Complete Story
09/20/2016
ECA 2017 - Call for Papers - Voices of Diversity Interest Group
108th Annual ECA Convention
Boston, Massachusetts
March 29 - April 2, 2017
Submission Deadline: October 15, 2016
Freedom To … Freedom From
No city in the United States is associated more with the tensions inherent in the concept of <freedom> than Boston, the site of our 2017 convention. The Voices of Diversity invites submissions for the 2017 Eastern Communication Association (ECA) Annual Conference. The conference will be held in Boston, Massachusetts from March 29th-April 2nd, 2017 at the Omni Parker House.
Although the “Freedom Trail” that passes only twenty feet from the door of our convention hotel tells a story that Boston – and the United States – seeks simple <freedom>, its two endpoints show that <freedom> is no simple thing. We invite you to submit your work enveloping the concept of <freedom> in communication and the communication discipline that specifically speaks to Voices of Diversity.
Boston’s Justice William Cushing ruled in 1781, that “all men are born free and equal” to demand that Bostonians of African descent be released from slavery, even as slaveholders and legislators sustained laws that that allowed the freedom to hold slaves until the end of the Civil War. Throughout the Civil War, the first Red Scare of the 1920s, the busing and desegregation struggles of the 1970s and 80s, and to today in dozens of other examples, Boston has been a place where <freedom> has been a contested ground. With so many powerful events surrounding diversity, inclusivity, and social change happening, historically and present day happening in Boston, our voices as communication scholars become more imperative in our relationships, cultures, and communities. But it is not only our own voices that matter. How are we addressing issues of inclusivity, diversity, social activism, muted voices, and collaborative efforts to move toward positive change in our discipline? Are you working towards evolving new ideas and adding to a movement where <freedom> from…<freedom> to attitudes and perspectives in your scholarship, teaching, and community? What does communication give us the <freedom> to do? What does it give us <freedom> from? What are the uses and abuses of free communication? When have others used their freedom to communicate to prevent freedom from other forces? And, when have we used the freedom to communicate to gain freedom from these forces?
The purpose of the interest group is to explore the various theories and practices that pertain to the research, teaching, and study of communication within, between, and among diverse communities, especially as these communities are affected and/or marginalized culturally, economically, institutionally, politically, psychologically, and socially because of age, class, disabilities, ethnicity, gender, language, race, religion or sexual orientation. The Voices of Diversity Interest Group seeks to facilitate dissemination and discussion of such theories and practices within the field of communication studies. With this mission and the questions above in mind, the Voices of Diversity Interest Group welcomes scholarship and conversations closely aligned with the conference theme and our interest group mission.
Furthermore, the Voices of Diversity Interest Group invites completed papers, panels, round table discussions, symposiums, and community programs across communication contexts that explore the pivotal role exchanging ideas plays in creating, maintaining, and changing what we communicate and how we communicate it. Our presence in Boston invites us to consider how the tensions in <freedom> are also present within the communication discipline. Submissions that provide an opportunity for “voices” of various scholars, community members, audience members and the public to engage one another are strongly encouraged. All submissions will be reviewed and evaluated through an anonymous, peer-review process. Correspondence regarding the status of submissions will be sent mid-January 2016. Please read the following directions for proper submission.
Submission of Completed Papers
Individual submissions of complete papers should include the following elements:
- A detachable title page with the title of the paper and the author’s affiliation, mailing address, telephone number, and email address. Please include the contact information for everyone who is on the paper (name, affiliation, address, phone #, & e-mail). You do NOT need to send the cover page as a separate file. **
- The word “Debut” marked on all papers written by authors who have not presented previously at a regional or national convention.
- A one-page abstract on the second page.
- A statement of professional responsibility on the second page.
** If the paper has multiple authors, please indicate who will be presenting at the convention.
Submission of Program/Panel Proposals
Submission of program/panel proposals should include the following elements:
- A thematic title for the program.
- Names of the chair and respondents (if any). Chairs should not also be designated as respondents.
- Names, mailing addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, and institutional affiliations of all participants.
- Titles and abstracts for each paper or presentation.
- A program copy (no more than a 75-word description) as it should appear in the final program.
- A detailed rationale for the program/panel.
- A statement of professional responsibility.
Please send your submissions and/or inquiries to ecooper1@xula.edu. All submissions should be submitted as either a .doc/.docx, .odt, or .pdf file. Remember, the deadline for submissions is October 15, 2016.
Statement of Professional Responsibility
The following statement MUST be included with every submission of a paper or panel in order for it to be eligible for review. If it is not attached with a submitted document, the chair is responsible for obtaining a completed copy of this form prior to the paper/panel being officially programmed for presentation at the convention.
In submitting the attached paper or proposal, I/We recognize that this submission is considered a professional responsibility. I/We agree to present this panel or paper if it is accepted and programmed. I/We further recognize that all who attend and present at ECA’s annual meeting must register and pay required fees.
I look forward to hearing from you and seeing you at the conference. If you have any questions feel free to contact me and I will answer them to the best of my ability of find someone who can.
Take care,
Elizabeth
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Elizabeth Whittington Cooper
Xavier University of Louisiana
ecooper1@xula.edu
Department of Communication Studies
ECA: Voices of Diversity Interest Group
