Apologies for cross posting.

If ‘dark matter’ is what is unaccounted for in the universe, and is seen to be potentially dangerous, then dark leisure is what people do that can be seen to be disturbing or troubling.

We would like to invite contributions for a proposed edited collection looking at the ways that people spend their leisure time pursuing online activities that might be labelled unusual, dark, or deviant; for example, about dogging and swinging, pro-anorexia and cutting, suicide, death camps, and terrorism. This might include discussion boards, email lists, chat rooms, advice sought and given, photographs or videos shared, and events publicised.

Chapters should be empirically based, around 6000 words in length, and written in an accessible style suitable for an interested, intelligent general audience as well as for an academic readership in gender/cultural/media studies and sociology/anthropology. An examination of your ethical and methodological issues is required as these are obviously sensitive issues. We are also interested in research which prioritises issues of gender and sexualities.

Abstracts will form part of a book proposal to be submitted to an interested publisher.

Send abstracts of up to 250 words by October 31^st and including a brief bio to: Julie Harpin [log in to unmask]

Please forward this email to your networks and any colleagues who might be interested. Thanks.

Best wishes,

Julie Harpin & Samantha Holland

Leeds Metropolitan University, UK

 

 

Dr Samantha Holland

Carnegie Research Institute

Cavendish Hall, Headingley campus

Leeds LS6 3QS UK