Call for Papers: International Conference Language in the Media 8, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, July 23rd-26 2019

The International Conference Language in the Media 8 will be hosted by the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) and the Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro (UNIRIO) from July 23rd to 26, 2019. The conference aims to discuss the theme mediatising resistance. The relation between language and the mediatisation of resistance is particularly relevant these days in view of the intensification of tensions, bigotry, and polarization we have been witnessing worldwide.

A well-established body of research indicates that this state of conflict is partly articulated in media communication. It also shows just how high the stakes rise when attrition gets commodified. Although media interaction involves complex and layered power relations, it only exists amidst constant battles for meaning and contextualization. One can thus say that the production, circulation and interpretation of media texts are always power-resistance actions. However, the dynamics of these complementary practices and their transformation possibilities still demand thorough exploration. Foucault has taught us that power games are fluid and relational and, as such, are prone to instability and insubordination. These concerns embody the conference’s focus on struggles for domination-reversal enhanced by media semiosis. These topics will be addressed in keynotes by Daniel Silva (UFSC, Brazil), Deborah Cameron (University of Oxford, UK), and H. Samy Alim (UCLA, USA).

While favoring the focus on power-resistance processes, LinM8 will keep the interest in other broad sociolinguistic topics and their relations to processes of mediatisation. Submissions whose focus lies in the following areas are welcome:

  • Language standardization and style
  • Language policy and practice
  • Language acquisition
  • Multilingualism and cross-/inter-cultural communication
  • Communication in professional contexts
  • Representations of speech, thought, and writing
  • Language and class, dis/ability, race/ethnicity, gender/sexuality and age
  • Political discourse, commerce and global capitalism
  • Language and education

The deadline for submission is 10 October 2018. Abstracts in English or Portuguese must be 300 words long and must be submitted via EasyCair in this link. Notification of acceptance will be given by December 10th, 2018.

More information can be found on the conference website. A downloadable version of the Call for Papers can be found here.