Call for Papers | Indigenous Innovation in Social Media

Media International Australia (Sage Publishing) is Inviting proposals for contributions towards a special issue that addresses the broad themes of Indigenous innovation in social media. Theme Issue Editors: Bronwyn Carlson (Macquarie University) & Tanja Dreher (University of New South Wales)

Despite often being stereotyped as somehow anti-technology, researchers have found that Indigenous people globally engage with social media at high rates—often higher than non-Indigenous people (Callinan 2014). Indigenous people use social media for a great variety of ends, including connecting with family and community (Carlson 2013; O’Carroll 2013), mourning the death of loved ones (Carlson and Frazer 2015), and seeking and giving support (Carlson et al. 2015). Over the last decade, an important body of scholarly work has emerged focusing on Indigenous peoples’ use of social media for political activities (Petray 2013; Tupper 2014; Carlson and Frazer 2016; Berglund 2016). The ability to create international solidarity as well as elevating Indigenous issues to a global platform remain key strengths for Indigenous activism.

The theme of this Issue is ‘Indigenous innovation in social media’. It will foreground Indigenous voices on, and expertise with innovative uses of social media. Research and policy is too often framed by a ‘deficit discourse’ regarding Indigenous people (Fforde et al. 2013). In contrast, this Theme Issue aims to showcase Indigenous excellence, innovation and achievement. We welcome contributions that focus on, for example, comedic resistance on YouTube, Facebook-enabled cultural practices, campaigns such as #JustJustice, #IHMayDay and #IdleNoMore, new apps to stream Indigenous media and Deadly Bloggers, from social media activism to everyday social media creativity.

The collection also encourages papers from presenters at several highly successful events convened by the Forum for Indigenous Research Excellence (FIRE) at the University of Wollongong (UOW), including the symposiums, Cultured Queer, Queering Cultures: Indigenous Perspectives on Queerness and Reterritorialising Social Media: Indigenous People Rise Up! (UOW 2015); #IHMayDay16 (UOW 2016) and the Indigenous panel ‘Indigenous innovation in social media’ (ANZCA 2016).

This Theme Issue privileges Indigenous voices, however non-Indigenous contributions will be considered if the primary author is Indigenous.

Support for less experienced Indigenous contributors, especially early career researchers and Post Graduate students, will be provided by facilitating opportunities to work with Indigenous and/or non-Indigenous co-authors.

We are inviting proposals for contributions that address the broad themes of Indigenous innovation in social media.

Deadline for submissions: 15th June 2017

For further details on the Theme Issue, or to submit an abstract for consideration, please email Tanja Dreher t.dreher@unsw.edu.au or Bronwyn Carlson bronwyn.carlson@mq.edu.au

Submissions should include a Title, abstract (200 words) and author bio (150 words). Please attach these details in a WORD document and send via email to the Editors by 15 June, 2017