New Media and Citizenship in Asia: Researching the Practices, Functions, and Effects of the New Media in Asian Politics
June 17, 2013 | London, United Kingdom
The role of new communication technologies—such as the internet, social media, and mobile phones—in political and civic engagement has generated significant interest not only from scholars, but also organizations, politicians, and ordinary citizens. While recent events in parts of the world, such as the Middle East, help recognize the potential of new communication media as an agent contributing to macro-level political changes, these new communication tools are also actively utilized in more traditional political processes, such as electoral campaigns. Also important is everyday use of new communication technologies, which research has uncovered as providing an opportunity to encounter public affairs news and discourse, enhance understanding of issues, and get involved in civic and political opportunities.
This preconference aims to showcase innovative scholarly work examining various subjects concerning the role of social media, mobile phones, and other new communication technologies in the formation of democratic citizenship writ large—in Asia. The preference seeks studies that address relevant topics in a particular Asian county, and comparative research on Asian countries or Asian and non-Asian countries is also welcome. In particular, the preconference welcomes research on recent national elections in Asian countries, which presents a theory-driven analysis of the role of social media in real-world, offline civic and political action. The preconference encourages researchers to explore diverse topics, and possible areas of topics include (but are not limited to): use of social media, mobile phones, and other new communication technologies in elections; influence of new media on citizen choices, participation, and knowledge; political elites’ use of new media; use of social media by civic and grassroots groups; social media and civic engagement; new media and community; political talk and social media; patterns of new media use and political and civic consequences; trends in social media; cloud computing and collective action; changes in new consumption.
Publication:
Selected papers focusing on national elections in Asian countries will be considered for publication in a special issue of a journal.
Organizers:
Nojin Kwak, Associate Professor, Department of Communication Studies, University of Michigan, U.S.A.
Marko Skoric, Assistant Professor, Division of Communication Research, WKW School of Communication and Information, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
Scott Campbell, Associate Professor, Department of Communication Studies, University of Michigan, U.S.A.
Junho Choi, Assistant Professor, Graduate School of Information, Yonsei University, Korea
Sponsors:
Nam Center for Korean Studies, University of Michigan, USA
Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
Department of Communication Studies, University of Michigan, USA
Political Communication Division, ICA
Academy of Korean Studies, Korea
