Department of Politics and International Relations
Call for Papers: Digital politics and social movements: shifting modes of representation and governance
Posted on 4 March 2024
The implications of new technologies are constantly at the forefront of political research, as scholars, policymakers and corporate actors grapple with the potentialities and the implications of each new tool or system. Today, AI and the need to regulate it are front of mind – reflected in countless new conferences, working papers, and funding opportunities. However, beyond questions of ownership and control, social and political researchers must consider how new technologies might challenge or transform representation and governance, as fundamental principles of social and political theory.
Social movements offer a way to study these developments ‘from below’ – providing insights beyond just the stated intentions of a certain digital tool or system. Police have introduced widespread CCTV networks in cities across the world in the name of security, but movements have shown they are used to target the right to protest in democratic contexts (Ullrich & Wollinger, 2011). E-commerce supposedly makes people’s lives easier but trade unions have highlighted how labour rights are suppressed by “platform capitalism” (Srniceck, 2017; Vallas, 2019). Social media platforms such as Facebook seek to “bring people closer together” but activists report that uneven and opaque moderation practices have led to repression and paranoia (Crawford, forthcoming). Early literature focused on the possibilities of the digital: divided along techno-optimist/ techno-pessimist lines (Morozov, 2011). Now, however, we have ample empirical evidence that allows for greater analytical nuance (Gerbaudo, 2012).
The workshop will be held on Monday 8th July 2024 at the University of York.
This 1-day workshop will engage with questions about how the digital transforms, challenges, and reproduces representation and governance from the perspective of activists and social movements.
Related themes might include trust, authority, identity, transparency, and freedom. In what ways is the digital used to oppress? Does the digital retain liberatory potential? How does the digital challenge, transform or reproduce relationships between people and politics? How do colonialism, capitalism and patriarchy interact with the digital today?
Engaging with these questions, the workshop will bring together researchers and practitioners, providing an opportunity for the dissemination of current research, and to situate our findings in a global perspective. Contributions are invited from academic researchers, activists, and NGO and policy practitioners.
Contributions will be selected based on the best engagement with the focus of the workshop as outlined above, as it will also act as a planning discussion for the preparation of a special issue in a relevant journal. Final submissions will be required 1 month before the workshop and participants will be expected to engage with each other’s contributions. Non-traditional formats are welcome; please give a clear explanation of the format with the application if submitting something other than a paper or article. A small amount of international travel support is available, with priority given to those in the Global South (broadly defined). If you would like to be considered for a grant, please indicate this within your application and include a budget. Please also indicate if your attendance is dependent on securing the grant.
This workshop is in-person only and will not be recorded.
Applicants will be informed 3 months before the workshop if they have been successful, to accommodate the lengthy visa application process for entering the UK. The organisers are not allowed to provide visa advice or support but can provide official invitations if required. Please indicate with your application if this is something you would require.
Send proposals by email to poli-digital-workshop@york.ac.uk by 15 March 2024.