[Air-L] CFP: Internet in Southeast Asia – Symposium at Monash University Malaysia, December 2015

[Julian Hopkins]

Dear all,


we hope to be able to welcome internet researchers with an interest in
Southeast Asia at the following symposium.


*Call for Papers*

The internet is a convergence point for diverse social, cultural, economic,
and political movements. As populations in Southeast Asia connect to the
internet, its role in mediating interactions at all levels of society is
becoming increasingly important. From interpersonal family relations to
ties between government and citizens, the expansion of mediated social
interaction, media content, and tools for social engagement is influencing
how individuals express themselves and engage with these various contexts.



One of the key questions in social research of the internet relates to its
influence on existing power relations, whether or not they are changing,
and the effects of these changes. “Power” can be broadly interpreted and
applied to a variety of contexts. For instance, in the political realm, the
internet plays an important role in the dynamics of democracy, press
freedom, activism, and political campaigns. In popular culture, the rise of
social media gives rise to the possibility that individuals can bypass
established media industry channels to become celebrities, challenging past
notions of elitism and exclusivity. These negotiations of power also take
place in economics, where digitally-based small-scale businesses emerge as
effective competitors, and the divisions between producers and consumers
become blurred. In religion, the role of formal religious institutions as
the primary source of spiritual knowledge is also being challenged.



We welcome submissions of original research from established and early
career researchers, as well as PhD candidates, to explore how the internet
affects negotiations of power in social, cultural and political dimensions
in the Southeast Asian region.



*Keynote speaker*

Dr John Postill is the Vice-Chancellor’s Senior Research Fellow at RMIT
University, Melbourne, and Digital Anthropology Fellow at University
College London (UCL). He is currently conducting fieldwork on digital
activism and political change in Indonesia.



*Submission Details*

Paper proposals should include an abstract of 300 words accompanied by a
short bio of 100 words that includes your institutional affiliation by July
15, 2015. Authors whose papers are accepted will be notified by August 5,
2015, upon which a draft paper of 3000 words is required by November 15,
2015.



*Symposium Subsidy*

 This symposium is fully funded by Monash University Malaysia. Subsidies
for travel and accommodation are available for presenters, and will be
allocated on case by case basis.



For more information, please visit
http://www.sass.monash.edu.my/research/isaps-2015

Please send all proposals and enquiries to isaps.monash at gmail.com


++++++++++
Dr Julian Hopkins
Deputy Head of School Education (Interim)
School of Arts & Social Sciences
Monash University Malaysia
+60 3 5514 4920
www.sass.monash.edu.my
@julianhopkins