By Adi Kuntsman
This book offers a critical analysis of the complex relationship between violence and belonging by exploring the ways sexual, ethnic or national belonging can work through, rather than against, violence. Based on an ethnographic study of Russian-speaking, queer immigrants in Israel/Palestine, and also in cyberspace, this book offers a journey into the world of hate speech and fantasies of torture and sexual abuse; of tormented subjectivities and uncanny homes; of ghostly hauntings from the past and anxieties about the present and future. Drawing from scholarship on migration, diaspora and critical race studies, feminist and queer theory, psychoanalysis and studies on cyberculture, the book traces the interplay between the different forms of violence – physical and verbal, social and psychic, material and semiotic – and offers novel insights into the analysis of nationalism, on-line sociality and queer migranthood.
The conference is organized by the faculty of Law in cooperation with the School of Social Studies, Masaryk University and Faculty of Law, Charles University. The event hosts professionals and masterminds from the field of IT-Law, Sociology, Psychology, Cybersecurity and Cybercrime.
The main strands of the conference are: Cyberlaw, Psychology and Sociology of Cyberspace, Philosophy of Cyberspace, Religion in Cyberspace, Cybersecurity, and Cybercrime,
Abstract submission deadline: 31 July 2009
Conference proceedings to be published
Full papers deadline: 31 December 2009
The Study Group for Contemporary Russian Culture Studies organizes a seminar called 'Digital Discourses: The Russian Internet' on February 25, 2009, 5-7pm, at the Centre for Research in the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities.
Speakers are Gasan Guseinov and Olga Goriunova, both from the University of Moscow. Each will give a 20-minute talk, followed by ample time for discussion.
Communication politics and policies are dominant forces in shaping living cultures. Rich, vibrant and controversial forms of expression continue to emerge and their influence is increasingly transcending borders. The appearance and pervasiveness of new communication technologies is greatly accelerating this process.
Yet, the forging and evolution of cultural discourses influence the articulation and re-orient the expression of communication politics and policies.
The current tendencies appear to be primarily driven by western-oriented approaches and are often perceived as a transferrable framework to other parts of the world mainly because of their liberal, inclusive and representative tradition in contrast to more restrictive political and communication systems elsewhere.
Political, economic, cultural and social actors such as - governments, media, political parties, civil societies, transnational non-state actors and citizens - are the major players formulating these communication politics and policies outlining the cultural sphere. Although they often aim at common objectives including, among others, fostering democratization, promoting citizenship and reinforcing identities they compete for exerting their influence at different levels.
This 3rd annual PhD conference seeks to identify, discuss and understand current trends in communication and cultural politics and policies and the ways in which they influence cultures at national, transnational, regional and global levels. It also intends to analyse how the evolution of cultural discourses influences communication politics and policies.
Please send your abstract, of 250 words and a 50 words biography together with your institutional affiliation and contact details by Friday 3rd April 2009, to the following email address: ics-pg-conference@leeds.ac.uk Institute of Communications Studies, Houldsworth Building, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT. Tel: +44 (0)113 343 8859