Past decades, media and communication studies have been focusing on the study of sexuality in media, representations, and have been exploring audiences’ interpretations of mass-produced media and popular culture texts. However, current ontological changes in the processes of mass communications, the shift from one-to-many to many-to-many communicative infrastructures, multiplied the institutional, technological and symbolic dimensions when inquiring into sexualities and media, communications and culture. The digitization of sexuality demands that scholars look beyond the well-established frameworks to study sexuality and media, expanding their methodological and theoretical perspectives in order to fully comprehend sexual life-worlds and the digital.

The focus of this symposium is on sexual politics in and around the digital, which means a critical understanding of sexualities in European digital culture. Thereby, focusing on changes in sexual life-worlds, but also continuities; how are certain intimate sexualities valued, while others are stigmatized? This symposium is interested in contributions dealing with processes of power that are currently surrounding the digital and sexualities. The symposium will focus on three key areas:
(1) sexual experiences, practices and digital culture, (2) intimate/sexual citizenship and the digital, and (3) online sexual content and representations.
Keynote: Professor Susanna Paasonen

Contact: Frederik Dhaenens (frederik.dhaenens@ugent.be)

Call for papers: http://gcecrea.wixsite.com/gendercommunication/symposium-2016-athens