cfp.english.upenn.edu

5th Global Conference
Cybercultures - Exploring Critical Issues

Friday 12th March - Sunday 14th March 2010
Salzburg, Austria

Call for Papers
This inter- and multi-disciplinary conference aims to examine, explore and critically engage with the issues and implications created by the growing adoption of information technologies for inter-human communication. The project will also focus on assessing the continuing impact of emergent cybermedia for human communication and culture. In particular the conference will encourage equally theoretical and practical debates which surround the cultural contexts within which cybermedial and technological advances are occurring.

Papers, presentations, workshops and reports are invited on any of the following themes:

1. Cyberspace and Cyberculture
Theories and Concepts of Cyberspace and Cyberculture. Identifying Key Features and Issues

2. Cybercultures and Online Communities
Emerging Practices in Social Networking. The Shaping of Individual and Collective Identities. Webnography. The Role and Use of Online Environments for Disadvantaged and other Minorities. Mobile Media.

3. Cyber-Subcultures
Multi-National, Cross-Continental and Online Diaspora Communities. Youth and Fan Cultures Online. The changing Social Identity in Cyberspace.

4. Video Game Cultures
Social Dimension of Online Gaming and Presence in Virtual Worlds. The impact of Gaming Cultures on Online and Offline Behaviour. The History of Virtual Worlds and their Cultures.

5. Digital and Interactive Arts
Performative and collaborative Use of Crossmedia. Interactive Storytelling. Transmedia Storytelling. User generated Content and cultural Practices.

6. Cybercultures and Politics
Governance and Control in the Online Environment. Cyber-Democracy and the Impact on National and Global Politics. Surveillance and Privacy in the Online World. Cyber-Activism and Social Mobilisation. Digital Divide. Digital Rights in Virtual Environments. Cybercrime.

7. Cybermedia and Cyberjournalism
Cyberjournalism. Crossmedia and Digital Publishing. Digital Communications and Free Speech. New Censorship.

8. New Media Literacies
Virtual Communities and Collaborative Work. Educational Use of Virtual Environments. Cultures of Online Learning. Online Research Networking.

The Steering Group particularly welcomes the submission of pre-formed panel proposals. 300 word abstracts should be submitted by Friday 2nd October 2009. All submissions are minimally double blind peer reviewed where appropriate. If an abstract is accepted for the conference, a full draft paper should be submitted by Friday 5th February 2010. Abstracts should be submitted simultaneously to the Organising Chairs; abstracts may be in Word, WordPerfect, or RTF formats with the following information and in this order:

a) author(s), b) affiliation, c) email address, d) title of abstract, e) body of abstract

Please use plain text (Times Roman 12) and abstain from using footnotes and any special formatting, characters or emphasis (such as bold, italics or underline). We acknowledge receipt and answer to all paper proposals submitted. If you do not receive a reply from us in a week you should assume we did not receive your proposal; it might be lost in cyberspace! We suggest, then, to look for an alternative electronic route or resend.

Organising Chairs

Daniel Riha
Cyber Hub Leader, Inter-Disciplinary.Net and
Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
E-mail: Daniel.Riha@ff.cuni.cz

Rob Fisher
Network Founder and Network Leader
Inter-Disciplinary.Net,
Freeland, Oxfordshire, UK
E-mail: cyber5@inter-disciplinary.net

The conference is part of the ‘At the Interface’ programme of research projects. It aims to bring together people from different areas and interests to share ideas and explore various discussions which are innovative and exciting.

All papers accepted for and presented at this conference will be eligible for publication in an ISBN eBook. Selected papers maybe invited for development for publication in a themed hard copy volume(s) or for inclusion in a new Cyber journal (launching 2010).

For further details about the project please visit:
http://www.inter-disciplinary.net/critical-issues/cyber/

For further details about the conference please visit:
http://www.inter-disciplinary.net/critical-issues/cyber/cybercultures/ca...