Call for papers: International conference on Media and Popular Culture, Vienna, Austria (30-31.05.2014)

In an increasingly inter-dependent and globalized world, members of Diaspora no longer feels alienated from their countries of origin. With the growth of Internet, people can stay in touch with their families, as well as staying tuned on what is going on in their homelands. Diaspora is also often pro-active in political engagement, in their countries by regularly following political and social events, and making comments in public forums and on media articles.

Nonetheless, members of Diaspora often engage in creating websites and founding newspapers about their countries of origin in order to assist in the promotion of those countries. However, being attached to their countries of origin brings the question of integration in countries where members of Diaspora work and live and we may ask if the world is turning towards detachment and mixture of people with multiple senses of belonging, and to what extend media contributed to these changes.

Papers are invited (but not limited to) for the following topics:

Media portrayal of Diaspora groups
Usage of media within Diaspora groups
Media developed by Diaspora groups
Sense of belonging in Diaspora
Media portrayal of Diaspora belonging
Minority and community media

Paper proposals should be sent to martina@socialsciencesandhumanities.com by 5th May 2014. The conference will take place between 30th and 31st May 2014 in Vienna, Austria. 
The Centre established a peer review journal (Journal of Culture and Religion / http://socialsciencesandhumanities.com/journal-of-culture-and-religion.html), and working paper series (http://socialsciencesandhumanities.com/working-paper-series.html). Conference papers will be considered for publication.

We welcome paper proposals from scholars, NGO activists, Master and PhD students, and independent researchers and practitioners.

Unfortunately, the Centre has no available funds for covering transport and accommodation in Austria. Participants are responsible for finding funding to cover transportation and accommodation costs during the whole period of the conference.

Conference fee is EUR 290 and it includes 
Conference bag and folder with materials
 Conference publication
 Access to the newsletter, and electronic editions of the Centre
 Opportunity for participating in future activities of the Centre (research & co-editing proceedings)
 Discount towards participation fee for future conferences
 Certificate of attendance
 Meals and drinks during both days of the conference
 Centre for Research in Social Sciences and Humanities is a private institution registered in Croatia. The Centre will not discriminate based on the origin and/or methodological/paradigmatic approach of prospective conference participants.