Hello, everyone. Attached is a Call for Papers for a graduate-student conference to be held at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst (USA). If you would like more information or wish to respond, please contact Vincent Doyle at <[log in to unmask]>. Apologies for cross-postings. --Marty Norden ------------------->Call for Papers<------------------- INTERFACES: Communication and Connectedness in an Age of Fragmentation. Graduate Student Conference March 27-28, 1998 Communication Department University of Massachusetts, Amherst 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 papers. 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 - 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 (queer straights, straight queers, transgendered, bi) - Gendered languages in conflict/interaction Send submissions to, or for more information: Interfaces Communication Department Machmer Hall University of Massachusetts Box 34815 Amherst MA, 01003-4815 [log in to unmask] Visit our conference URL at: http://www.umass.edu/commgrads/ Presented by: the Communication Department, University of Massachusetts, Amherst; the Center for the Study of Communication; the Media Education Foundation; and Commgrads--the graduate student organization of the Communication Department. ************ Please redistribute and post************ ---- Screen-L is sponsored by the Telecommunication & Film Dept., the University of Alabama.