The Society for Phenomenology and Media 25th annual conference in May 14-19, 2024

Tallinn University, Estonia

Applications must be made through EASYCHAIR

Deadline for considerations of abstracts and panels March 1, 2024

Keynote speakers:

Dermot Moran – Joseph Chair in Catholic Philosophy at Boston College

Sara Heinämaa – Professor of Philosophy at the University of Jyväskylä

Katrin Tiidenberg – Professor of Participatory Culture at the Baltic Film, Media and Arts School of Tallinn University

The Society for Phenomenology and Media encourage submissions for the 25th Annual Conference of the Society for Phenomenology and Media (SPM2024).

We invite abstracts for papers on the ever-growing influence of digitalisation on our lives and life-worlds. The arrival of large language models capable of producing huge amounts of text with near-human quality has recently stirred the attention of everyone from school children to academics and business circles. What are the ramifications of such powerful tools with human-like linguistic capabilities on our cultures, identities, and collectivities? Is their availability for uncontrolled public use a threat or an opportunity for our education systems, intellectual endeavours, and academic work, including philosophical pursuits? How will the increasing digitalisation of almost all aspects of social life change our relationships with other humans, computers, and the environment? We welcome proposals on these and related questions within different theoretical paradigms, including phenomenology, affect theory, critical theory, cultural studies, hermeneutics, Marxism, New Historicism, post-colonial theory, post-phenomenology, pragmatism, semiotics, speech-act theory, etc. We encourage participation from a wide range of disciplines, including philosophy, media studies, communication, psychology, history, political science, sociology, rhetoric, literary theory, cognitive science, cultural studies, and other fields. Individual papers and panels need not be limited to phenomenological approaches.

Submission Guidelines

All papers must be original and not simultaneously submitted to another journal or conference. Abstracts (150-250 words) for the following paper categories are welcome:

• Full papers
• Posters

• Proposals for 3-person panels are also accepted. These can be organized around specific media — for example: film, the Internet, mobile communication, medieval manuscripts, print media (books, newspapers, and magazines), stage drama, television, visual art, dance, etc. Panel proposals should include three abstracts, one of them by the panel organizer. All members of the panel need to be listed on the panel abstract, including emails. Individual abstract submissions are assigned to a panel by the conference host.

• For participants who wish to participate online only, a hybrid session will be organized, but the whole conference will not be webstreamed. If you wish to present online, please indicate that clearly in your abstract title ("Abstract Title" [ONLINE]).

• While individual papers and panels need not be limited to phenomenological approaches, the society encourages interdisciplinary approaches and theoretical and philosophical diversity in the discussion of media.

• Doctoral students are invited to submit proposals but should note that SPM limits the number of papers from students.​ 

  Conference abstracts and panel proposals submitted are peer reviewed. Papers accepted and presented are published in the annual SPM Conference Proceedings and considered for publication in the The Glimpse Journal, blind reviewed and published by the Society for Phenomenology and Media.

Venue and indicative program

University of Tallinn, Estonia

School of Humanities, Philosophy / Cultural Studies

All sessions of the conference will be held at Tallinn University, Mare building, in Estonia.

14 May: Arrivals, Board Meetings and the Welcome Reception

15–17 May: Conference Sessions

18–19 May: Practical phenomenology sessions and guided tours

Organizing Committee

• Rita Niineste, 2024 Program Chair, Tallinn University
• Tõnu Viik, Ph.D, Tallinn University Rector, SPM Board of Directors
• Nicola Liberati, Ph.D, SPM President, 2022 Program Chair 
• Melinda Campbell, Ph.D, SPM Vice Chair
• Stacey O. Irwin, Ph.D, SPM Vice President, 2023 Program Chair 
• Luis Acebel, Ph.D, SPM Treasurer
• Jacques Ibanez Bueno, Ph.D, 2025 Program Chair

Contact

Please refer to the SPM website for further information: https://www.societyforphenomenologyandmedia.org.

If you have any questions regarding the conference and submissions, please contact:

Rita Niineste, 2024 Program Chair

niineste@tlu.ee