4th International Conference ComSymbol “Believe in Technology: Mediatization of the Future and the Future of Mediatization”
Organizers: IARSIC-CORHIS EA 7400, Paul Valéry University of Montpellier and Research Center Serge Moscovici, Aurel Vlaicu University from Arad (Romania) on the occasion of the Great Union Centenary
Conference venue
Aurel Vlaicu University, Arad, Romania
November 8-9, 2018, Arad, Romania
Deadline for submission: April 6, 2018
Short description:
The 4th International Conference ComSymbol aims at identifying, emphasizing and questioning the characteristics and issues of the mediatization of mankind and society’s future in the specific context of believes and dogmas of faith in technology. Understood as part of the process of communicative construction of the nowadays socio-cultural reality in a world where science, conquered by artificial intelligence, is being caught up by religion, the mediatization of the future, on the one hand, clumps together the fears of an apocalypse where the future of humanity is a life taken over by technology and, on the other hand, arouses an almost evangelical hope for a beneficial percolation of technology into the human bodies and their environment. Considering this contradictory dichotomy of media openings on the phenomenon, diverging and complementary at once, the aim of this conference edition is to provide some answers to these two main questions:
- How the mediatized representations of the future account for the mythical and religious thinking, to which the scientific and Para scientific predictions on technology make a contribution? The point is to explore the social construction of scenarios about the future, expectations in the near future, roadmaps for tomorrow, futuristic promises of any kind, etc. in order examine the mythical and religious imaginary which plays a role in the offer of media contents about the materiality of the technological being.
- How the mediatization of scientific, political, philosophical, economic, sociological etc. discourses on the technology of the future contributes to the mystification and/or the demystification of the faith in technology? The point is to question how the media participate in the creation and the development of ideologies linked to the technological future of society and humanity, as well as to the economic, ethical, psychological, political etc. impact of this development, which induces changes among social interactions and practices
Important dates
April 6, 2018: Submission of an abstract of approximately 350-400 words, including spaces, and five keywords. The abstract could be written in French or English. The proposal must include the name and affiliations as well as the email address of all authors.
April 15, 2018: Notification of abstract acceptance via email
June 15, 2018: Submission of the full papers (6000-8000 words with references)
July 7, 2018: full paper acceptance
September 20, 2018 : final full paper submission
All proposals and questions should be addressed to:
All proposals will be double blind peer reviewed. Authors of the accepted papers will be notified by e-mail.
Conference language: French and English
Scientific Partners:
Grupo de Pesquisa Midiatização e Processos Sociais (GPMPS) of University do Vale do Rio dos Sinos – UNISINOS, Brazil
Centre d’études et de recherches multimédia (CERM), Mons University, Belgium
Cox Center for International Mass Communication Training and research, Georgia University, USA