Call for Chapters

Streamculture: The Aesthetics and Politics of Platformized Viewing

We invite proposals for an edited volume exploring streaming platforms as dynamic sites of cultural, political, and aesthetic transformation. Streaming media has fundamentally altered how stories are told, consumed, and circulated, moving beyond the temporal, spatial, and material constraints of traditional broadcast and cable television. Platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, and regional/global equivalents are not merely distributors of content; they are active producers of culture, shaping narrative structures, viewer engagement, creative labour practices, and cultural representation across diverse contexts. This volume, Streamculture, examines these developments through the lens of new media and cyberculture, foregrounding the interplay of algorithmic curation, interface design, global content flows, and audience practices.

The concept of “Streamculture” captures the intersection of aesthetics, politics, and platformized media practices. Streaming platforms operate at the nexus of algorithmic logic, data-driven production, and global storytelling, producing both opportunities and challenges for media creators and audiences. This volume seeks contributions that critically examine these transformations, with a particular interest in the interplay between algorithmic logic, interface design, and cultural practice. We encourage studies that explore not only the Western streaming ecosystem but also non-Western, regional, and localised platforms, highlighting comparative perspectives, cultural adaptation, and transnational media flows. Contributions are welcome from diverse theoretical, methodological, and disciplinary perspectives, including media studies, cultural studies, film and television studies, communication, digital humanities, and related fields.

Suggested Themes and Topics:

• Algorithmic storytelling and platformized authorship
• Data-driven content production and distribution
• Binge culture and episodic narrative aesthetics
• Interface design and user engagement practices
• Global content flows and cultural adaptation
• Political economy of streaming platforms
• Labour, gig work, and creative industries
• Representation, identity, and cultural politics
• Regional streaming platforms and local narratives
• Transnational media flows and audience reception
• Social media integration and cross-platform convergence
• Digital fandoms and participatory cultures
• Platform governance, moderation, and regulation
• Surveillance, privacy, and algorithmic control
• Experimental forms and interactive media aesthetics
• Streaming media and media literacy
• Environmental impact of digital media infrastructures
• Virtual communities and cybercultural formations
• Adaptation of traditional media to digital
• Media policy, copyright, and platform monopolies

Submission Guidelines

• Abstracts: Please submit an extended abstract of 300 words clearly outlining the proposed chapter’s title, theoretical framework, methodology, and central argument.
• Bio: Include a brief author bio (150 words max) for all contributing authors, with affiliations and contact information.
• Submission Format: Please submit your abstract and bio as a single Word document.
• File Naming: Please use the following file name convention: LastName_Streamculture_Abstract.docx
• Deadline: November 15, 2025.
• Submit to: streamculture.volume@gmail.com

This volume seeks to capture the complex interplay of aesthetics, politics, and platformized media practices in contemporary streaming culture. We welcome contributions that critically engage with the transformation of media authorship, audience experience, and cultural representation in the age of algorithmic, platform-driven, and globally networked media.

Note: A proposal for this edited volume is under advanced review with a leading Routledge book series.

Proposed Timeline (Indicative)

• Abstract Deadline: November 15, 2025
• Notification of Acceptance: November 25, 2025
• Full Chapter Submission: January 25, 2026 (approx. 6000–7000 words)
• Publication: December 2026 (Tentative, depending on publisher confirmation)