Central States Communication Association (CSCA) Annual Convention-Cincinnati, OH
April 1-6, 2025
Widening the Scope
The Popular Culture Interest Group (PCIG) invites the submission of competitive papers, extended abstracts, panels, and roundtable discussions for the 2025 CSCA convention in Cincinnati, OH. The purpose of the PCIG is to promote interdisciplinary study of popular culture scholarship. While we welcome submissions that consider any aspect of popular culture, in accordance with this year’s conference theme, “Widening the Scope,” we especially encourage submissions that address (this list is not exhaustive):
Popular culture at the intersections of other disciplines (sociology, psychology, literature, etc.)
While many of these subject areas are interdisciplinary, appropriate submissions consider these artifacts as communicative ways that popular culture is made/shared/understood. In other words, we hope to “widen the scope” of how popular culture is communicated.
Submission Requirements
Competitive Papers: Only completed papers will be eligible for awards. Please make sure to remove author(s) names and identifying information. Papers must include a title and brief abstract. Students should type “STUDENT” on the upper right-hand corner of the title page. If the paper is 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: (a) the author must be a graduate student, (b) the paper must have single authorship, and (c) the paper must be the author’s first paper to be presented at CSCA.
If you would like your paper to be considered for the Inclusive Scholarship Award, type “INCLUSIVE SCHOLARSHIP” in the upper right-hand corner of the title page. To be considered as an exemplar of inclusive scholarship, the paper must demonstrate academic rigor in the examination of communication and historically marginalized communities/populations. Provide a paragraph within your abstract that addresses this information explicitly.
Extended Abstracts: For the first time, the PCIG welcomes extended abstracts for consideration. Extended abstracts should be between 250-350 words, may be the work of a single or multiple authors, must have a rationale rooted in popular culture scholarship, and should contain a clear focus and argument. It is expected that extended abstracts will be developed into 12-15 minute presentations by the conference. Extended abstracts are not eligible for awards.
Panels: Paper panels and discussion panels both will be considered for acceptance. Paper panels should include (a) title, (b) panel chair, (c) respondent, (d) a 75-word description, (e) rationale of the panel (no more than 3,000 words), and (e) paper titles and abstracts from each of the panelists. We suggest at least four but no more than five panelists. Roundtable discussion panels should include (a) title, (b) chair to moderate the discussion, (c) names and affiliations of the panelists, (d) a 75-word description, and (e) rationale of the panel (no more than 3,000 words). Regarding panels, preference will be given to those with panelists representing multiple institutions rather than representing a single institution.
All technology requests must be made at the time of submission. Send submissions electronically through the CSCA online submission system site. Submission must be received by 11:59 CDT, October 5, 2024. Submitters are encouraged to make a profile on the CSCA submission site – you do not need to be a member of CSCA to make a profile.