IAMCR - International Association for Media and Communication Research

IAMCR Conference in Durban, South Africa, July 15-19, 2012

The Media Education Research Section (MER) warmly invites submissions (both individual proposals and collective panels) for the next IAMCR conference to be held at the University of KwaZulu Natal (UKZN) in Durban, South Africa. The section is interested in papers bearing on all the dimensions of media education research, to promote further the construction of our field:

• Epistemology and theory in media education research
• Place of media education within information and communication sciences
• Research methodologies in media education
• Representations and coverage in the media
• Pedagogy/pedagogies, curricula and teaching practices
• Media education policies at local, national and international level (indicators, benchmarking,…)
• The frontiers of media education with information literacy, digital literacy, computer literacy, etc.
• New learning research processes and their impact on media education
• Literacy studies as social practices
• Play, simulation and other participatory techniques for media education
• The contribution of media education to citizenship, ethics, peace and participation
• Resistance and criticism to media education

The conference main theme 'South-North Conversations' provides a defying and suggestive focus of inspiration, inviting us to think in comparative studies, dialogic approaches and pluralistic methodologies. It may be taken up by participants when deciding to present their paper. It opens interesting possibilities for interaction with other sections, so researchers are hereby encouraged to submit proposals both for thematic tables and joint initiatives with other sections. Some suggested topics could relate to:

• Digital divide and inclusion projects and results
• Pedagogical and cultural work in the field of intercultural communication
• Experiences and practices  involving South-North exchanges
• The role of international organizations and NGOs in promoting South-North conversations
• Media and information literacy and curriculum development
• Media literacy education as a tool and field for intercultural communication

Paper proposals should be one page long, and should list the author's name, address, university affiliation, telephone and e-mail, followed by the paper's title and an abstract of 500 words/1500 signs. The abstract should specify the subject, research questions asked, methodology and indicate some of the findings. Proposals will be peer reviewed and supervised by the scientific board of the Media Education Research section. In order to improve the on-site quality of the contributions, all panels will have a discussant.

Submission of abstracts can only be done online, via the IAMCR OCS website. The deadline for submission is  February 14th 2012. You can enter your proposals at http://iamcr-ocs.org/index.php/2012/2012.

For further information about the conference, please contact the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) by email (IAMCR2012 [at] ukzn.ac.za) or access the Conference website.

In case of need, please do not hesitate to contact the Media Education Research Section: