06/28/2024

2025 CSCA Convention - Performance Studies & Autoethnography Interest Group ... Call for Papers and Panels

PERFORMANCE STUDIES AND AUTOETHNOGRAPHY INTEREST GROUP
Call for Papers and Panels

Central States Communication Association (CSCA)

Annual Convention-Cincinnati, OH

April 1-6, 2025

Widening the Scope

The Performance Studies & Autoethnography Interest Group invites submissions for the 2025 Central States Communication Association convention to be held in Cincinnati, OH from April 1-6, 2025. 

The deadline for submissions is October 5, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. CDT.

Our interest group focuses on two primary areas of scholarship: Performance Studies and Autoethnography. We view performance as a method of communication inquiry and as an embodied way of knowing and presenting information. We view autoethnography as a critically engaged orientation toward scholarship located in embodied experience. We invite scholars to attend to these interests at multiple levels, including the intersections of performance and autoethnography. We welcome a variety of submission formats, including individual papers, performance panels, paper panels, extended abstracts, working papers, roundtable discussions, and spotlight sessions.

We especially encourage members to address issues related to the convention theme, Widening the Scope. We believe this year’s theme enables our division to shine by encouraging submissions that push beyond the boundaries of autoethnography and performance studies.

We are excited to see what other connections members might make with the theme. As a general rule, we encourage efforts at co-sponsorship between various interest groups, when appropriate, as well as creating panels across academic institutions. 

Awards

The Performance Studies and Autoethnography Interest Group would like to invite members to submit nominations for a variety of awards that are presented at the annual business meeting:

• Top Paper
• Top Student Paper
• Outstanding Article or Book Chapter in Performance Studies and Outstanding Article or Book Chapter in Autoethnography
  • These awards are intended to reward high-quality scholarship published within the preceding two calendar years (2023 & 2024). Please submit a copy of the article or book chapter, along with a letter of support, and specify whether the submission is to be considered for the Performance Studies or Autoethnography Award.
• Outstanding Article or Book Chapter in Autoethnography
• The Outstanding Book in Performance Studies and/or Autoethnography.
  • This award is intended to reward exceptional book-length work published within the preceding five calendar years (2019-2024). Please submit a copy of the book (electronic preferred), along with a letter of support toleblancs@pfw.edu with the title of the award in the subject line. All nominations and submissions should be directed to the interest group chair.
• The Outstanding Scholar in Performance Studies & Autoethnography
  • This award recognizes a scholarwho has made significant contributions to performance studies and/or autoethnographic scholarship and has been a significant contributor to/from the Central States region.

Submission Guidelines

Individual Papers:

The Performance Studies and Autoethnography Interest Group seeks cutting-edge, creative, critical, and evocative manuscripts that engage performance studies and/or autoethnography. When submitting a paper or performance, please note the following guidelines*:

• All submitted papers must be the original work of the author(s).
• Author name(s) and identifying information must be removed.
• Include a title and a brief abstract.
• For debut papers (meaning the first presentation in the interest group), please write “DEBUT” on the title page.
• Graduate students should type “STUDENT” in the upper right-hand corner of the title page.
• If the paper will be a graduate student debut, please type “DEBUT STUDENT” in the upper right-hand corner of the title page. 
  • To be considered a graduate student debut paper:
    • the author must be a graduate student,
    • the paper must have single authorship, and
    • the paper must be the author’s first paper to be presented at CSCA.

*Please note: Papers that do not meet these submission guidelines may not be distributed for review. To be considered for the Top Panel, the submission must be complete. Additionally, if you would like for your manuscript to be considered for the Inclusive Scholarship Award, the paper must clearly articulate, in at least one paragraph in the abstract, how the respective scholarship explicitly addresses equity and inclusion. Additionally, make sure to select the Inclusive Scholarship option when submitting.

Panels:

The Performance Studies and Autoethnography Interest Group welcomes submissions of proposals for performance panels, paper panels, roundtable discussions, and spotlight sessions. When submitting a panel proposal, please note the following guidelines*:

• Include a title.
• Include a brief description of the panel, which will be used in the program (75 words max)
• Provide names and contact information for each panelist and designate the person(s) in charge of the panel.
• Include a rationale for the panel (400 words max)
  • Within the rationale section, be sure to briefly describe what each panelist will contribute to the panel.

*Please note: Panel proposals that do not meet these submission guidelines may not be distributed for review. Additionally, preference will be given to proposals with panelists representing multiple institutions rather than representing a single institution.

Extended Abstracts and Working Papers

The interest group is piloting a program to accept extended abstracts and working papers for this year’s conference. We are practically interested in abstracts and working papers that fit with the theme and showcase up-and-coming performance pieces or innovative ways to autoethnography.

Abstracts should be 1000 to 5000 characters outlining a performance, the type of space needed, and how it fits with the conference theme. The abstract should include an introduction, method, results (if applicable), and discussion.

Working papers are especially encouraged by early scholars seeking feedback and growth. These papers are incomplete and will not be considered for the interest group’s top paper panel.

Technology Considerations:

Requests for technology must be made at the time of submission or access cannot be guaranteed.

Submission Link:

To submit to the Performance Studies and Autoethnography Interest Group, use the CSCA Online Submission System. You can find a link to the submission system, as well as instructions for how to use it, at: https://www.csca-net.org/aws/CSCA/pt/sp/callforpapers.

Remember, submissions for all categories must be complete and received by 11:59 p.m. CDT on October 5, 2024.

Additional details about the 2025 CSCA Convention are available on the CSCA website.

If you have any questions and/or would like to volunteer as a reviewer, please contact:

Sarah S. LeBlanc Ph.D.
Chair and Program Planner, Performance Studies and Autoethnography Interest Group
Leblancs@pfw.edu