CFP: 26th Annual Conference of the Society for Phenomenology and Media : Social interaction and everyday life in offline and online realities

Social interaction and everyday life in offline and online realities

This conference is part of the "Centenary of the Birth of Michel de Certeau" commemoration. Born in Chambéry, Michel de Certeau remains a globally influential interdisciplinary thinker whose work, particularly The Practice of Everyday Life, has impacted fields such as anthropology, media, and cultural studies. De Certeau explored how individuals resist and creatively navigate power structures, focusing on how everyday spaces and discourses are used. Central to his thought is the distinction between strategies, the methods through which institutions and power structures assert control and tactics, the spontaneous actions by which individuals appropriate and subvert these strategies. His work reveals that even in situations of apparent domination, there exist subtle, creative forms of resistance. As a historian, de Certeau also examined the process of writing history, particularly how dominant narratives often marginalize or exclude alternative perspectives. This conference seeks proposals that apply and expand on de Certeau's ideas in contemporary contexts. We encourage contributions that connect his work with evolving fields such as phenomenology of artificial intelligence, post-human and queer phenomenology, offering new perspectives on the complex and shifting dynamics of our societies.

We also welcome proposals on these and related questions within different theoretical paradigms, including phenomenology, post-phenomenology, queer phenomenology,  affect theory, critical theory, cultural studies, hermeneutics, Marxism, New Historicism, post-colonial theory, pragmatism, semiotics, speech-act theory, etc. We encourage participation from a wide range of disciplines, including philosophy, media studies, communication, psychology, history, political science, sociology, rhetoric, literary theory, cognitive science, cultural studies, and other fields. Individual papers and panels need not be limited to phenomenological approaches.

Submission Guidelines

All papers must be original and not simultaneously submitted to another journal or conference. Abstracts (150–250 words) for the following paper categories are welcome:

- Full papers

- Posters

Proposals for 3-person panels are also accepted. These can be organized around specific media. For example: film, the Internet, mobile communication, dance, performance, print media (books, newspapers, and magazines), mixed reality experience (VR and/or AR), television, visual art, etc. Panel proposals should include three abstracts, including one by the panel organizer. All members of the panel need to be listed on the panel abstract, including email addresses. Individual abstract submissions will be assigned to a panel by the conference host.

While individual papers and panels are not limited to phenomenological approaches, SPM encourages interdisciplinary approaches and theoretical and philosophical diversity in the discussion of media.

Doctoral students are invited to submit proposals but should note that SPM limits the number of papers from students. 

• Deadline for abstracts: February 3, 2025 
• Acceptance rollout (occurring until the deadline of February 3, 2025)
• Deadline for conference registration (through PayPal): February 15, 2025

Conference abstracts and panel proposals submitted are peer-reviewed. Papers accepted and presented are considered for publication in Glimpse, a double-blind, peer-reviewed journal published by the Society for Phenomenology and Media.

Venue and Schedule

University of Savoie Mont-Blanc, France

All sessions of the conference will be held at the University Presidency building in the city centre and at the Fine Arts Museum of Chambéry.

●      11 March: Arrivals, Welcome Reception in the evening and Board meetings (18h) 

●      12-14 March: Conference Sessions

●      15-16 March: Phenomenological activities in the French Alps

Organizing Committee

●      Jordan Fraser Emery, Ph.D, 2025 French organizer

●      Jacques Ibanez Bueno, Ph.D., 2025 Program Chair

●      Nicola Liberati, Ph.D., SPM President, 2022 Program Chair 

●      Rita Niineste, 2024 Program Chair, Tallinn University

●      Stacey O. Irwin, Ph.D., SPM Vice President, 2023 Program Chair 

●      Melinda Campbell, Ph.D., SPM Vice Chair, 2015 Program Chair

●      Luis Acebal, Ph.D., SPM Treasurer