[eu-gene] Call for papers

[andnat]

I found this call at another mail list, I thought its very relevant for
eugene/gen art members... Read on.

A




Zentrum für interdisziplinäre Medienwissenschaft
Abt. Medienwissenschaft und Journalistik
Andreas Jahn-Sudmann
wiss. Mitarbeiter
Tel. +49 551 39 9373
Humboldtallee 32
37073 Göttingen
Georg-August-Universität Göttingen

CALL FOR PAPERS

GAMES WITHOUT FRONTIERS - WAR WITHOUT TEARS.
COMPUTER GAMES AS A SOCIALCULTURAL PHENOMENON

As a rule Computer games remain to be the focus of media attention when
specific
acts of violence which deeply horrify the audience (war and rampage ­
Iraq and Erfurt)
draw the public's perception to them. The first ever occuring impetus
then is aimed at
a more or less serious examination of their dangerous and problematic
aspects (blunting
people's senses, playing down and provoking violence, player's loss of
touch with
reality, escapism, unsrupulousness, etc.). Beyond the dominating reflex
of such an
often monocausal, naive formulation of the topic, a thoroughly
controversial ­ yet
most of the time superficial ­ discussion about the critical
sociocultural implications of
computer games has been established.
Even in the academic analysis the surely relevant, though by no means
sufficient concentration
on the link between computer games and violence is dominant. Up to now
only few studies have offered a contextualizing view of the political,
aesthetic, narratologic,
economic, historic aspects with regard to their mutual connection.
Accordingly this volume is meant to become an extensive account of the
phenomenon
"computer games" with all its different genres. The various perspectives
of analyses
(aesthetics, economy, narratology, etc.) will thus provide the reader
with a sound insight
into the subject.

Proposals of subjects
The history of computer games / The media economic position of the
computer game
industry / Modes of production and technologies of the computer game
industry / The
"language" of computer games / A theory of the computer game as a medium
/ Computer
games and intermediality / The meaning and fascination of violence in
computer
games / War and computer games / Modes of usage and acquisition of
computer games
/ Computer games as youth phenomenon / Computer games and politics /
Computer
games and the politics of representation / Computer games and body
politics /
Gender constructions in computer games / Computer games and cultural
identity /
The cultural geography of space in computer games / Computer games and
sexual
politics / Constructions of "Good" and "Evil" in computer games / "Good"
games vs.
"bad" games / Computer games and identification / Computer games and
immersion /
Computer games and political correctness / Computer games and the far
right / Computer
games and fantasies of power / Computer games and learning

Criteria
Contributions should
€ be empirically or theoretically well-founded
€ show new aspects or access to the subject
€ be as yet unpublished

Authors with interest are asked to submit an abstract (3.500 characters,
incl. blank,
max.) until June 1st, 2005. In case of acceptance the author has ten
weeks time to
complete the article (40.000 characters, incl. blank, max.). Date of
submission will be
September 1st, 2005. Date of publication will be spring 2006.

Deadlines
June 1st, 2005: submission of abstracts
September 1st, 2005: submission of articles
September 15th until November 1st, 2005: reworking if necessary

Please contact:
Andreas Jahn-Sudmann (wiss. Mitarbeiter, Univ. Göttingen, Zentrum für
interdisziplinäre
Medienwissenschaft, Abt. Medienwissenschaft und Journalistik)
Tel. +49 551 39 9373
Mail: andreas.sudmann at t-online.de
Humboldtallee 32
37073 Göttingen

Ralf Stockmann (Leiter GDZ Göttingen, wiss. Mitarbeiter)
Tel. +49 551 39 3878
Mail: stockmann at sub.uni-goettingen.de
Papendiek 14
37073 Göttingen

Texts in English are of course very welcome!