Liverpool’s Communication & Media Department Leads International Debates on Uncivility, Racism and Populism
An international symposium co-organised by the Department of Communication & Media will examine uncivility from the perspective of the humanities and social sciences.
‘Un-Civility, Racism and Populism: Interactive Practices and Discourses in Europe, USA & Beyond’ is a collaboration between Professor Michał Krzyżanowski, Chair in Communication and Media, and colleagues in Örebro, Stockholm and Uppsala Universities.
Taking place in Stockholm and Uppsala, Sweden, on the 6th and 7th of December, the event will unite academics from around the globe for an in-depth exploration of the practices and discourses associated with uncivility. It will consider the links between uncivility, racism and populism, as well as the crossover with political communication and action. Online spaces, democracy, and immigration will be some of the other topics under scrutiny.
The symposium will be preceded by a public pre-event panel on media, politics and civil debate on 5th December at Stockholm University, to which journalists, legal experts, activists and communication scholars have been invited for a discussion on media, politics and civil debate in modern-day Sweden.
“This symposium, co-organised with Swedish and international colleagues, solidifies Liverpool’s leading position in research on uncivility in traditional/online media and political communication”, commented Professor Krzyżanowski. “Politicians like Donald Trump, growing online uncivil society in Europe and elsewhere, or communication of right-wing ideologies across the political mainstream including in debates around Brexit all show that norms of public discourse and political communication are now being questioned as part of daily populist strategies.
“We thus want to emphasise how uncivility is now becoming the new political and public ‘norm’ that is spread through mediated practices and makes contemporary interactive racism and populism ‘normalised’ or acceptable across present-day societies in the UK, Europe, US and worldwide.”
Representing Liverpool’s Communication & Media Department alongside Professor Krzyżanowski, who is the main organiser for the Symposium, will be Dr Ekaterina Balabanova and Professor Simon Yates, who will chair sessions on ‘Normalisation of Uncivility in/and Contemporary Populism’ and ‘Uncivility in Online & Mediated Practices’, respectively.
Further information on the symposium can be found on the website. Follow #uncivility2018 for live updates via Twitter, or follow @CommediaLivUni or @mwkrzyzanowski.