27.3951, FYI: Call for Chapters: Participatory Digital Cultures and Contemporary Discourses of (De)Legitimization

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LINGUIST List: Vol-27-3951. Wed Oct 05 2016. ISSN: 1069 - 4875.

Subject: 27.3951, FYI: Call for Chapters: Participatory Digital Cultures and Contemporary Discourses of (De)Legitimization

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Date: Wed, 05 Oct 2016 11:39:57
From: Andrew Ross [andrew.ross at scu.edu.au]
Subject: Call for Chapters: Participatory Digital Cultures and Contemporary Discourses of (De)Legitimization

 Call for Chapters: (Deadline: November 30th, 2016)

Participatory Digital Cultures and Contemporary Discourses of
(De)Legitimization

''In the framework of their worldview the members of a language community come
to an understanding on central themes of their personal and social lives.''
(Habermas, 1984: 59)

Digital communication is now ingrained in contemporary social life. The
Internet and the associated increase in popularity of social media platforms
such as Facebook and Twitter have provided citizens and communities with a
multitude of channels through which to express civic participation and
engagement. Wiggins and Bowers (2014: 1891) reflect these observations through
the term ‘participatory digital culture’, a notion characterized by
“relatively low barriers to artistic expression and civic engagement” and
“strong support for creating and sharing creations” (Jenkins, 2009: xi). For
example, and in relation to political involvement, Loader et al (2014: 143)
explain that the political identities of young people are now shaped more by
“the manner in which they participate and interact through the social networks
which they themselves have had a significant part in constructing”. Engagement
of this type is not limited to the political sphere, however, and can also be
seen in the domains of education (e.g. RateMyProfessor), institutions
(corporations, government or non-profit - e.g. via Twitter), and in
advertising and marketing (e.g. memetics and viral media).

Often underpinning participation in these digital cultures is a discourse of
(de)legitimization. Legitimizing discourse is concerned with varying issues,
decisions and actions and is specifically related to “power positions of
actors and broader social structures – in other words, to institutions”
(Vaara, 2014: 503). In particular, legitimacy has been a focus in relation to
discourse in terms of individuals and authority (Van Leeuwen, 2007; 2008),
political lobbying and campaigning (Davis, Glantz & Novak, 2016), corporate
entities (Boyd, 2000), through music (Screti, 2013) and in relation to
parliamentary discourse (Rojo & van Dijk, 1997). With the growth of social
media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and increased
access to participation through viral and memetic media, the discourse of
(de)legitimization has begun to take a different shape. By incorporating
chapters adopting a range of analytical approaches (e.g., Critical Discourse
Analysis, genre analysis, netnography), the proposed volume strives to
document how members of participatory digital cultures engage with the
discourse of (de)legitimization in relation to individuals and institutions.

As members of such cultures of participation, we the editors hope to expand
understanding of how participation in such digital cultures reflects a growing
level of civic participation and engagement in contemporary society.
Therefore, chapter proposals are welcome that document, investigate and
analyze the ways in which the Internet and social media demonstrate this. 

Possible questions for exploration include, but are not limited to:

- In what situations are social media (un)successful in (de)legitimizing?
- How can tools such as hashtags represent public sentiment in relation to
legitimacy?
- What (de)legitimizing function can be served by Internet memes?
- In what ways are social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook used to
(de)legitimize?
- Where does agency lie in the pursuit of (de)legitimization?
- How is irony/satire/humor employed within participatory digital cultures to
(de)legitimize?
- How can the quest for legitimacy be aided by platforms such as YouTube
compared to traditional media outlets?
- How do social media platforms promote civic participation in discussions of
(de)legitimization?

While acknowledging connections with previous work on digital communication
and the discourse of legitimization, chapters should strive to further raise
awareness of the ways in which discourses of (de)legitimization occur within
participatory digital cultures. All methodological approaches will be
considered and we encourage authors to be creative and ambitious. Potential
authors are invited to submit a 400-word proposal and a short author-biography
to the editors Dr. Andrew S. Ross <andrew.ross at scu.edu.au> and Dr. Damian J.
Rivers <rivers at fun.ac.jp> by November 30th 2016. Final chapter selection will
be made by January 31st, 2017 and full chapters of 7,000 words will be due on
June 1st 2017. Publication will be sought with a major international
publisher.
 
Linguistic Field(s): Applied Linguistics
                     Discourse Analysis
                     Sociolinguistics



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