[Discussion] CFP: Mediated Citizenship(s): Special Issue of *Social Semiotics* (4/15/05; journal issue)

[Sule Tarakcioglu]

Call for papers
Special issue of *Social Semiotics*:

Mediated Citizenship(s)

The concept of citizenship is under attack and revision from all sides.
Scholars, politicians and pundits alike decry the decline of
participation in conventional politics. Some view mass media as the
culprits of growing disenchantment among citizens. At the same time,
recent years have also seen the rise of new social movements and forms
of activism, which involve new generations of citizens. Global flows of
capital, people, and media content present new challenges to citizenship.

The response to these developments has been dramatic: Across Europe, the
past decade has witnessed the rise of populist political parties which
draw heavily on a nationalist rhetoric oriented against those who don't
fit within narrow conceptions of citizenship, usually asylum seekers and
other "foreigners." Yet the challenges of a multicultural society
suggest that any conception of citizenship cannot ignore issues of
ethnic, racial and religious difference.

Alongside these developments, governments around the world engage in
efforts to police definitions of citizenship: In the UK, the government
has introduced a citizenship curriculum in schools, and a citizenship
induction ceremony. Meanwhile, concerns over security in the United
States have led to growing surveillance of movements across borders,
while patriotism has become an ever-more central part of official
discourses.

This special issue seeks to make sense of what role the media play in
the constant contestation of the category of "citizenship." It invites
contributions from scholars representing a variety of theoretical and
disciplinary approaches, who are interested in understanding the central
place of mass media in our societies.

Questions covered might include, but are not limited to:

How are citizens represented in the media? To what extent do notions of
mistrust, alienation and apathy shape these representations? What is the
relationship between citizenship and consumption in mediated contexts?

Who is included and excluded in definitions of citizenships circulating
in the media?

How are non-citizens (asylum seekers, "foreigners," and citizens of
other countries) portrayed? How does globalisation change
representations of citizenship?

How can citizens participate in politics through the media? What
interventions and strategies can they employ to improve their access?

How do different media forms help or hinder citizen participation?

Which theoretical approaches can help us better understand mediated
citizenship? How do approaches such as theories of the public sphere,
globalisation, cosmopolitan and cultural citizenship, postcolonialism,
political economy, feminism, and postmodernism contribute to our knowledge?

How are government initiatives on citizenship constructed in media
coverage? What are the official discourses on citizenship, and how do
they circulate? To what extent do claims about civil rights and
liberties clash contest these official discourses? How do governments
seek to structure coverage?

What are the dominant discourses on national identity and citizenship
circulating in the media? How do mediated events -- such as sports
contests, official visits, and trials --contribute to the formation of
national identity and conceptions of citizenship?

How do patterns of ownership and control affect the mediation of
citizenship? How does economic and cultural capital structure access to
the media?


Timeline:
250-word abstracts by April 15
Finished papers (7,500 words maximum length) by July 15
Decision on acceptance and requests for revision by September 1
Revised articles due October 1


Send abstracts and papers, by e-mail or hard copy to:

Dr Karin Wahl-Jorgensen
Wahl-jorgensenk@cf.ac.uk
Cardiff School of Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies
Cardiff University
Bute Building,
King Edward VII Avenue
Cardiff, CF10 3NB, Wales, UK
+44(0)29 2087 4000 ext. 77151

Social Semiotics is an international, refereed journal and has been
published continuously for 14 years.


Dr. Karin Wahl-Jorgensen
Lecturer
Cardiff School of Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies
Cardiff University
Bute Building
King Edward VII Avenue
Cardiff, CF10 3NB
(029) 2087 4000 extension 77151
wahl-jorgensenk@cardiff.ac.uk

Coordinator, MA Political Communication
Reviews Editor, *Social Semiotics* and *International Journal of Media
and Cultural Politics*



 From the Literary Calls for Papers Mailing List