[liberationtech] CfP: Online political participation and its critics

[Yosem Companys]

From: Stephanie Wojcik <stephanie.wojcik at u-pec.fr>

Deadline extended : October 1, 2012

International symposium of the DEL/CERTOP/CNRS research network
"Online political participation and its critics"
Paris, 19-20 June 2013

Since its inception in June 2002, at CERTOP/CNRS, under the scientific
responsibility of Gerard Loiseau, the "Electronic Democracy" network
(DEL) has been dedicated to enhancing research in the field of
relationships between democratic processes and digital technologies.
In 2012, with its 150 members in more than twenty countries, DEL has
contributed to the creation of a place for interdisciplinary
discussions through the organization of regular meetings and seminars.
In addition to the individual publications of its members, the network
has enhanced scientific cooperation among them and has been able to
establish solid partnerships. DEL now wishes to contribute more
directly to the scientific production by organizing, ten years after
its creation, an international symposium. This meeting is aiming at
producing several publications that will allow both to summarize the
mass of research conducted so far in the field of "electronic
democracy", and to tackle new scientific issues.

Therefore, the aim of the conference "A critical approach to online
political participation" is to confront the scientific work, from
various fields, devoted to the transformations of contemporary
political regimes possibly induced by the increasing integration of
digital technologies, especially Internet, in the various fields of
social life. Oscillating between a techno-centric enthusiasm and
skeptical social constructivism, the first analysis of the Internet’s
ability to revitalize the functioning of representative government
through citizen appropriation has quickly given way to more
substantive questions. Under what conditions are citizens able to
capture digital networks in order to inform themselves, to express
preferences or political demands, to challenge institutionalized
powers or to constitute new forms of social mobilizations ? Beyond
such a teleological perspective, the increased opportunities for
information and expression generated by the development of social
networks that can disturb traditional representations and
institutional practices questions the boundaries of politics and the
role of technology in their ability to increase their degree of
elasticity.

Specifically, this conference aims to explore the digital practices of
political participation by questioning both its empirical
manifestations, and the consistency of the concepts previously used to
qualify those practices.

The conference will be held in Paris, for two days :
♣ The first day (June 19, 2013) will be based on the presentation and
discussion of young researchers’ papers, both in French or English,
coming from answers to the call for papers enclosed and available on
the DEL website : http://certop.fr/DEL/spip.php?article2573 (deadline
extended : October 1, 2012)

This first day is organized around three thematic sessions :
1. Theoretical and ideological debates on online political participation ;
2. The new formats of political talk and new spaces of politicization ;
3. New actors and reconfigurations of political power.
For each session, four papers will be presented and discussed by a
dedicated critical reader, followed by a discussion with the public.

♣ In addition to the general assembly of the DEL network to be held in
the morning, the second day (June 20, 2013) will be devoted to two
panels :
The first roundtable will invite French and International key
researchers in the field to debate around the following question : Can
we analyze online political participation with the traditional
concepts used in social sciences ?

The second panel will invite politicians and practitioners to react to
the following question : is digital politics “politics as usual”, or
has is changed your way of doing politics ?

In parternship with :
CERTOP/CNRS ; CEDITEC, University of Paris Est Créteil ; COSTECH,
University of Technology of Compiègne ; Groupement d’intérêt
scientifique sur la participation du public aux processus décisionnels
et la démocratie participative (GIS Participation and Democracy) ;
International Political Science Association (IPSA) - Research
Committee 10 "Electronic Democracy" ; European Consortium for
Political Research (ECPR) - Standing Group on Internet & Politics

Scientific responsibles
Gérard Loiseau (loiseau at univ-tlse2.fr)
Stéphanie Wojcik (stephanie.wojcik at u-pec.fr)

Scientific committee
Eva Anduiza (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain) ; Nick Anstead
(London School of Economics, UK) ; Frédérick Bastien (Université de
Montréal, Canada) ; Bruce Bimber (University of California, USA) ;
Gersende Blanchard (Université Lille 3, France) ; Robert Boure
(Université Toulouse 3, France) ; Dominique Cardon (Orange Labs,
France) ; Stephen Coleman (Leeds University, UK) ; Carlos Cunha
(Lisbon University Institute, Portugal) ; Patrice Flichy (Université
Paris Est Marne-la-Vallée, France) ; Eric George (Université du Québec
à Montréal, Canada) ; Rachel Gibson (Manchester University, UK) ; Todd
Graham (University of Groningen, The Netherlands) ; Fabien Granjon
(Université Paris 8, France) ; Dimitris Gouscos (University of Athens,
Greece) ; Fabienne Greffet (Université de Lorraine, France) ; Josiane
Jouët (Université Paris 2, France) ; Rabia Karakaya Polat (Isik
University, Turkey) ; Norbert Kersting (Muenster University, Germany)
; Raphaël Kies (Université du Luxembourg) ; Robert Krimmer (OSCE,
Poland) ; Gérard Loiseau (Certop/CNRS, France) ; Laurence
Monnoyer-Smith (Université de Technologie de Compiègne, France) ;
Karen Mossberger (University of Illinois at Chicago, USA) ; Beth
Noveck (New York Law School, USA) ; Zizi Papacharissi (University of
Illinois at Chicago, USA) ; Serge Proulx (Université du Québec à
Montréal, Canada) ; Jarmo Rinne (University of Helsinki, Finland) ;
Cristian Vaccari (Università di Bologna, Italy) ; Thierry Vedel
(CEVIPOF, France) ; Yanina Welp (University of Zurich, Switzerland) ;
Stéphanie Wojcik (Université Paris Est Créteil, France) ; Han Woo Park
(YeungNam University, South Korea) ; Scott Wright (Leicester
University, UK).

Organization
Romain Badouard (Université de Technologie de Compiègne) ; Simon
Gadras (Université de Lorraine) ; Fabienne Greffet (Université de
Lorraine) ; Ewa Krzatala-Jaworska (Université Paris 1) ; Gérard
Loiseau (Certop/CNRS) ; Clément Mabi (Université de Technologie de
Compiègne) ; Laurence Monnoyer-Smith (Université de Technologie de
Compiègne) ; Clémence Pène (Université Paris 8) ; Anaïs Théviot
(Sciences Po Bordeaux) ; Stéphanie Wojcik (Université Paris Est
Créteil).