CFP: #Talkingpoints – Twitter and civic debate

CFP: #Talkingpoints – Twitter and civic debate



With its hashtags, trending topics, and 280-character messages, Twitter has
become the place to watch ideas, movements, and communities develop and
become part of a global consciousness. While some scholars and social
commentators are excited at the increased visibility of groups and ideas
commonly excluded from mainstream discourse, as well as the possibility of
dialogue between groups, others have expressed concern about the presence
of echo chambers and filter bubbles as well as the lack of “real”
interaction. This raises the question what discussions on Twitter actually
look like. Is there real engagement? What voices are heard and magnified,
and which ones are backgrounded, or missing altogether? What kinds of
conversations unfold on the platform, and do they contribute to or even
qualify as civic debate?



This volume, edited by Gwen Bouvier and Judith E. Rosenbaum, seeks to shed
light on the nature of the debates witnessed on Twitter through a
consideration of a multitude of methodological and theoretical viewpoints.
We are seeking contributions from a variety of backgrounds that consider
the various types of conversations on Twitter, the users who engage in
these conversations, and the impact these conversations have.



We welcome abstracts from across disciplines and methods, although
proposals that present findings based on empirical analysis, including
quantitative, qualitative, ethnographic or political economic, are
preferred. Studies can focus on a range of aspects, from the smaller
details of conversation to trends that point to broader changes and
patterns in use and participation, as well as issues of resistance,
marginalization of voices, off-line/ on-line relations, community
management, patterns in uses of platforms and campaigning and/or activism.



Please send abstracts (300-450 words) to the editors Dr Gwen Bouvier
(Maynooth University, Ireland [email protected]) and/or Dr Judith E.
Rosenbaum (University of Maine, USA [email protected] ).



Deadline: October 30, 2018.

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