CFP: Console-ing Passions: An International Conference

Call for Papers

Console-ing Passions: An International Conference on Television, Audio, Video, New Media, and Feminism

April 24-26, 2008 - University of California, Santa Barbara (See Conference Website: http://www.filmandmedia.ucsb.edu/cptv/cptv.html)

Dear Colleagues:
It is not too late to submit a paper, preconstituted panel, or workshop to the upcoming Console-ing Passions Conference. This International Conference on Television, Audio, Video, New Media, and Feminism was founded by a group of feminist media scholars and artists, Console-ing Passions to create collegial spaces for new work and scholarship on culture and identity in television and related media, with an emphasis on gender and sexuality.

Since the early 1990s, Console-ing Passions conferences have featured new research on feminist perspectives, including race and ethnicity, post-colonialism, queer studies, globalization, national identity, television genres, the social and cultural study of new media, the historical development of media, and an ongoing feminist concern with gender dynamics in the production and consumption of electronic media.

Our consideration of television, digital, and aural media comes at a pivotal moment of political, social, cultural, and technological transformation. Key among our concerns for the 2008 Console-ing Passions conference is the fact that race, gender and important feminist issues will be prominent topics of political discourse in electronic and digital media during this crucial presidential election year. Issues such as reproductive rights, and gay marriage, for example, are hotly contested issues often addressed in the mediasphere. The introduction of blogs, viral video, and social networking sites has had a tremendous impact on traditional media, and their influences on politics represent a shift in the mediation of democratic processes in the U.S., and in different parts of the world. We are also interested in how new mobile video technologies (i.e., cell phones, and ipods) inaugurate a new era of “ubiquitous media” and participate in the renegotiation of the private and public spheres. Some of these recent changes are related to historical processes. As always, we are very interested in historical research on television, audio and new media.

Taking advantage of our conference location in Santa Barbara, California, which is very close to both the Hollywood film and TV industry, and the information technology hub of Silicon Valley, we also invite submissions that explore the position of women and ethnic minorities in these media and information industries.

We are interested in these and other topics that consider such developments specifically from feminist perspectives. We invite paper proposals that consider, but are not limited to the following:
o gender, media and presidential politics
o history and theory of television
o women, race, and the Don Imus effect
o feminism and the blogosphere
o YouTube and social networking
o gender, 'nature' and media
o experimental media histories and criticism
o women in media industries
o gender and media spaces
o media and reproductive politics
o media and gay/lesbian politics
o reality TV
o second life, gaming, virtual reality online
o religion and media
o gender and technology
o gender and violence
o militarism
o mobile media activism
o theories of post-television
o theorizing TV in the age of Tivo
o gender, media and globalization

Deadline for receipt of proposals is NOVEMBER 1, 2007

This Conference convenes April 24-26, 2008, at the University of California, Santa Barbara

GUIDELINES FOR PROPOSAL SUBMISSIONS:
Individual Papers: Please submit an abstract of no more than 500 words with a short bio. Be sure to include titles for all submissions (papers, panels, workshops, and screenings).

Panels: Submit a rationale for the panel (3-4 papers) of no more than 150 words, as well as abstracts of 500 words for each paper and a short bio and contact information for each contributor.

Workshops: Submit a rationale for the workshop (a series of short, informal presentations on a related topic, meant to encourage discussion), along with individual abstracts of no more than 200 words and a short bio and contact information for each participant.

Screenings of video, audio, or new media work: Please submit an abstract of no more than 500 words and a short bio of the producer/director.

All submissions must include an email message with the following
information: name, title (if applicable), affiliation, email address, and telephone number for the author, panel or workshop organizer, or producer/director for screenings. Email message should also specify the audio/visual equipment needed for the presentation. Please be as specific about a/v needs as possible.

It is preferable that proposals be saved as PDF files. All proposals must have a title. All proposals must be attached to the email message.
Email message and PDF files should be labeled as follows: your last name and the type of proposal (i.e. Smithpaper or Smithpanel or Smithworkshop or Smithscreening).

Submit all proposals to - cptvconference@filmandmedia.ucsb.edu.

Direct all questions about the conference and the submission process to:
cptvconference@filmandmedia.ucsb.edu

See the Main Console-ing Passions website: http://www.cp.commarts.wisc.edu for more information about the Console-ing Passions Organization and links to the 2008 conference.

We look forward to seeing you in Santa Barbara.
Conference Co-Chairs:
Anna Everett and Lisa Parks
Dept. of Film and Media Studies
University of California-Santa Barbara