cfp.english.upenn.edu

The book responds to the vivid development of hip-hop culture in the Eastern and Central and Eastern European states and shows how a universal model of hip-hop serves as a contextually situated platform of cultural exchange with a number of meaningful and important functions and implications. The volume takes up the challenge of showing how hip-hop became an intrinsic element of urban environments in this part of the world, what impact it has on the mainstream culture and what functions it serves in different contexts. The book's content, besides tracking hip-hop’s development, exhibits and explains hip-hop’s functions and receptions of hip-hop in the national cultures in the spheres such as lifestyles, social structure, politics or consumer trends.

The volume’s aim is to collect notable works analyzing the genesis, dynamics and functioning of hip-hop culture in particular countries, regions and communities. The expected outcome of the publication is building a general understanding of categories employed in hip-hop in this part of the world as well as outlining particular national, regional and local variations of hip-hop culture.

We invite submissions regarding any aspect of broadly understood hip-hop culture from a range of scholars, notably in social/cultural anthropology, sociology, film and literary studies, political science, philosophy, education, popular culture and communication studies, who would be prepared to submit chapters that examine hip-hop in the former Eastern bloc. Submissions should include an analysis of a chosen aspect of hip-hop culture in any of the Eastern European states: the post-communist EU members, the Balkan states, Belarus, Russia, the Ukraine, Turkey or the Caucasus Republics. Papers regarding an analysis of a narrow aspect of particular national hip-hop variety as well as general overviews and international comparisons are welcome.

The volume will be structured in five sections around the broad general topics of:
1. Trajectories of national/regional/local hip-hop scenes;
2. Social tensions and political postulates reflected in hip-hop discourse;
3. Hip-hop as a vehicle of expression of alternative identities / ethnicities / lifestyles;
4. Technology and digital media in the context of the development of hip-hop;
5. Hip-hop as an industry: trends, markets, brands and consumer products;

Paper proposals that would fit into these sections would include essays that might refer to particular cases from the region (hip-hop variations) and for instance:
- investigate the current and historical conditions for the development of hip-hop;
- analyze hip-hop as a culture, for instance with an emphasis on particular meanings, behavioral norms or values;
- address the gender problems of hip-hop, such as the domination-driven masculinity, misogyny in lyrics, presence of feminine and feminist MCs;
- touch on issues connected to the representation and participation of sexual minorities in hip-hop;
- outline the representation and postulates of ethnic / national minorities;
- critically investigate the rise of hip-hoppers as local leaders and their activities outside the hip-hop context in the spheres such as charity work, civic initiatives or cooperation with NGOs;
- address the issue of politicization of hip-hop;
- assess hip-hoppers’ postulates and attitudes in the context of mainstream politics;
- name the local conditions leading to popularity of a hip-hop lifestyle;
- outline the role and forms of spatial / local identity in hip hop music;
- debate the post-communist urban milieu as a place for a hip-hop production;
- analyze the controversies of authenticity (“true meaning” versus “sell-outs”);
- evaluate the role of hip-hopers’ influence on the mainstream culture;
- discuss the role of the technological development such as transmission through internet video channels, social media, fan websites and internet forums;
- analyze entrepreneurial activities of MCs and a creation of “hip-hop industry”;
- outline the role of “local” and “global” brands in building hip-hop identities;
- describe ethnographies of hip-hop scenes.

Abstracts for proposed book chapters should be up to 500 words. Authors are asked to include brief biographical details along with their proposals, including name, academic affiliation and previous publications. Graduate students are welcome and will be assisted in the writing process.
The volume will be published in a well-recognized publishing house.
Deadline for submissions is 1st of September 2012. Please submit proposals and queries to:
mmiszczynski@ucsd.edu
Milosz Miszczynski, Jagiellonian University, Poland / University of California, San Diego, USA

Timeline:
- proposals due September 1st 2012 (500 words)
- contributors notified and sent detailed feedback by September 15th 2012
- chapters due March 1st 2013 (between 5,000 and 9,000 words)
- edited full manuscript to publishers by July 2013
- book publication 2013/2014