9th CONFERENCE OF THE EUROPEAN SOCIOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION

The 9th Conference of the European Sociological Association will be held in Lisbon between 2 and 5 of September 2009 with the theme Europeanizing Globalizations: The Transformation of (self-) images.

From Lisbon to Moscow, from Athens to Reykjavik, mass and network media attention markets are re-configured. The role of the European Union (EU) in the sector of media but also in the sphere of culture is constantly gaining importance. The varying sociocultural contexts of European states, the complex relationships deriving from the tensions between traditional public services and the intensified privatization of the majority of services including media constitute some of the major problems of recent policy. Further, the new framework of media operation imposed by the new information and communication technologies and their networking globalization processes raises more questions: Whether the origins of media sources and typical media contents show consistent patterns. Are they driving forces in the transformation of European traditions and visions? Or do they rather contribute to veil or destroy the European ways of life? On this basis, the limits of traditional research in journalism and media communication will be specified under the particular perspective of “Europeanizing Globalizations”, with an emphasis on “The Transformation of (Self-) Images of Europe”.

The periodical enlargement of the EU member states in particular increases the challenges of integrating them into a common legislative and economic system. This was carried out by the integration of national and local markets but also accompanied by the establishment of new institutions or the homogenization of the functioning of the traditional ones. In this process the mass and network media have re-configured and transformed European self-images. Media and cultural industries become increasingly central in the economies of the member states and consequently they also become a field of contestation and consensus regarding their legislative system of operation. One major particular question arises: does the EU, e.g., have the jurisdiction upon the media or is this a sector of strictly national interest?

This general question contains a more specific one: which are the prerequisites for an integration policy and which are the conflicting perceptions about the directions of that policy? In other words which is the role of the media in the construction of a European identity or various types and balances of European identities and what are the results of the ‘Unity in Diversity’ or ‘One Union many Voices’ programs? As the EU communicative space by the enlargement of the Eastern European countries becomes more diverse and more complex, the role of the media in mediating the priorities of a common policy becomes more acute.

The media and cultural policy are influenced by four main factors:
1. the globalization of communication systems,
2. the transnational flow of people and incoming migration,
3. the integration of traditional media markets into a common juridical framework,
4. the global / local trajectories and the citizen associations.

The Research Network Sociology of Communications and Media Research welcomes papers emphasizing, e.g., the following topics:

1. Media and European diversity debate: theories and realities
a. Construction of a European identity and citizenship
b. Pluralism of content
c. Mediation of diversity and creativity
d. Language barriers and communication
2. EU media policy and the globalization of the communication system
a. A European public sphere or diverse public spheres?
b. European media (news agencies, networks etc.)
c. European Elections
d. European or national regulation
e. Audiovisual production (domestic or European, digital products, e.g., EU library etc.)
3. Journalism, new media and citizen’s participation
a. Citizen journalism (user generated content)
b. Experiences in social media environments

Abstracts will only be accepted through completion of the online submission form, and submission in any other form will be declined. (The Online Abstract Submission form and Instructions and Guidelines for Online Abstract Submissions will be on the conference website http://www.esa9thconference.com/). The submission form will request basic contact information from those submitting abstracts (and for any co-authors) and it is important that potential presenters give as much information as possible. The submission form will limit the title of the abstract to 200 characters (approximately 30 words) and the length of the abstract to a maximum of 350 words. The form also requests authors to submit up to 5 key words that are indicative of the content of the proposed presentation. Title, abstract and keywords will have to fit within these limitations. Tables, figures and references should not be included in abstracts. The deadline for web submission of abstracts (automatically sent to LOC and Research Networks and Research Streams coordinators) is 26th February 2009.

The 9th European Sociological Association Conference, Lisboa (http://www.esa9thconference.com/). Please mail all your queries or comments to both chairs rpanag@media.uoa.gr and p.ludes@jacobs-university.de.