Sites of Protest
Wednesday, 29 October 2014
Canterbury Christ Church University
MeCCSA Social Movements Network
DEADLINE: 1 July 2014
'Sites of Protest' is the third event organised by the MeCCSA Social Movements Network since its foundation in 2013. This conference, organised in conjunction with the Canterbury Media Discourse Group, will
be held in Canterbury on 29 October 2014.
Keynote Speakers
Katharine Ainger (Writer, editor and activist. Author of We Are Everywhere: the irresistible rise of global anti-capitalism)
Professor Stuart Price (Professor of Media and Political Discourse. Author of Worst-Case Scenario and Co-editor of the forthcoming Contemporary Protest and the Legacy of Dissent)
The role of social media in the development of contemporary social movements, such as the 'Arab spring' or the Indignados, has been decisive. Social media are useful instruments to coordinate national and
international actions, and they have become essential to keep up with the latest news about different movements. Nevertheless, we should take a step back from the focus on social media and think about it as yet another available tool in the development of social movements.
While Castells (2009) states that recent technological changes have allowed new actors to enter the global network society, other authors argue that we need to pay attention to the physical and emotional
aspects of social movements. Collins (2001), for instance, points out that the level of critical mass involved in social movements depends on emotional dynamics, and that it is in the physical assembly of people
where a sense of collective awareness develops.
After all, the digital divide is still a reality and, as activists involved in the 15M actions in 2011 point out, the initial web-based operation turned into a vast street-based campaign which included the
use of posters, debates and word of mouth (Gerbaudo, 2012: 89). The need to become visible in the streets came from the fact that millions of citizens are still cut off from the online campaigns carried out on
social media.
We welcome 250-word abstracts from academics, postgraduate students and activists for 15-20 minute presentations, exploring the concept of 'sites of protest' broadly, from street assemblies to creative work, including theoretical and empirical analyses. Abstracts received so far cover critical discussions on Occupy, art, music and film as sites of protest. Topics may include, but are not limited to, the following areas:
- Online and offline sites of protest (including music, films, interactive media, the body, social media, demonstrations, etc.)
- Social media: opportunities and limitations
- Mobilizing people: following, liking, joining
- Uses of public space
- Building collective identities
- Sites of protest and the State
- Street assemblies
- Occupy
- Researching social movements on social media: methods and approaches
Please send your 250-word abstracts to Dr Ruth Sanz Sabido at [log in to unmask] by 1 July 2014, including your name and affiliation, email address, a paper title and any technical
requirements to deliver your paper. Any queries about the Network should also be sent to the same email address.
There is a standard fee of £20 that includes lunch, refreshments and a conference pack. To register for this event, please go to http://shop.canterbury.ac.uk/browse/extra_info.asp?compid=1&modid=1&deptid=37&catid=172&prodid=1630&searchresults=1
Best wishes,
Ruth
Dr Ruth Sanz Sabido
Lecturer in Media and Communications
https://canterbury.academia.edu/RuthSanzSabido
Department of Media, Art and Design
Canterbury Christ Church University
North Holmes Road
Canterbury
CT1 1QU
Chair, MeCCSA Social Movements Network
http://www.meccsa.org.uk/networks/social-movements-network/
Mentorship Programme Coordinator, IAMCR Emerging Scholars Network
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