Hello, everyone.  What follows in an updated Call for Papers for the
"Interfaces" graduate-student conference to be held at the University of
Massachusetts-Amherst in the spring.  For more information, please contact
the conference organizers off-list at <[log in to unmask]>.
 
--Marty Norden
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          Martin F. Norden
  OO      Dept. of Communication, Box 34815      [log in to unmask]
  [_]<|   University of Massachusetts-Amherst    fax: 413 545-6399
  /|\     Amherst, MA  01003-4815      USA       tel: 413 545-0598, 545-1311
                home page: http://www-unix.oit.umass.edu/~norden
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       ******************(Update) Call For Papers (Update)*******************
 
       Interfaces: Communication and Connectedness in an Age of Fragmentation
 
An Interdisciplinary Graduate Student Conference
Hosted by the Department of Communication
University of Massachusetts, Amherst
March 27-28 1998
Conference Website: http://www.umass.edu/commgrads/index.html
 
KEYNOTE ADDRESS: Dr. Ella Shohat and Dr. Robert Stam, authors of
_Unthinking Eurocentrism_. Topic: "Contested Histories: Towards a
Multicultural Media Studies."
 
Deadline for Submissions: December 20, 1997
 
    Interface/ n. & v. /  n.  1.  a surface forming a common boundary
between regions.  2. a point where interaction occurs among systems,
processes, subjects, etc. 3. an apparatus for connecting pieces of
equipment so that they can be operated jointly.   /v. tr. &  intr./ 1.
connect with (another piece of equipment etc.) by an interface.
 
        Communication necessarily implies interfaces. With the advent and
multiplication of various mediated forms of communication, it has become
increasingly important to understand how interfaces shape all aspects of
human communication. Many theorists have argued that the contemporary
period is marked by the fragmentation and redefinition of identities and
national boundaries. In this context, what are the qualities of interfaces
that allow for the dual possibilities of increased "connectedness" and,
simultaneously, of increased "isolation"? This graduate student conference
will consider this question as it affects any level and context of
communication, whether between individuals, social groups, or cultures. How
might the metaphor of "interfaces" help us to generate creative
interpretations of everyday life in an increasingly fragmented world?
 
        Students whose areas of research focus or border on communication are
invited to submit short (1-3 page) proposals for individual presentations
(of 15-20 minutes each). Completed papers or thematic panel proposals (of
3-4 presenters each) are also welcome. Diverse methodologies and
theoretical approaches are encouraged. All submissions will be subjected to
a peer-review process. The following topics are suggested as starting
points for considering panels or individual papers, but are not intended to
be exclusive or mandatory.
 
          Media-mediated relationships (from penpals to fandom to cyberchat
to netsex)
          The Rhetoric of Interfaces ("A Bridge to the 21st Century...")
          Borders and boundaries: political, personal, cultural, etc.
          The local-global nexus in/as neo-colonialism
          New communication technologies: possibilities and limitations
          Hybrid identities and postcoloniality
          Migrant/national subjectivities and the politics of displacement
          Disability, identity, and society
          Sub/Counter/Co-cultures
          The politics of racial representation
          Bodies and technologies, cosmetics and cyborgs
          Political union and/or dissolution
          Intercultural convergences and conflicts
          Sexualities, betwixt and between
          Gendered languages in conflict/interaction
 
                            Send your proposal to:
              (all submissions should be received by Dec. 20, 1997)
 
                           [log in to unmask]
 
                                  Interfaces
                         Department of Communication
                    Machmer Hall, University of Massachusetts
                            Box 34815, Amherst MA
                                 01003-4815
 
                              Fax: (413) 545-6399
 
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