2nd Global Conference Urban Popcultures, Prague, 9-11 March 2011‏

2nd Global Conference : Urban Popcultures
Prague, Czech Republic
9th March �" 11th March 2012

Deadline: 30th September 2011

This inter- and multi-disciplinary project aims to examine, explore and critically engage with issues related to urban life. The project will promote the ongoing analysis of the varied creative trends and alternative cultural movements that comprise urban popultures and subcultures. In particular the project will encourage equally theoretical and practical debates which surround the cultural and political contexts within which alternative urban subcultures are flourishing.

The project will explore and assess a number of core themes

1. Urban Space and the Landscape of the City
2. Urban Music Cultures
3. The City as Creative Subject/Object
4. Urban Codes
5. The City and Cyberculture
6. The Urban Underground
7. Urban Activities in Massmedia

Related themes will also be identified for development and exploration. Out of our deliberations it is anticipated that a series of related cross context research projects will develop.

Papers, reports, work-in-progress, workshops and pre-formed panels are invited on issues related to any of the following themes:

1. Popular, Alternative, and Underground Music Cultures
Alternative and Underground Dance, Electronica, Hip Hop, Gothic, Punk and Post-Rock Scenes. Local, Regional, and Global Scenes. The Mass-Appropriation of Underground Music. Independent Music Cultures. Popular Music Theory.

2. Subcultures, Communities, and Codes
Underground and Alternative Ideologies and Lifestyles. Issues of Gender, Sexuality, and Identity. The Avantgarde and Urban Codes. Urban Religion and Religious Expressions. D.I.Y.

3. Theories and Critical Studies of Popular Culture
Histories, Representations, and Discourses on Independent Scenes. The Frankfurt School. The Visual Turn. Urban Intertextualities and Intermedialities. Cultural Appropriations. Postmodernity and Beyond.

4. Popular and Subversive Expressions in Fashion, Art, Film, and Literature
Urban and Contemporary Life and Themes Considered in Music, Literature, Art and Film. Urban Fashion, Style, and Branding. Pop Art. Graffiti. Low vs. High Culture.

5. The City as Creative Subject/Object
Virtual Urbanity �" Online Communities and the Impact of Social Networking. Urban Identity and Membership. Globalization/Localization of Urban Experience. Recent trends in Copyright/Copyleft. The Role of Internet in the Transformation of Music Industry. The Impact of User-generated Content.

6. Conflict, Popular Revolt, and Politics
Music and Politics. Race and Music Styles. Music Revolutions. Generational Conflicts. Class Divisions. Ageing Music Fans and Cross-generational Cool. New Schools vs. Old Schools.

7. Popular Culture Online and in Massmedia
The Visual Aspects of Urban Entertainment. The Evolution of Music and Thematic Television. Media Structure of Music Video. Explicit TV and Censorship.

300 word abstracts should be submitted by Friday 30th September 2011. All submissions are minimally double blind peer reviewed where appropriate. If an abstract is accepted for the conference, a full draft paper should be submitted by Friday 27th January 2012. Abstracts should be submitted simultaneously to the Organising Chairs; abstracts may be in Word, WordPerfect, or RTF formats with the following information and in this order:

a) author(s), b) affiliation, c) email address, d) title of abstract, e) body of abstract

Please use plain text (Times Roman 12) and abstain from using footnotes and any special formatting, characters or emphasis (such as bold, italics or underline). We acknowledge receipt and answer to all paper proposals submitted. If you do not receive a reply from us in a week you should assume we did not receive your proposal; it might be lost in cyberspace! We suggest, then, to look for an alternative electronic route or resend.

Registration fee

The details of the registration fee are as follows; The cost for attending the conference is £275. This includes:

-conference registration fee
-a copy of the eBook
-discounted entitlement to an edition of hard copy themed volume(s) arising from the meeting
-access to the discussion group, blog and conference project initiative support materials
-Friday afternoon tea break
-Friday wine reception
-Saturday morning coffee break
-Saturday two course lunch
-Saturday afternoon tea break
-drinks in the conference room
-Sunday morning coffee break
-Sunday two course lunch
-Sunday afternoon tea break
-drinks in conference room

Website: http://www.inter-disciplinary.net/critical-issues/cyber/urban-popcultures/
Email: http://www.inter-disciplinary.net/about-us/contact-us/