Al Jazeera Centre for Studies and the Department of Mass Communication at Qatar University are co-organising an international conference under the title, “Social Media Networks and Ideological Polarisation: Power Relations and Socio-Cultural Impact,” set to take place on 1-2 March 2023 in Doha.
The objective of the conference is twofold. First, it aims to explore the impact of the international balance of power on the structure and performance of social media networks along with the economic interests that trigger the usage of these networks in the cultural wars. Second, it seeks to examine how social media networks are used by international powers to manage political conflicts and international wars. Reality indicates that these networks are used as ideological platforms to champion certain narratives, build public opinion agendas, and create a public space to serve the purposes of the strongest and most influential players due to the double – or lack of – standards of self-regulation.
In this context, Al Jazeera Centre for Studies and the Department of Mass Communication at Qatar University welcome contributions from researchers, experts and academics on the topics and issues that the conference will discuss. (Please see the concept note for further details.) Scholars, researchers and experts are invited to submit a research proposal not exceeding 500 words, which will undergo a double-blind review. The abstract has to include the topic, problem, objectives, importance, methodology and structure of the research. Moreover, the research must be original and conducted specifically for the conference. It must not be extracted from a university thesis, published in part or in whole in any journal or electronic publication, presented at a conference or submitted for publication in a periodical. Authors of accepted abstracts will be invited to prepare a final paper of 7000-8000 words (including references and endnotes) for oral presentation at the conference. The papers will be published in a book both in Arabic and English.
Important Dates
- Abstract submission deadline: 20 October 2022
- Notification of accepted abstracts: 26 October 2022
- Full paper submission deadline: 31 January 2023
- Conference dates: 1st and 2nd of March 2023
- Abstracts and final papers are to be sent along with the researcher’s biography to the following email: mediaconference@aljazeera.net