[Air-L] FW: CFP: Mobile communication and social policy conference

[Holly Kruse]

Forwarded on request.

Holly

---------------------------- Original Message ----------------------------
Subject: RE: CFP info
From:    "Chih-Hui Lai" <chihhui at eden.rutgers.edu>
Date:    Sat, April 25, 2009 10:04 pm
To:      holly at aoir.org
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First Announcement and Call for Papers
Mobile communication and social policy
An international conference

Center for Mobile Communication Studies
Rutgers University
New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA

In the decade that has passed since the seminal workshop Perpetual Contact
was held at Rutgers University, the world of mobile communication has
changed dramatically. The number of mobile phone users has skyrocketed from
a few hundred million to more than four billion, a growth rate easily
surpassing any other technology. All aspects of social life have been
touched by mobile technology, and a host of tracking and immersive, health,
gaming and commercial applications have become available. For its part, the
community of mobile communication scholars has blossomed from a handful of
pioneers to a large, vibrant intellectual community that spans the globe.
Researchers have gained deep insight into the cultural, symbolic and
social-interactional aspects of mobile communication as well as its
relevance to commerce. By contrast, far less is known about the social
policy implications of mobile technology; this is the case despite their
obvious importance to those who seek to understand human societies, not to
mention those who live in them.

To address this situation, a conference is being organized by the Center for
Mobile Communication Studies at Rutgers University on the topic of how
mobile communication influences social policy. Broad in its conception, the
conference aims to produce new insights into the topic. Subjects to be
addressed will range from mobiles and social programs (initiation through to
evaluation) to how mobile technology is used in political campaigns and to
influence the social policy environment. There will be both an open call for
papers and invited talks. Presenters are being asked to combine empirical
data (either qualitative or quantitative) with important theoretical issues
to address the mobile communication-social policy nexus.

As with earlier conferences held by the Rutgers Center for Mobile
Communication Studies, this event will be both interdisciplinary in charter
and international in character. Conference proceedings will be available to
attendees; selected papers will be published in book form and in special
issues of academic journals.

Additional details concerning conference and call for papers:
https://www.scils.rutgers.edu/conferences/mobile/

Prof. James E. Katz Email:mcsp2009 at gmail.com
Director, Center for Mobile Communication Studies
Rutgers University Department of Communication
New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901-1071 USA