Placeless Memories Conference - Call for Papers

Posted on 11 April 2017

This one-day conference taking place on Friday 14th July 2017 aims to open up discussion on the nature of memory and identity construction online and in digital formats, and explore issues concerning the use of these digital memories as a resource for scholars.

The internet is becoming an everyday space where identities and memories are not only stored, but also shaped and negotiated. User generated content from websites and social media is often dismissed as frivolous, unmediated and apparently spontaneous. However there is growing interest in how user-generated content might be used in conjunction with more official forms of knowledge.

This under researched area is of particular importance in an increasingly digital age. Our challenge is to consider the Internet not just as a tool for preserving histories, but as an emergent space where diverse memories and identities are actively shaped, contested and negotiated in the present moment by a wide variety of different stakeholders.

We invite proposals for 20 minute papers on any aspect of the digital construction of memory and identity, and the use of digital resources as source material for scholars studying these issues. Suggested topics include (but are not limited to);

What is the nature of digital memories and identities?

Is "online memory" different from "offline memory"?

How does the researcher approach these digital constructions of memory and use them in their work?

Please submit abstracts of 250-300 words to huw.halstead@york.ac.uk by 31st May 2017. The conference will take place on Friday 14th July 2017 in the Bowland Auditorium, Berrick Saul Building, University of York.

Placeless Memories (PDF , 83kb)