Conference Announcement / Call for papers

7th Global Conference
Cybercultures: Exploring Critical Issues

Thursday 3rd May – Saturday 5th May 2012
Prague, Czech Republic

This inter- and multi-disciplinary conference aims to examine, explore and critically engage with the issues and implications created by the growing adoption of information technologies for inter- human communication. The project will also focus on assessing the continuing impact of emergent cybermedia for human communication and culture. In particular the conference will encourage equally theoretical and practical debates which surround the cultural contexts within which cybermedial and technological advances are occurring.

Papers, presentations, workshops and reports are invited on any of the following themes:

1. Cyberspace and Cyberculture
Theories and Concepts of Cyberspace and Cyberculture. Identifying Key Features and Issues

2. Cybercultures and Online Communities
Emerging Practices in Social Networking. The Shaping of Individual and Collective Identities. Webnography. Changing Social Identity in Cyberspace. State, Transnational and Commercial Control of Social and Private Spaces. Concepts and Meaning of Online Community.

3. Cyber-Subcultures
Multi-National, Cross-Continental, Cross- Generational and Online Diaspora Communities. Youth, Fan and Alternative Cultures Online. Changing Social Identity in Cyberspace. Online Role Playing.

4. Design for Social Networking
Design and Communication Strategies and Practices. Accessibility, Usability and Design Standardization. Creativity Support in Interactive Media. Mobile Communication Futures. Web 3.0 Projects and Concepts. Creative Commons.

5. Cybercultures and Politics
Governance and Control in the Online Environment. Cyber-Democracy and the Impact on National and Global Politics. Surveillance and Privacy in the Online World. Cyber-Activism and Social Mobilisation. Digital Divide. Digital Rights in Virtual Environments. Cybercrime. Environmental Issues.

6. Cybermedia and Cyberjournalism
Cyberjournalism. New Media Discourses. Digital Communications and Free Speech. New Censorship and Content Regulation. Grassroots Journalism, Activism and Hactivism. The Portrayal of New Media in the Old Media.

7. New Media Literacies
Educational Use of Virtual Environments and Videogames. Cultures of Online Learning. Online Research Networking. Global and Local Learning in the Age of Convergent Cultures.

8. Digital and Interactive Arts
Digital Artistic Practices and Aesthetics. Performative and Collaborative Use of Digital Media. Transmedia Storytelling. Biotechnologies.

The Steering Group particularly welcomes the submission of pre-formed panel proposals. 300 word abstracts should be submitted by Friday 4th November 2011. All submissions are minimally double blind peer reviewed where appropriate. If an abstract is accepted for the conference, a full draft paper should be submitted by Friday 9th March 2012. Abstracts should be submitted simultaneously to the Organising Chairs; abstracts may be in Word, WordPerfect, or RTF formats with the following information and in this order: a) author(s), b) affiliation, c) email address, d) title of abstract, e) body of abstract, f) up to 10 keywords. E-mails should be entitled: Cubercultures Abstract Submission.

Please use plain text (Times Roman 12) and abstain from using footnotes and any special formatting, characters or emphasis (such as bold, italics or underline). Please note that a Book of Abstracts is planned for the end of the year. We acknowledge receipt and answer to all paper proposals submitted. If you do not receive a reply from us in a week you should assume we did not receive your proposal; it might be lost in cyberspace! We suggest, then, to look for an alternative electronic route or resend.

Organising Chairs

Daniel Riha
Cyber Hub Leader, Inter-Disciplinary.Net and
Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
Email: [email protected]

Rob Fisher
Network Founder and Network Leader
Inter-Disciplinary.Net,
Freeland, Oxfordshire, UK
Email: [email protected]

The conference is part of the ‘At the Interface’ programme of research projects. It aims to bring together people from different areas and interests to share ideas and explore various discussions which are innovative and exciting.

All papers accepted for and presented at this conference will be eligible for publication in an ISBN eBook. Selected papers maybe invited for development for publication in a themed hard copy volume(s) or for inclusion in a new Cyber journal (launching 2011).

For further details of the project, please visit:
http://www.inter-disciplinary.net/critical-issues/cyber/cybercultures/

For further details of the conference, please visit:
http://www.inter-disciplinary.net/critical-issues/cyber/cybercultures/call-for-papers/

Please note: Inter-Disciplinary.Net is a not-for-profit network and we are not in a position to be able to assist with conference travel or subsistence.

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