscape. For young scholars and early career researchers in particular, issues of disseminating our research on social media platforms, creating alternative communication forms, and establishing sustainable researcher communities are particularly relevant.

The shift towards a more diverse array of scholarly communication has already begun. Scholars now share their research and connect with each other on platforms such as Academia.edu, ResearchGate and LinkedIn. As well as these outlets, the traditional article format is being altered by including blog posts, interactive graphics and video. And perhaps most significantly, scholarly conversations are now taking place on social media platforms such as Twitter and Instagram.

These seminars aim to help young scholars navigate the process of sharing their research within this digital media environment.

21 October 2019

The first seminar, facilitated by Professor Kirsi Pyhältö, explores the issue of “How to build and sustain researcher networks”.

This workshop, intended for PhD students and young career scholars, aims to facilitate use of researcher communities as a resource for doctoral research and career development, by analyzing the potential of these communities, exploring one’s own communities, and discussing them with peers. The workshop addresses the function of researcher communities in early career researchers’ daily lives, and their role as a central resource for their careers after a doctoral degree.

22 October 2019

The second seminar, facilitated by Dr. Salla-Maaria Laaksonen, explores the topic “Why bother? Expert communication on social media”.

This seminar addresses the issue of the growing diversity of digital platforms for research dissemination, scholarly conversation, and alternative academic networking. It explores how early career researchers can engage with social media, the opportunities and also the pressures that these digital platforms afford, inquiring how young scholars and researchers can benefit from them.

Please submit a brief expression of interest (max. 200 words) providing a short description of your research interests and why you are interested in attending the seminars.

Additionally, please provide a short bionote stating your name, email, affiliation and position, and country.

Please be aware that participants commit to attending both seminars.

Please send in your expressions of interests and personal information, no later than 15 June 2019, to:

• Ally.Mccrowyoung@hum.ku.dk
• AnaSofia.PereiraCaldeira@ugent.be
• Giulia.Manica@nottingham.ac.uk

Selected participants will be notified by the 15th of July 2019

Participation in these seminar sessions is free of charge.

Bournemouth University

Deadline: June 30, 2019 (midnight)

Click here to apply.

Salary: Starting salary from £34,189 – £39,609 per annum with further progression opportunities to £43,267

Please quote reference: FMC164

Bournemouth University’s vision is worldwide recognition as a leading university for inspiring learning, advancing knowledge and enriching society through the fusion of education, research and practice. Our highly skilled and creative workforce is comprised of individuals drawn from a broad cross section of the globe, who reflect a variety of backgrounds, talents, perspectives and experiences that help to build our global learning community.

The Faculty of Media and Communication at Bournemouth University is one of the largest of its kind in the world and has a global reputation for combining research and teaching practice. The Faculty has an enviable reputation for media production and has developed a popular and successful suite of media production programmes at both undergraduate and post graduate levels

As a Lecturer in Cross Platform Media, you will be able to demonstrate in-depth knowledge of the contemporary cross platform media landscape, as well as an industry realistic understanding of the skills needed by the next generation of content makers.

Enthusiastic about active and student-centred pedagogy, you will contribute to education delivery, including programme management as required, across a range of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.

You will also make a significant contribution to employability and help to further enhance the department’s professional networks.

You will be qualified to Doctorate level or be able to demonstrate the ability to create and disseminate knowledge at an equivalent level and the capability to convert this knowledge into a doctorate in a maximum of 3-5 years from the date of appointment. You will be research active and committed to a culture of academic excellence and continuous improvement.

Applications are especially welcome from those with professional experience in platform spanning media production, as are applications from individuals with experience of project management and working to client briefs.

For further information and discussion or the opportunity for an informal visit, please contact Dr Ashley Woodfall, Acting Head of Department – Media Production by email at awoodfall@bournemouth.ac.uk.

BU values and is committed to an inclusive working environment. We seek a diverse community through attracting, developing and retaining staff from different backgrounds to contribute to inspirational learning, advancing knowledge and enriching society. To support and enable our staff to achieve a balance between work and their personal lives, we will also consider proposals for flexible working or job share arrangements.

Bournemouth University

Deadline: June 30, 2019, midnight

Apply here

Key information

Salary:

Starting salary from £34,189 – £39,609 per annum with further progression opportunities to £43,267

Please quote reference: FMC161

Bournemouth University’s vision is worldwide recognition as a leading university for inspiring learning, advancing knowledge and enriching society through the fusion of education, research and practice. Our highly skilled and creative workforce is comprised of individuals drawn from a broad cross section of the globe, who reflect a variety of backgrounds, talents, perspectives and experiences that help to build our global learning community.

The Faculty of Media and Communication at Bournemouth University is one of the largest of its kind in the world and has a global reputation for combining research and teaching practice. The Faculty has an enviable reputation for media production and has developed a popular and successful suite of media production programmes at both undergraduate and post graduate levels

As a Lecturer in Film & Television, you will be able to demonstrate in-depth knowledge of film/television/media theory.

With a broad understanding of contemporary issues relevant to film/TV/professional broadcast media you will be able to enthuse the next generation of makers in to becoming critical and reflective thinkers.

You will be enthusiastic about active and student-centred pedagogy, and contribute to innovative education delivery, including programme management as required, across the range of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.

You will be qualified to Doctorate level or be able to demonstrate the ability to create and disseminate knowledge at an equivalent level and the capability to convert this knowledge into a doctorate in a maximum of 3-5 years from the date of appointment. You will be research active and committed to a culture of academic excellence and continuous improvement.

Applications are welcome from those with experience of working in ‘flipped’/blended learning environments, as are those from individuals with experience in working with students on practice-based research and scholarship.

For further information and discussion or the opportunity for an informal visit, please contact Dr Ashley Woodfall, Acting Head of Department – Media Production by email at awoodfall@bournemouth.ac.uk.

BU values and is committed to an inclusive working environment. We seek a diverse community through attracting, developing and retaining staff from different backgrounds to contribute to inspirational learning, advancing knowledge and enriching society. To support and enable our staff to achieve a balance between work and their personal lives, we will also consider proposals for flexible working or job share arrangements.

Worldwide Web Foundation (Jakarta, London, Washington DC)

Deadline: June 21, 2019

Department: Research

Contract: Full-time

Reports to: Research Director

Location: Preferably working from one of the Web Foundation offices in Jakarta, London, or Washington DC. Can also be based in other countries in Asia, Africa or Latin America and the Caribbean. Some travel involved.

Direct reports: None

Key Relationships: Research team; Policy, Communications, and A4AI teams. External partners

Send your CV and a cover letter to jobs@webfoundation.org, including ‘Research Manager’ in the subject line.

Role Overview

Work on the Web Foundation’s research agenda across all its programs, with a specific focus on those relating to digital rights and empowerment, and gender. This involves leading and supporting the development of world class research products for targeted policy and general audiences. These will draw on a range of approaches including feminist and qualitative research methods, while exceeding WF research quality and ethical standards.

Support the development and implementation of research that will influence policy change to advance the strategic goals of the Web Foundation and all its programmes, with a focus on the Foundation’s vision, mission, strategy and deliverables.

Work in a multidisciplinary and multicultural team, and contribute to activities across the Foundation in support of our mission to achieve digital equality for everyone everywhere.

Accountabilities

Research

Time: 50 %

Contribute to local, regional and global research that supports the Web Foundation’s policy advocacy and campaign goals by:

• Designing, developing and managing cross-cutting research activities on digital rights and gender policy problems;
• Writing up research products;
• Managing the development of flagship Web Foundation research products;
• Provide expertise of qualitative and feminist research methods for research design across the Foundation.
• Identifying areas for further research particularly around the intersection of gender and digital rights;

Research Coordination

Time: 30 %

• Support the Research Director in relations with research partners;
• Managing the development of research products with external partners and consultants;
• Work closely with other team members to support project management of research products.

Communication, network and community building

Time: 15%

• Presenting Web Foundation research at conferences, discussion forums, and meetings;
• Building profile and thought leadership through public speaking and writing & ensuring relevant work is represented in key spaces for research dissemination;
• Engaging with the global research community identifying key opportunities to champion and further WF’s research specifically;

Organizational development

Time: 5 %

• Lead on cultivating and following through cross-programme synergies with partners.
• Contribute to the overall success of the Web Foundation by taking an active part in the development of corporate strategies, positions, plans and team culture.

ADDITIONAL SPECIFICATIONS

Education & Certifications

• Education to Masters level preferred; with a minimum of 5 years of relevant work experience, including experience working with civil society and/or research organizations.

Essential Knowledge, Experience and Attributes

Knowledge areas:

• Digital rights and related fields (e.g., data protection, online privacy, online surveillance, data governance, open data, human rights and the internet, etc.).
• Gender equality and ICTs (e.g., online GBV, gender digital divide, gender-responsive ICT policies, women in STEM, etc.).

General research skills:

• At least three years of experience producing policy research products (e.g., policy briefs, short reports, blogs, etc.) including publications for diverse audiences.
• Expertise using feminist research methods including the use of qualitative methods for both data collection and analysis.
• Project management skills and experience - including large multi-country projects.
• Ability to use Web-based tools for creating, sharing, and collaborating on work.
• Knowledge of, and background in gender studies or feminist research.

Communication and team skills:

• Proven expertise in communicating complex, research-based technical issues to diverse audiences.
• Ability to work as part of a distributed team and to work independently in a startup-like environment, meeting tight deadlines and multiple priorities with minimal supervision;
• Sensitive to different cultural and social contexts, able to collaborate successfully with people from many different cultures and countries;
• Professional English language proficiency.
• Excellent writing and analysis skills.
• Ability to travel internationally (a few times per year).

Desirable Knowledge and Experience

• Experience working in a policy advocacy organization;
• Experience in academia in a research position;
• Specific experience working on policy research in low and middle income countries;
• Knowledge of, and background in international development;
• Work experience in Latin American and the Caribbean, Africa, or Asia.
• Familiarity with blogging and social media;
• Ability to apply monitoring and evaluation techniques;
• Fluency in one major world language in addition to English;
• Public communication and speaking skills, comfortable speaking in front of large audiences.
• Quantitative research skills, including use of spreadsheets and statistical software.

Loughborough University, Online Civic Culture Centre

Deadline: July 3, 2019

• Qualification Type: PhD
• Location: Loughborough
• Funding for: UK Students, EU Students, International Students
• Funding amount: £15,009
• Hours: Full Time
• Placed On: 31st May 2019
• Closes: 3rd July 2019
• Reference: OCC19-P3X

Supervisors:

Primary supervisor: Professor Andrew Chadwick

Secondary supervisors: Dr Martin Sykora, Dr Cristian Vaccari

Intro:

O3C: Improving the Health of Our Online Civic Culture

Established in 2018 with an award from Loughborough University's Adventure Research Programme, the Online Civic Culture Centre (O3C) applies concepts and methods from social science and information science to understand the role of social media in shaping our civic culture. Led by Professor Andrew Chadwick it includes a doctoral training programme consisting of a team of ten academic supervisors drawn from the disciplines of communication, information science, social psychology, and sociology. The CDT enables interdisciplinary teams of researchers and PhD students to work together on issues of misinformation, disinformation, and the rise of hate speech and intolerance online. It develops evidence-based knowledge to mitigate the democratically-dysfunctional aspects of social media. It also identifies and promotes the positive civic engagement benefits of social media. For more information visit https://www.lboro.ac.uk/research/online-civic-culture-centre/

In the latest UK Research Excellence Framework (2014), Communication and Media at Loughborough was ranked 2nd in the UK for research intensity and is 5th in the world in Communication for influence on scholarly research and debate as measured by citations (QS World University Rankings 2019).

Full Project Detail: Understanding the role of social media in shaping civic culture

We invite applications in any area of O3C’s research foci. For more information please visit the O3C website https://www.lboro.ac.uk/research/online-civic-culture-centre

Applicants must prepare a 1500-word research proposal outlining their project.

Find out more: https://www.lboro.ac.uk/research/online-civic-culture-centre/

Entry requirements: At least a 2:1 Honours degree (or equivalent) by start of project. A Master's degree will be an advantage.

Funding information:

Open to UK/EU and International graduates with backgrounds in relevant disciplines. For UK/EU students the studentship provides a tax free stipend of £15,009 per year for three years and covers tuition fees at the UK/EU rate. International students may apply: in this case the studentship will cover only the International tuition fee only. You will register for 1 October 2019 or 1 January 2020.

Contact details:

Name: Deirdre Lombard, Postgraduate Administrator

Email address: D.Lombard@lboro.ac.uk

Telephone number: +44 (0)1509 223879

How to apply:

Online at http://www.lboro.ac.uk/study/apply/research. Under programme name, select Social Sciences. Clearly mark your application "Online Civic Culture CDT."

Please quote reference number: OCC19-P3X