<nettime-ann> CFP: Convergence Special Issue: New Media, Global Activism

Convergence

The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies

Call for Papers

Special issue on: New Media, Global Activism and Politics

Vol. 20, no. 3 (August 2014)

Guest editors: Carolyn Guertin (University of North Texas at Dallas) and Angi Buettner (Victoria University of Wellington)

Deadline for refereed research articles: 30 August 2013

Indignados. Arab Spring. #Occupy. The 99%. Idle No More. #Upsettler. GlobalNoise. Strike Debt. These are just some of the new terms to emerge from the global mass protests of the last two years. They are part of a sea change as political engagement, citizen journalism and tactical media evolve as tools of protest and communication. These terms mark only one small part of a much larger shift in media production and distribution that is the rise of user-generated content or social media. Within digital culture, the creative act has become a form of activism carried out through the repurposing of pre-existing materials and media for political change—and it is a practice that has swayed policy, overturned governments and politicized subcultures and peoples on a global scale.

In the 19^th century, the crowd emerged as a new social force. It was a force, it was argued, that shook the foundations of society and led individuals to commit irrational acts. In the 21^st century, we have seen the power of crowds re-emerge as an ostensibly smarter and more nimble cultural force empowered by mobile technologies, crowdsourcing methodologies and networked systems. How has activism changed as a result of new technologies? How are new media enlisted to assist in the planning and enactment of socio-political change? How are governments and political candidates using social media? How has social media altered policies, elections and the democratic process?

Topics might include:

- Hacktivism

- Wikileaks

- Arab Spring

- #occupy

- Indignados

- Idle No More

- #upsettlers

- Global Noise

- Crowdsourcing

- Lobbying

- Flashmobs, smart mobs or network armies

- Riot simulation or protest modeling

- Microblogging as a form of protest

- Protest apps, including geolocative ones

- Eco-activism

- Activism in education

- Gaming and new media activism

- New media and the environment

- Politics and new media

- Activist or protest art

- Appropriation, subvertising, culture jamming or memes

- Slacktivism

- Clicktivism

- Cyberfeminism

- DIY culture

- Global protest networks

- Participatory culture

- eDemocracy

- Government sponsored social media

- Public media initiatives

- Elections and social media

Queries may be directed to the guest editors, Carolyn Guertin at [email protected] or Angi Buettner at [email protected]

Convergence is published by Sage and all contributors must consult the guide to manuscript submission at:

http://www.uk.sagepub.com/journalsProdDesc.nav?prodId=Journal201774#tabview=manuscriptSubmission for details of house style.

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Carolyn Guertin, PhD

Languages and Communications, University of North Texas

author of Digital Prohibition: Piracy and Authorship in New Media Art (Continuum, 2012)

Website: http://carolynguertin.com/
Email: [email protected]
Skype: carolyn_guertin