Research Methods

Call for Participants

Workshop – Critical Perspectives on Media and Social Change

The EASA Media Anthropology Network invites expressions of interest to attend a one-day workshop aimed at developing a research project on the theme of media and social change.

Date of Workshop: 27 May 2011
Application closing date: 28 March 2011
Venue: School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London
No. participants: 30

Convenors

Dr John Postill, Sheffield Hallam University
and Open University of Catalonia
Dr Elisenda Ardevol, Open University of Catalonia
Prof Sirpa Tenhunen, University of Helsinki

Rationale

The anthropology of media has grown dramatically since the late 1980s. This thriving subfield has already made an important contribution to the broadening of media studies away from its traditional Western heartland to all regions of the globe. In addition, media anthropology is beginning to have a theoretical impact as its practitioners continue to produce ground-up theorising on the production, circulation and appropriation of media. One key area to which anthropologists have much to contribute is the elusive relationship between media and social change – a subject of great public interest, yet one in which futuristic hyperbole abounds. This workshop brings together anthropologists working on a range of media-related areas (such as development, activism, governance, and digital media production) to discuss critically our current understanding of media and social change and identify key questions in urgent need of research and theorisation. This exercise will form the basis of a future comparative research bid.

Format

In the morning participants will briefly introduce their research interests and discuss in small groups the current state of our knowledge of media and social change. In the afternoon groups will prepare and present draft research bids towards a future collaborative project on a media and social change question for which major funding will be sought. The most promising idea(s) will be developed by a working group over the subsequent months.

Funding

There is limited funding available from the European Association of Social Anthropologists (EASA) to attend this workshop. These are the criteria of eligibility:

* Only EASA members may be funded (any membership category)
* Only travel funding (no accommodation, only transport), up to a maximum of 200 euros per participant
* No funding of travel for participants who are residents of the country in which the activity is taking place – in this case the UK.

Application Procedure

To apply for a place in the workshop please complete the attached form (medianthro-eoi-form), including the relevant sections if you wish to apply for funding, and email it ** by 28 March 2011 ** to John Postill (j.postill/AT/ shu.ac.uk), Elisenda Ardevol (eardevol/AT/gmail.com) and Sirpa Tenhunen (sirpa.tenhunen/AT/helsinki.fi).

Late applications will not be considered.

Dr John Postill
Open University of Catalonia
and Sheffield Hallam University

From the Media Anthropology blog.

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