[Air-L] CFP MEA 2023

[Adriana Braga]

Call for Papers
The Twenty-Fourth Annual Convention of the Media Ecology Association
New York City
June 22–25, 2023
The Media Ecology Association (MEA) invites the submission of papers and proposals for panels for presentation at its 24th Annual Convention, which will be held June 22–25, 2023 in New York City. The deadline for submissions is December 16, 2022. While we are open to explorations on any topic of interest to media ecologists, we also include a convention theme with the aim of generating further discussion and probes involving multiple perspectives. Submissions do not have to address the theme, but are invited to do so.

The theme of the 2023 convention is “Arts/Symbol/Context/Meanings.” In this time of global pandemic, political breakdowns, environment devastation, and mass confusion, we look to the arts and artists: what do the arts have to teach us? Media Ecology has a long and honored connection to the arts. In abandoning established forms of academic expression, Marshall McLuhan was fond of quoting Ezra Pound’s dictum “the artist is the antennae of the race.” Philosopher Susanne Langer underscored the contributions of artists to human knowledge as those who put “feeling into form” in a way that speech is unable to do. Neil Postman and Christine Nystrom urged the centrality of context in understanding the meaning of symbols and insisted on humor and plain language to communicate some of the most penetrating and enduring ideas of media ecology. In short, the arts employ forms and symbols that shape our view of the world, give us tools for thought, and allow us to reshape, re-imagine and re-contextualize our world.

The annual meeting of the MEA provides an opportunity for our community of scholars, artists, educators, professionals and practioners to exchange experiences and ideas in a friendly environment. Participants at MEA conventions address a wide diversity of topics in our programs, and we encourage submissions that explore media ecological approaches from any number of different disciplines and fields of knowledge and social practice. We seek papers, thematic panels, roundtable discussion panels, creative projects, performance sessions, and other proposals of interest to media ecologists.

New York City, traditionally a stronghold and showcase of both the popular and fine arts, will be the context in which our discussion takes place. The home of the Bowery and Broadway, doowop and opera, wall graffiti and some of the finest art museums in the world, New York will provide the backdrop to our conversation about the arts, symbols, contexts and meanings. Held at various locations in New York, participants will have ample opportunity to explore the rich cultural life of the City and not be confined to just one venue or neighborhood.

Guidelines for Submission

Please submit paper and panel proposals, in English, by December 16, 2022 to MEA2023Convention at gmail.com. A maximum of two submissions per author will be accepted. Authors who wish to be considered for the Top Paper or Top Student Paper award must indicate this on their submission(s).

Submission Guidelines for paper and panel proposals:
   
   - Include title(s), abstract(s) (maximum 250 words), and contact information for each participant.
   - Outline, as relevant, how your paper or panel will fit with the convention theme.
   - Authors with papers submitted as part of a panel proposal or as a paper proposal who wish to be considered for Top Paper or Top Student Paper must send the completed manuscript (see guidelines below) to the convention planners by April 28, 2023.

Submission guidelines for manuscripts for authors who wish to be considered for the Top Paper or Top Student Paper award:
   
   - Manuscripts should be 4,000–6,000 words (approximately 15 to 25 double-spaced pages)
   - Include a cover page with your institutional affiliation and other contact information.
   - Include an abstract (maximum 150 words).