Call for Proposals: Power, Principles and Participation in the Information Age

Posted by on May 23, 2011

Call For Proposals

International Studies Association Annual Meeting 2012: “Power, Principles and Participation in the  Information Age”

Panel: “Social Media and Social Protest”

Dr. Micheline Ishay and Joel R. Pruce are seeking additional contributors for a panel at ISA 2012. Papers on this panel will address questions regarding the use of digital networks in the service of human rights struggles. Needless to say, topics for this panel can be ripped from the headlines. However, preference will be given to those submissions that utilize a critical approach to these important issues. Possible research questions include but are not limited to the following:

Is social media a source of transnational solidarity, or do they merely supply an illusion of solidarity?

To what extent is the aggregation of data a threat to progressive civil society forces?

Is clicking on a “like” button on Facebook a substitute for more meaningful forms of political engagement?

Are mobile devices and online networks the future of political community, or are they merely a new outlet for advertising and commercial interaction?

Do social networks tip the scales of geopolitics in favor of citizen activism, or simply reinforce the status quo and entrenched power?

Comparative case studies, historical accounts, or theoretical treatments are all welcome. The objective of this panel is to delve beneath the surface and unpack the tensions that confront the twenty-first century human rights community.

Please submit an abstract, along with contact information and institutional affiliation, to Joel R. Pruce at joel.pruce@gmail.com by May 20th for full consideration. ISA deadline is June 1.