04/20/2017

CSCA 2018 Convention - Call for Papers - Communication Ethics, Activism and Social Justice Interest Group

To the Members of the Communication Ethics, Activism and Social Justice Interest Group,

Greetings! After a month has passed since gathering for the CSCA conference in Minneapolis, I hope you are still energized by the ideas exchanged. Looking towards the future, I invite you to bring your ideas to fruition through research and discussion for next year’s convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on April 4-7, 2018. To stimulate ideas, please refer to the unit call provided below.

As you anticipate ways of being involved with the group, please take a moment to complete this very brief questionnaire: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/RNQVHGK. This will help me gauge how you wish to participate in reviewing conference submissions as well as chairing/responding to panels.

With the newness of our interest group, we all play a valuable role in spreading the word and rallying enthusiasm among fellow CSCA colleagues. Please share this group with members of your department as well as friends you know across the discipline. We can also connect through a newly developed Facebook page to create a space for members to connect (you may join the group by searching “CSCA Communication Ethics, Activism and Social Justice Interest Group”). I encourage you to invite others to like the page so that our group may expand. This page can serve as a useful platform for collaboration, especially if you are interested in seeking panelists for a conference submission.

Thank you in advance for your contributions to the growth of our interest group. I am excited by your involvement and look forward to organizing a great program for the coming year.

Sincerely,

Laura Russell
Associate Professor of Communication
Denison University
russelll@denison.edu

Call for Submissions

2018 Central States Communication Association Conference (CSCA)

Annual Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

April 4- 7, 2018

Difference

The Communication Ethics, Activism and Social Justice Interest Group invites submissions of competitive papers and panels to be considered for programming at the 2018 CSCA conference in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Activism and social justice address matters including but not limited to inequality, dominant hegemonic discourse, marginalization, and inclusion/exclusion. These issues evoke an array of questions to explore through scholarship and discussion such as (but not limited to):

• How do we identify with and (re)define what it means to be an “activist”?
• What roles and ethical responsibilities should Communication scholars assume in movements and/or counter-movements?
• How do we embrace the fluid conditions of our social surroundings to create new communicative structures that allow for once muted voices to be heard?
• How do we engage with the panoply of discourses that promote contested if not threatening viewpoints towards certain persons and social groups?
• How do we serve a world of difference in ways that involve persons in ethical practices necessary for sustainable communities?
• In what ways do we gauge the differences and outcomes made by our active efforts?

The Communication Ethics, Activism and Social Justice Interest Group seeks scholars who examine ethics, activism, and social justice within an assortment of applied settings. Whether in private realms (i.e. interpersonal relationships), workplaces, classrooms, medical settings, online platforms or political spheres, people are pressed to negotiate meaning for their differences, particularly when such differences implicate their rights and responsibilities. Scholars employing diverse methodologies, particularly those involving critical perspectives, action-based research and reflexivity inquiry, are encouraged to respond to this call. We urge members to develop compelling panels that focus upon the convention theme, Difference. 

A variety of formats are encouraged including competitive papers, panels, and roundtable discussions. Preference will be given to panels comprised of members representing multiple institutions rather than a single institution. Given that many interests related to our division may be shared with other divisions and affiliated organizations within CSCA, we encourage co-sponsorship of program panels when appropriate.

Awards for the Top Student Paper and Top Competitive Paper will be recognized at the Communication Ethics, Activism and Social Justice Interest Group business meeting.

Guidelines for Submission:

Papers: Only completed papers will be accepted. Papers must conform to APA standards and include: 1) a title page that is a separate document from the paper, allowing author identity to be concealed and 2) a separate document that includes an abstract and full manuscript. Title pages should indicate whether the author is a CSCA member and include the notation “STUDENT” in the upper right-hand corner if the paper is authored solely by a graduate or undergraduate student. If the paper is solo-authored by a debut graduate student, the notation “DEBUT STUDENT” should also appear in the right-hand corner. All references that might identify the author should be removed from the text of the paper. A Competitive Paper Submission Form must be submitted along with the paper. This form is located on the CSCA website: www.csca-net.org.

Panels: Panel submissions must include the following information: (a) panel title, (b) a complete list of participants along with their institutional affiliations and contact information (i.e., mailing address, e-mail address, and telephone number); and (c) indications of members’ CSCA membership, (d) a reference to the type of panel (e.g., paper panel, roundtable discussion, spotlight session), (e) a 75-word abstract, and (f) a 75-word rationale. We are also open to creative panels that incorporate performances and/or special media presentations. Individuals proposing panels must complete and submit either the Paper Panel Submission Form or the Discussion Panel Submission Form available on the CSCA website: www.csca-net.org.

Deadline: Submissions must be received by 11:59 pm on Monday, October 9, 2017. 

An e-mail acknowledging the receipt of paper and panel proposals will be sent following each submission.

**Note: All media requests should be made at the time of submission. The only media available will be a projector for computers; computers will not be provided and Internet access is not guaranteed. 

Submission: Send all papers and panel proposals electronically to the Communication Ethics, Activism and Social Justice Interest Group program planner, Laura Russell: russelll@denison.edu

Laura D. Russell
Associate Professor of Communication
Denison University
russelll@denison.edu