Communication, Citizenship and Representative Democracy: Theoretical and practical approaches
IAMCR invites applications for the 2022 IAMCR presidential PhD Research Webinar on “Communication, Citizenship and Representative Democracy: Theoretical and Practical Approaches” convened by Nancy Gakahu, University of Leeds, UK. This webinar intends to bring together doctoral scholars to discuss the place and role of citizens in representative democracy, and mainly, how citizens use various media and communication channels and platforms to connect and engage with the political class.
This webinar intends to bring together doctoral scholars to discuss the place and role of citizens in representative democracy, and mainly, how citizens use various media and communication channels and platforms to connect and engage with the political class.
The role and place of citizens in a representative democracy is an important but overlooked component in governance and democratic fronts. This problem stems from misconceptions of political engagements as mere activities done to the people, thereby elevating the actions of the representative (politicians) over those of the represented (the citizens). In a representative democracy, however, citizens have a deliberative role and should be regarded as partners with their representatives. Representative democracy is at its best when it involves pursuits that are done ‘with the people.’
We encourage a wide range of topics from doctoral students who are interested in the subject of Media, Politics, Communication and Democracy
Potential topics include (but are not limited to):
- How do citizens utilise various media (electronic, print, digital, social) for democratic engagement?
- Can media be utilised by citizens to undermine representative democracy?
- The interplay between media, culture, citizenship, and representative democracy.
- The interplay between media ownership, regulation, citizenship, and democratic processes.
- The transformative power of media and communication technologies in democratic politics.
- Citizen journalism and democratic processes.
To submit your paper to present in the webinar, download and complete the application form and send it to Nancy Gakahu, the convenor of the webinar, and also Mazlum Kemal Dağdelen, the assistant of Nico Carpentier, IAMCR president, with the subject “IAMCR Presidential PhD Research Webinar: {title of your paper proposal}" by 20 August 2022. If there are several presenters, each should fill in an individual application form and send all the forms in one email.
Acceptance of an application is based on the proposed presentation's academic quality, relevance to the field and the main topic of the webinar, and originality.
Nancy Gakahu, Convener, IAMCR PhD Presidential Webinar, 2022, University of Leeds, UK
Key dates
- Deadline for the submission of application: 20 August 2022
- Announcement of accepted applications: 5 September 2022
- Deadline for submission of full presentations 30 September 2022
- Date of webinar: 7 October 2022
- Time: 08:00 GMT (09.00 London Time)