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Call For Papers: ‘Glocalisation as catalyst for new discourses and genres’
If you are interested, then please send an abstract (max 350 words), title and brief bio by November 11, 2011 to the convenors Laura Alba-Juez (UNED, Spain), Dorien Van De Mieroop (University of Leuven, Belgium) and Ruth Wodak (Lancaster University, UK)
Our world is constantly in change, due to processes of globalization and migration, changes in political systems, the era of web 2.0, and other, broader socio-cultural trends. This is, for example, visible in organizations, in which, among other factors, the constant pressure of professionalization also results in changes on an institutional level which can permeate into many different levels within the organization. From a linguistic, social constructionist perspective, the role of language and communication is essential in this process of change, since it is through language that change is talked or written into being, that genres gradually change or drastically alter, that evolving, general societal discourses are voiced.
Due to the new technological era, the 21st century is a particularly fertile ground for change. Thus, we are currently witnessing the emergence of a wide variety of novel discourses such as those of the social media and networks (Facebook, Twitter, discussion forums, postings, and so forth), the new frontstage performances of politicians (who use new social media), or the discourse of “New Age” spirituality – in contrast to the more traditional but also evolving discourse of science, just to name a few.
In this workshop, we aim to take a discursive perspective on change and zoom in on the topic of changing genres and the (possibly) related change of discourses and discursive practices. This topic can be approached from a number of different angles, as for example, but not exclusively, the following:
· Relating diachronic approaches to written genres to more general changes on all levels of language and communication;
· The emergence of new genres to meet the demands of social needs and trends;
· Analysing genres on a micro-level in respect to its particular societal context;
· New modes of intercultural communication and its impact on genres and discourses;
· Changes in the use of evaluative language, or in the stances taken by institutions, groups or individuals in different genres and at the different levels of linguistic description;
· (New) genres that social groups or individuals make use of in order to construct their identities.
· Diachronic changes of CMC (computer mediated communication), from its origins up to the present time.
· Difficulties in defining, classifying and/or typifying genres, considering their constant changing/hybrid nature.
Panel convenors: Laura Alba-Juez (UNED, Spain), Dorien Van De Mieroop (University of Leuven, Belgium) and Ruth Wodak (Lancaster University, UK)