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Thursday, January 18, 2024

CFP: Special Issue Call for Papers 'The Human and the Machine: AI and the Changing World'-2024






If we are to believe the entertainment media, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is destined to go rogue and take over the world, destroying humanity as we know it. In reality, the growing accessibility of AI is seeing its use normalised and it is becoming a useful tool to improve and alter society. Artificial Intelligence has been an area of research since the 1950s and hinges on machine functions that learn from humans or independently. Despite its long history, contemporary advancements in AI systems, like Midjourney and Chat GPT, are fuelling fresh discussions about its pervasive impact on diverse industries, from healthcare and communication to engineering and art.


Existing research has documented AI's capabilities in various sectors. It can synthesise big data, enhance creativity, streamline production, and personalise content. For instance, platforms like Chat GPT have proven effective in educational settings, while DALL-E 2 has expedited the creation and deployment of advertising materials. In the business domain, data analysts leverage AI for consumer behaviour analysis, including product reviews and purchase intentions. For public relations professionals, AI automates routine tasks like media list creation and meeting scheduling, thereby enhancing efficiency. Overall, AI has wide applicability across industries with obvious advantages.

However, AI is not without its challenges. It has been critiqued for potentially causing job losses, breaching privacy, infringing copyrights, and perpetuating false information. There's a growing concern that as machines take on roles in cultural production, even when working alongside their human counterparts, issues around human agency and rights come into focus, particularly when AI systems are perceived as biased or lacking a nuanced understanding of global contexts. For instance, in journalism, concerns have been raised that using AI will compromise norms and values, while in advertising and public relations, the move to using virtual influencers has posed issues of inauthenticity. Such ethical concerns continue to be raised around professional practice and the use of AI, and therefore, pose challenges to the willingness of people to embrace AI.

While the public's response to AI has often been tepid due to its complexities and uncertainties, its undeniable influence on language and social relationships underscores its relevance in communication research. It is against this backdrop we extend an invitation for contributions to this special issue that considers the relationship between artificial intelligence and communication. The focus is on how AI is influencing the communication and media industries, ranging from public relations and journalism to marketing and entertainment media (e.g. screen production, artistic practice, podcasting). We aim to address questions such as, how is AI impacting the production and consumption of media content, how might AI shape communication and culture, is AI displacing human resources, and what impact will AI have on authentic human interaction.

Topics in the special issue may include (but are not limited to):

• AI and authentic human interaction
• AI and journalism/public relations/advertising/marketing (or other communication industry)
• AI and personalization of media content
• Chatbots and virtual humans
• AI and cultural development
• AI, diversity, and inclusion
• AI media production and/or consumption practices


Publication Timeline
29 January 2024, abstracts due (200-300 words)
22 April 2024, full manuscripts due (6-7000 words)
Publication: October 2024


Please send submissions and correspondence to: co-editors Matthew Guinibert (matt.guinibert@aut.ac.nz) and Angelique Nairn (angelique.nairn@aut.ac.nz) with the subject ‘ICC-X’. 
Please visit Intellect’s website www.intellectbooks.com/journal-editors-and-contributors to follow its house referencing guidelines.


About the co-editors:


Dr Matthew Guinibert is a senior lecturer and Head of Department (Brand, Digital Communication, and Public Relations) in in the School of Communication Studies (SCS). His expertise in digital media spans visual communication, UI/UX design, technology-enhanced learning, and the strategies that underpin the use of digital media.


Dr Angelique Nairn is an Associate Professor in the School of Communication Studies (SCS). She is also the Associate Head of School for Research. Angelique has been involved in a myriad of research projects that have hinged on organisational communication, identity construction, rhetoric, and/or the creative industries. She teaches courses in the public relations department, specialising in digital public relations and persuasion.






Call For Papers for Edited Volume on: Altered #Animals: #Posthumanism and Technology in 20th and 21st Century #Discourse and Narratives-#Routledge Series






According to Descartes’ views of animals, animals are to be perceived as “automata” and “void of reason” (Discourse on the Method). As he explains, “were there such machines exactly resembling organs and outward form an ape or any other irrational animal, we could have no means of knowing that they were in any respect of a different nature from these animals” (Discourse on the Method). Contemporary animal studies scholars have moved past this outdated approach, instead accepting that animals exhibit cognition, sentience, emotion, and a myriad of demonstrations of intelligence.

Yet, with the rapid development of advanced technologies in the 20th and 21st centuries, we have seen scientists experiment with animal bodies, genes, and minds – in some ways, treating them as the machines that Descartes suggested they essentially are. In medicine, these altered animals include those used as research models like the OncoMouse, and animals that have been genetically modified for organ transplantation. Animals have also been altered for environmental purposes, including in agriculture, such as the Enviropig, and conservation, such as black-footed ferrets. These medical and environmental dimensions intersect in animals like the mosquitoes in Oxitec’s Friendly Aedes Program, which have been genetically modified to limit population size and prevent disease transmission. The use of technology to alter animals has not been limited to medical, agricultural, and environmental applications, either: other examples include Dolly the cloned sheep, Alba the genetically engineered “glowing” rabbit, and the RoboRoach, a wirelessly remote-controlled cockroach.

This edited collection, tentatively titled Altered Animals: Posthumanism and Technology in 20th and 21st Century Discourse and Narratives, will explore posthumanist theorizations of animals that have been altered using technology. In this contemporary moment, these posthumanist theorizations are possible when, in the words of Rosi Braidotti, we consider what “bio-technologically mediated bodies are capable of doing” (The Posthuman 61). Drawing attention to the interconnections between the studies of animals and technology, this collection seeks posthumanist explorations of what we refer to as “altered animals.” We use this term to refer to a nonhuman animal that has been engineered, manipulated, or altered through various advanced technological practices. In particular, this collection is focused on a few key questions: how the identity of these altered animals is constructed, how these alterations impact the relationships between humans and nonhuman animals, and how depictions of altered animals engage with posthumanism to explore the perspectives of these animals. As Donna Haraway observes in her seminal “A Cyborg Manifesto,” we cannot simply view the machine-organism hybrid in essentialist terms, since “the machine and the organism are each communication systems joined in a symbiosis that transforms both” (180). How are we to view these transformations? How do these transformations not only affect both, but also play a role in human lives?

Both animals and machines/technology are traditionally seen as separate from humanist constructions regarding the human condition. Therefore, intermingling the two can easily lead to feelings of fear, horror, or repulsion. These new animals are frequently categorized as monstrous or unnatural and therefore deserving of fewer ethical protections. In his discussion of the ethics around biotechnologically altered animals, Mickey Gjerris argues that since the “naturalness” of these animals is often raised in conversations about ethics, it “begs the question why the ‘natural’ automatically should [be seen as] more ethical than the ‘unnatural.’” (“Animal Biotechnology: The Ethical Landscape” 62) In this collection, we hope to consider this question in relation to depictions of technologically altered animals: how does technology impact the identity of these animals? How can literature, film, television, and other types of media ethically draw attention to the identity and experiences of altered animals?

A second key question this edited collection seeks to address is the way that technology is changing our relationships with nonhuman animals. Nola M. Ries asks “[f]or any human health gains we achieve through genetically altering animals for our purposes, do we lose something of our relationship with animals and take another step down a slope that becomes more slippery with each new manipulation of them?” (“Human Health Care: The Promise of Animal Biotechnology” 171). While Ries is describing genetically altered animals in medical contexts, this question can be extended to other technological alterations and applications. Is it the case that the relationships between humans and animals are being progressively eroded the more that animals are altered? Can posthuman theory help us to reconfigure our relationships with these altered animals? And how can depictions of altered animals help us to navigate the complexities of these relationships?

Posthuman theorists have highlighted the role that literature, art, and culture can play in how we perceive nonhuman beings. In Pramod K. Nayar’s discussion of the connections between critical posthumanism and critical animal studies, he notes the importance of depictions of nonhuman animals, since “[s]pecies borders and our perceptions of (the materiality of) animal and non-human others are increasingly mediated by narratives and representations” (Posthumanism 113). How do literary, artistic, film, and other depictions of altered animals influence our understandings of the animals created through technological practices? What unique approaches have been taken in depicting these animals?

We seek proposals for chapters that investigate the way that literature (of any genre/ medium), film and television, popular culture, art, and other media explore the intersecting technological and cultural factors that influence nonhuman animal identity. Chapters can explore 20th or 21st century depictions, and, when possible, should draw connections to current issues regarding existing altered animals. Some examples of altered animals for consideration may include:



“Robo-animals” or animals that have been “cyborg-ized” with cybernetic/robotic bodily attachments or enhancements
Laboratory animals that have been used as test subjects in medical and scientific experiments
Animals that have been genetically altered for agricultural purposes
Human-animal hybrids and chimeras
Cloned and genetically engineered/modified animals
Animals and computers, brain implants, and/or artificial intelligence
Animals whose cells have been preserved using cryopreservation and biobanking
Animals that have been used to produce medical materials and products, such as pharmaceuticals
Speculative/hypothetical examples of altered animals with no tangible real-world counterpart (yet)

Please send chapter proposals of 300-500 words, a biographical note including institutional affiliation (if any) of 150-200 words, and a bibliography with a minimum of 5 sources to alteredanimals@gmail.com by January 31st. We intend to notify accepted authors by February 23rd.

We intend to propose the edited collection as part of Routledge’s “Perspectives on the Nonhuman in Literature and Culture” series; the managing editor has expressed interest in seeing the proposal. We expect full-length chapters of roughly 7000 words to be due by September 2024. Thanks!

Monica Sousa and Jerika Sanderson



Wednesday, January 17, 2024

CFP: International Conference on Belonging/Unbelonging: #Religion, #Gender and ‘Everyday’ #Politics in South Asia- Feb 2024- Mahatma Gandhi University



The intersection of religion, individuation and belongingness is a complex and multidimensional issue that has spawned many interesting academic debates recently. These debates, in general, have centred or problematised the continuous relevance and political force of religion in the face of modernity and rationality and the post-secular reformulation of their basic presumptions. The issue is more expressive and pertinent in the current attempts of scrutinising the intimate connections and contradictions in presupposing Submission and Agency, Sacred and Profane, Private and Public. Recent scholarship has focused on interactions between religion and political institutions, the vast repertoire of religious traditions and practices, and the distinctiveness of sacred belongings from other forms of belonging. There is also an emerging emphasis on the ‘everyday’ and religion and its reflection on articulations of believing, behaving, and belonging. Especially with a phenomenological turn in the study of religion, the religious texts, symbols and practices, therefore, are not understood independently of their social extensions. This development is crucial to studying the interface between the region and gender. The continuous acknowledgement of patriarchy in feminist scholarship has given rise to a gender perspective that has a nuanced understanding of belonging and un-belonging. Another site where gender meets religion is protests of various sorts by women’s movements in South Asia for claiming citizenry rights and social and political spaces (Sabarimala Issue, Nuns fight against sexual harassment, multiple debates and contexts around Hijab in Iran, France and Karnataka, women’s gathering in Shaheen Bagh against CAA etc.). It is in this context the School of Gender Studies, Mahatma Gandhi University, in collaboration with the Centre for Cross-national Communication in South Asia, Mahatma Gandhi University is organising a two-day national seminar with a particular focus on the theme Belonging/Unbelonging: Religion, Gender and Everyday Politics in South Asia.

Major Sub Themes-1

SUB THEMES:

  • Everyday Politics and Embodied Religiosity 
  • Religious Diversity and Pluralism 
  • Religion, State, and Governance Faith, Youth and Change
  • Religion and Visuality in South Asia 
  • Religion and Ecology in South Asia 
  • Religion, Speech and Expression 
  • Marketing of the Sacred and Spiritual 
  • Migration, Religion, and Reformation 


Major Sub Themes-2

SUB THEMES 

  • Religious Texts and Gender
  • Religion, Gender and Activism
  • Religion, Gender and Family 
  • Religion, Body and Social Space 
  • Gendered Mobilities and Immobilities in Religion 
  • Belonging in Religion 
  • Protesting Unbelongings 
  • Religion, Gender and Disability Religion,
  • Gender and New Media Religion, 
  • Gender and Performance 
  • Religious Polarization and Gender



Important Dates:

 Abstract submission deadline: 26 JANUARY  

Acceptance notification FEBRUARY 1

Registration date FEBRUARY 1- 10 

Full paper submission FEBRUARY  15  

Conference date : FEBRUARY 28, 29


Submission link: https: //forms.gle/wzZfCp8QGP2yrJ4P8

Contact: conference2024onreligion@gmail.com 


CFP:MULTIDISCIPLINARY AND MULTILINGUAL NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON GENDER AND DISPLACEMENT (HYBRID MODE) , 28 MARCH 2024. Jain Unviersity CDO





 About JAIN (Deemed-to-be University) About Center for Distance & Online Education (CDOE) About the Conference Established in 1990, JAIN (Deemed-to-be University), Bengaluru, was declared Deemed-to-be University u/s of the UGC Act 1956 by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Union Government in July 2009. The University has reached unprecedented heights in the field of education. 

Ranked among the top universities in India and considered a cerebral destination for students across the world, the University offers a conducive environment for learning, be it academics or extra-curricular activities. Known for its emphasis on education, entrepreneurship, research and sports, JAIN (Deemed-to-be University) has some of the best minds in the educational and research fields, and canters that inspire entrepreneurship and ground-breaking ‘work to simplify and manage life better. What makes JAIN (Deemed-to-be University) different is its outlook towards life, its values and beliefs. It's ever-evolving open-minded system, quest for continued success and resilience have made it one of the top universities in India. The University has been accredited with A++ with a cumulative grade point of 3.71 in the year 2021 by National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) and is ranked 68th nationally in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF), Government of India in 2023 and 5th among the top private universities in India by the India ‘Today Magazine. The University is also an ISO: 8001: 2015 Certified for Quality Management by TUV Nord. With an unwavering commitment to academic excellence, the University fosters an environment that encourages innovation, creativity and critical thinking. It plays a vital role in shaping a brighter future for both individuals and the society as a whole. Recently, the University has been conferred with ‘Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar’ under the category of ‘Identification and Nurturing of Budding/Young Talent’ by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, GoI for the year 2023. 

The Center for Distance and Online Education helps an individual achieve higher levels of efficiency and stimulates innovative skills allowing for a fulfilling work-life and study balance. It aims to foster remote learning for meaningful progress on the professional front and drives career opportunities massively through flexible and practice-oriented study. The 'Gender and Displacement' conference is a crucial interdisciplinary forum addressing the complex relationship between gender dynamics and the impact of displacement. It explores economic repercussions, scientific insights into environmental and health factors, and the commercial aspects of displacement. 

The conference also examines literary works to interpret human experiences. By fostering dialogue across disciplines, it aims to contribute to a holistic understanding of gender-specific impacts, informing policies and interventions for individuals forging new identities due to calamities or life choices. Participants are encouraged to explore sub-themes beyond the ones listed here. Papers can be presented in English/ Kannada/ Hindi, but full length papers for publication have to be submitted only in English. Gender sensitization, at the core, involves fostering awareness for understanding gender justice and equality, promoting acceptance and behavioral change, and instilling empathy towards all genders. 

The Gender Sensitization Cell (Genesis) at CDOE, Jain University, strives to advance a world free of discrimination. Its objectives are to be a part of a movement where we are responsible for our own thoughts and actions-each time, every time. Its agenda is to cultivate a diverse, equitable, inclusive, and humanitarian society. The initiative focuses on personal responsibility, aiming to raise awareness about prejudices and dismantle them in various spheres. The ultimate goal is to contribute to a stronger community where all genders are treated equally, driven by the collective effort to break biases and foster inclusivity. We hope to actively work for a stronger community where all genders are treated equally. We are sure that- Together, we all can break the bias.

 About Genesis 

The Center for Distance and Online Education, JAIN (Deemed-to-be University) provides academic prospects to all eligible and willing individuals who face obstacles of time and place. With access to quality education and the flexibility of online learning, JAIN (Deemed-to-be University) gives students an extra boost through its undergraduate and postgraduate programs which are designed to meet the industry's needs. Sub-themes:


 Conference Objectives Challenge and break down gender barriers and stereotypes in both everyday and crisis situations. Examine the multifaceted gender roles during displacement, acknowledging individuals as fighters, workers, volunteers, and survivors. Recognize all genders as agents for positive change and stability in conflict-affected areas, contributing to the cohesion of families, communities, and countries. Create awareness regarding the imperative inclusion of all genders in displacement and policy implementation. Advocate for the incorporation of a gender perspective in the resolution of both natural and man-made conflicts. Strive for the integration of all genders as a driving force for progress, harmony, and resilience in societies grappling with displacement and conflict. Prioritize the speedy and comprehensive addressing of gender-related issues in conflict areas to ensure prompt and effective solutions. 

Gender Dynamics in Displacement:

 Understanding the Specific Challenges and Coping Strategies Narratives of Exile, Refuge, and Displacement: 

A Gendered Perspective from Classical to Contemporary Times Generational Trauma through a Gender Lens: 

Analyzing the Impact on Subsequent Generations in Displacement Contexts Gendered Experiences in Literary and Audio/Visual Narratives of Displacement Rehabilitating Families, Communities, and Countries:

 A Gender-Responsive Approach to Displacement Recovery 

ಜನಾಂಗಿಕ ನಿರಾಶ್ರಿತರ ಸ್ಥಳಾಂತರಗಳು : 

ಕಾರಣಗಳು , ಪರಿಣಾಮಗಳು ಡಯಾಸ್ಪೋರಾ :

 ಕನ್ನಡ ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯ ಮತ್ತು ಜನಸಮುದಾಯಗಳು ವಲಸೆ ಜಾಗತಿಕ ಸಂದರ್ಭದಲ್ಲಿ ವಲಸೆ, ಗಡಿಪಾರು ಮತ್ತು ಹಿಂಸಾತ್ಮಕ ಸ್ಥಳಾಂತರ 

रो ज़मर्रा और संकसं ट दो नों स्थि ति यों में लैंगिलैंगिक बा धा ओं और रूढ़ि यों की चुनौचुनौती ।

 वि स्था पन और नी ति कार्या न्र्यावयन में सभी लिं गों को अनि वा र्य रूप से शा मि ल करने के बा रे में जा गरूकता ।

 प्राकृतिक और मानव निर्मित दो नों संघसं र्षों के समा धा न में लैंगिलैंगिक परि प्रेक्ष्प्रेय को शा मि ल करने की वका लत । त्वरि त और प्रभा वी समा धा न सुनिसुनिश्चि त करने के लि ए संघसं र्ष क्षेत्रोंक्षे त्रों में लिं ग-संबंसं धीबं धी मुद्दोंमुद्दों की प्रा थमि कता । 

Physiological Abuses and Consequences (rape/molestation/other forms of violence) 

Psycho-social Dynamics of Resilience(Analyzing how interpersonal relationships and community support foster psychological resilience) 

Trauma-Reasons, Repercussion, Awareness & Counselling) 

Exploring sustainable approaches to cope and rehabilitate Gender Pay Parity Disparities in leadership roles Diversity, Equity & Inclusivity (DEI) initiatives Gender-Specific Challenges and Coping Mechanisms in Tourism Financial Inclusion in Displacement Settings Healthcare Disparities and Gender in Displacement:

A Scientific Perspective STEM Training Programs and Gender Inclusivity in Displacement Settings Technological Innovations for Addressing GenderSpecific Challenges in Displacement. 

Data-Driven Approaches to Understanding Gender Dynamics in Displacement. Socio-cultural-economic repercussions of displacement Financial Inclusion and Gender displacement Gender Displacement and economic inequality Ecological Resilience and Gender Displacement Politics of Gender Among Displaced Tribals


Call for Papers Note: 

 

Original articles, research papers, and case studies that highlight the issues related to the theme, are invited from Policy makers, Academicians, Research scholars, Entrepreneurs, Industry professionals and Students. All the paper presenters and participants will receive a certificate. Please use the following google form link to register and submit the abstract 

https://forms.gle/hqvnnKtMLgP6q9Ph7

Registration for the conference ends on 20th March 2024

Full research papers must adhere to these guidelines 

Authors have to submit their papers to genesiscdoe@gmail.com after abstract acceptance.

Selected papers will be peer-reviewed and published with ISBN. The paper submitted for the Conference should be unpublished and original work of the contributor(s). 

An author can submit more than one paper, with maximum two co-authors. All papers should be about 2000 - 2500 words. The paper will be immediately rejected if the quality is insufficient and/or plagiarized. 

Research paper will include the title, author(s), designation, email, abstract (250-300 words), 5 Keywords, Introduction, Review of literature, Objectives/Hypothesis, Methodology, Findings, Suggestions, Conclusion and References (in alphabetical order). 

All references must be cited in the text (Follow APA 7th edition/ MLA 9th edition ) Important Dates: The abstract should be written within 250-300 words and 5 keywords. 

Abstract proceedings will be released on conference day (only of those who submit full length papers) 

Abstract Submission 31st January 2024 

Notification for the acceptance of abstract 10th February 2024 

Full paper Submission 15th March 2024.


For more details, please e-mail genesiscdoe@gmail.com 

Conference Venue: Center for Distance and Online Learning - JAIN (Deemed to-be University) #319, 17th Cross, 25th Main JP Nagar 6th Phase, Bengaluru Karnataka, India- 560078