Communication and Space/Place

Communication and Space/Place

2nd Postgraduate Conference
University of Leeds, Institute of Communications Studies
Leeds, United Kingdom
Friday, 6 June 2008

Following the great success of last year's first PhD conference, the
Institute of Communications Studies (ICS) at the University of Leeds
will be
hosting a second post-graduate conference for research in
communications and
media. We invite students from all disciplines at the Master's or
Doctoral
level to present research that pertains to the conceptualisation and/or
observation of space/place in relation to communication, media and
culture.

Although Space and Place can be understood broadly, the theoretical and
material implications of their relationship to media and communications
are
important to studies in this field. The two words, taken either
together or
separately, are crucial to all manner of media and communications
structures/networks/economies/policies, such as the discursive 'space'
of
contemporary politics, shifting conceptions of public and private
'places',
the focus on flows between locales in a global capitalist economy, the
importance of creative 'space' in the culture industries, the
decentralised
'space' of online 'citizen media', and so on. While a look at various
definitions of either word reveals at once their potential
compatibilities
and irreconcilabilities, the linguistic convergence marked by each
word's
functionality as both verb and noun presents us with myriad
possibilities of
thinking Space and Place.

Spaces and places may be 'real' or 'virtual' environments and locales;
sites
of expansion or contraction; material realisations or policies of
freedom or
restriction. Space/Place can also be understood in terms of culture and
discursive relationships; they can be formations where the identities
of
groups and individuals are explored and/or constructed, and where
notions of
human agency encounter forces and ideologies that influence and are
influenced by the ways that social actors and institutions communicate.

The following are some possible areas of inquiry:

The problematic dichotomies of public-private, 'real'-virtual, spaces
and
places for the use/consumption of media.


Meaning/Representation: The spaces and places in which media and
communication are produced and consumed have a profound relationship to
how
'meaning' is derived from them. How are people from different cultures,
ethnicities, etc. represented by and in media and communications?


What are the policies that shape the relationship of communication,
space/place, and 'stakeholders' (public, state, market, NGOs etc) how
is
space/place regulated? How do space/place relate to prohibition of
communication, or the use of various media as propaganda?


The spaces and places in which media and communication are produced and
consumed have a profound relationship to how 'meaning' is derived from
them.
To what extent, and in which ways, are media and communications
spaces/places contingent (or not) on aspects of each other and on media
producers and consumers?


Are there barriers to participation in certain media/communications
spaces/places? How does power operate in these spaces/places? How are
new
formations of power relationships developed with relation to
space/place?
How are old formations changing or being reinforced in contemporary
media?


What happens at the edges and intersections of spaces/places, i.e. when
traditional media meet the Internet, or when communications cross over
between genres and media? Does a place necessarily constitute a space,
and
vice versa? Are they fluid; are they mutually exclusive?


Please submit an abstract by 21 January 2008 with a general description
of
your research paper, indicating your topic, theoretical framework,
research
questions or hypotheses, and methodological considerations. The
abstract
should not exceed 500 words and should be attached to your email in a
common
document format (MS Word compatible, Word Perfect). Should your
proposal be
accepted, we will ask you to provide a full paper before the
conference.

All accepted full papers will be read, discussed and commented on by
members
of the academic staff from the Institute of Communications Studies who
have
expertise in your topic, method, or theoretical framework. This can be
a
golden opportunity for you to refine your thoughts, openly share your
concerns, and receive constructive critique from professors and fellow
postgraduate students working in your area. It is also a great chance
to
start building or expanding your professional and academic network.
Following the conference your paper will be published in the
forthcoming ICS
Postgraduate Conference proceedings open access online journal.

Contact Information:

Email: ics-pg-conference@leeds.ac.uk
Conference Website:
http://www.personal.leeds.ac.uk/~cspaa/ics-pg-conference/<http://www.personal.leeds.ac.uk/%7Ecspaa/ics-pg-conference/>

Important Dates:

Abstracts: 28 January 2008
Acceptance Notification: 3 March 2008
Full papers: 30 April 2008

Please indicate the following in the body of your email:

Title of presentation as it appears on the abstract
Name
Affiliaton (program and university)
Level and year of study (ex. Master's, 2nd year)
Phone number
E-mail address
Mailing address
A/V requirements (computer/projector, film projector, VCR/DVD, stereo,
etc.)
Other requirements (table, easel, hooks, display materials).
Mobility and other special needs requirements (wheel chair access,
etc.)

We look forward to receiving your abstracts, and thank you for your
interest!

-The Organising Committee.