[Air-L] CFP: Media Studies - Generations, Digital Uses and Competences

[Inês Amaral]

[Apologies for cross-posting]



*CALL FOR PAPERS - Generations, Digital Uses and CompetencesA special issue
of Medijske studije / Media Studies Journal to be published in January
2020, MS Vol. 10 (2019) 20*
Edited by Maria José Brites (Lusófona University of Porto), Inês Amaral
(University of Coimbra), Antonija Čuvalo (University of Zagreb)

Media generational identities are culturally, socially, economically and
historically shaped. A single vision of generational identity is
impossible.

This special issue welcomes different approaches to intergenerational and
generational perspectives from various geographical landscapes. Moreover,
it aims to discuss digital uses and digital competences within
intergenerational and generational perspectives. The proposal is to assume
as context the current digital media environment, which has shaped media
history over the past decades. Non-Western voices covering generations,
digital uses and competences are particularly welcome.

Historically, media were mostly considered as reinforcements of the
generational gap, mostly in the family context. Though research by
Livingstone and Haddon (2009) found that the intergenerational gap is
diminishing in time, according to Bolin & Skogerbø (2013), the digital era
is contributing to straight the generations. Čuvalo (2017) discerns shared
media repertoires among the youngest, so-called digital generation or
digital natives and the older generation of digital immigrants (Thomas,
2011). In this sense, there is the need to work closely on life course
perspectives as a possible explanation of the diminishing or perpetuating
of the generational gap (Amaral & Daniel, 2018).  The context of digital
literacy reinforced activities by civil society and schools and can bring
some light to the discussion of this need (Brites, 2017). Furthermore, a
generational perspective in scholar and familiar environments can empower
the discussion.

There is a story to tell and gains to conquer from the historical
reflection, although the real interconnection between the digital devices
and the audiences is a recent issue. Research can benefit from a
systematization from the past to the future and also in the current
present.


*Descriptors:*
A historical and cross-national perspective on generations and the digital
environment
Non-media centric approach to media generations
Generations and the context of the digital environment
Generations and digital competences
Generations and intergenerational approaches
Digital literacy and generations
Digital literacy and intergenerational dimensions
Theoretical discussions on generations, digital uses and competencies
To define and explore methodologies critically to better understand the
audience of digital generations, namely alternative methodologies.
To consider ethical discussions in researching generations and also
intergenerational dynamics.


*Questions:*
What can we learn with a historical perspective of generations and the
digital, especially in the context of transitional and non-Western
societies?
How does the digital environment may contribute to convergence on
generations? Still, what are the differences in using the digital across
generations?
What are the current and future trends that research results are giving to
the field?
Is there a shift in the approach of different generations and the media?
What is the relevance of life course in the digital uses and competences?
How to portray the digital evolution uses across generations, considering
that the generational context is not a static dimension?
What are the most appropriate theoretical approaches?
Is research giving insights about new methodological approaches? What are
the methodological challenges?
What are the most challenging and needed ethical questions of this research
field?
Is there still a generation gap in terms of digital uses and competences?
What social and cultural issues define generational contexts and condition
intergenerationality far beyond competencies or uses?
How to equate intergenerationality and digital uses in different geographic
contexts?

*References*
Amaral, I., & Daniel, F. (2018). The use of social media among senior
citizens in Portugal: active ageing through an intergenerational approach.
In International Conference on Human Aspects of IT for the Aged Population.
Lecture Notes in Computer Science v. 10926 (pp. 422-434). Springer, Cham.
Print ISSN: 0302-9743, Online ISSN: 1611-3349, DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-92034-4_32
Bolin, G., & Skogerbø, E. (2013). Age, generation and the media. Northern
Lights, 11, 3-14. doi:10.1386/nl.11.3_2
Brites, M.J. (Coord.) (2017). Digital Literacy and Education (2014-July
2016), national reports (Portugal, UK, Ireland, Spain, Serbia and Italy),
ELN - European Literacy Network, Digital Literacy Team (WG2)
https://www.is1401eln.eu/en/gca/index.php?id=149.
Čuvalo, A. (2017). Ritmovi medijskih generacija u Hrvatskoj: istraživanje
repertoara medijskih generacija iz sociološke perspektive. Reviza za
sociologiju, 47(3): 271-302. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5613/rzs.47.3.2.
Livingstone, Sonia & Haddon, Leslie (2009). EU Kids Online: Final Report.
London: London School of Economics and Political Science.
Thomas, M. (2001)(ed.). Deconstructing Digital Natives. Young People,
Technology and the New Literacies. New York & London: Routledge.


*All manuscripts should be submitted through the Open Journal System
<https://hrcak.srce.hr/ojs/index.php/medijske-studije/index>.*

*Submission guidelines can be found here
<https://hrcak.srce.hr/ojs/index.php/medijske-studije/about/submissions>.*
*The deadline for full articles is 7 October 2019.*


-- 
Inês Amaral
Professora Associada | Associate Professor
Universidade de Coimbra • Faculdade de Letras | University of Coimbra •
Faculty of Arts and Humanities
Largo da Porta Férrea | 3004-530 • Coimbra • Portugal