Tag: ETMU

CFP: Expressions of race and racism online. This working group is part of the 14th Society for the Study of Ethnic Relations and International Migration (ETMU) Conference on Race, Power and Mobilities (October 26-27, 2017), University of Jyväskylä, Finland.

The long-lasting idea that dematerialized online presence would downplay racial issues is vanishing as studies are increasingly showing the extent to which race is embedded in online structures, vocabulary, and users’ practices (Daniels, 2012). Though much research has been conducted on representations of race in traditional media, few studies have investigated expressions of race and racism in online and social media, and their findings underline the complexity of the topic (Sommier, van Sterkenburg, & Hofhuis, in press).

This working group therefore calls for papers tackling online expressions of race and racism to further understand associated strategies, tensions, and outcomes. Current findings point to a wide range of dialectics that should be further explored. Studies urge for holistic approaches (e.g. Titley, 2014) to attend to the interplay between colorblind and blatant racism, individual and structural aspects, local and global discourses, and traditional and social media. These broad research areas include, but are not limited to:

– users’ online practices, identity formation and social interactions (e.g. Hughey, 2008)
– the creation of racial digital divides (e.g. boyd, 2013)
– strategies used to disguise online racist discourses (e.g. Sharma & Brooker, 2016)
– methodological challenges associated with the study of expressions of race and racism in online settings

*** Important dates and practicalities ***

• Deadline for submission: August 31, 2017
• Notification of acceptance: September 15, 2017
• Registration starts September 15, 2017
• ETMU Days October 26–27, 2017

Submit your abstracts of 300–400 words directly to the working group organizer, Mélodine Sommier.