CALL FOR PAPERS
Parenting Through Pop Culture: Making Sure Media Matters

TO SUBMIT: Please e-mail a 500 word abstract along with a brief bio of no longer than 150 words to debate@binghamton.edu no later than May 4th, 2018.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION: It has become nearly impossible to raise children without them being influenced by popular culture, even when screen time is restricted. Whether it be in the form of radio, television, paperback children’s novels, toys, or advertising, the media is increasingly shaping the identity of those who consume it. The purpose of this collection is to create concrete strategies for parents to use that will stop their kids from being passive consumers of popular culture by turning them into active participants. Thus, unlike other parenting books that warn about the dangers of the media, this book not only admits the inevitability of the media’s influence in modern life but works to produce approaches that turn this influence into a positive force. No doubt, despite all the problematic representations that saturate popular culture, many contain themes that speak toward equality, saving the environment, liberation, and beyond. And, while many of these concepts can be readily critiqued as well, by fostering critical conversations between parents and children about the media even the worst of these representations can serve as a learning moment that can positively impact kids. As editors of this collection and parents ourselves, we believe that meeting kids on their own ground can make it easier to talk about complex concepts such as race, gender, sexuality, war, immigration, and so on in a way children can relate. More importantly, having such conversations also better equip children to deal with the power of media as they grow older because they are taught to be aware of representations and what they consume. In doing so, this collection seeks to take the knowledge incorporated in critical theory in order to tangibly export it to parents as a form of praxis that will foster bonding, avenues of conversation, and change over the elements of popular culture that their children are already consuming.

As a result, we are look for chapters between 4,000 and 6,000 words that develop strategies for talking to children about popular culture. Chapters could be focused on more generalized strategies or on specific artifacts of popular culture, and can be designed for talking to kids anywhere between kindergarten through high school. At this point we are interested in a broad range of intersectional chapters that could include, but is not limited to the following:

• Analysis on advertising
• Analysis on specific songs or musical artists
• Dealing with Disney
• Dealing with fast food and agricultural representations
• Dealing with social media (musicly, snapchat, etc)
• Dealing with YouTube
• Representations surrounding race
• Representations surrounding gender
• Representations surrounding disability
• Representations surrounding sexuality
• Representations surrounding speciesism
• Specific strategies on individual TV shows
• Specific strategies on individual movies
• Specific strategies on individual comics
At this point, we are only requesting an abstract and a bio as we finish the last stages of securing a contract. Once secured, we are anticipating the date for the first draft to be due by the fall of 2018 with subsequent editorial time and revision to follow. We expect publication to be during the summer of 2019 with the final draft being completed toward the end of spring. If accepted, we will work with you to ensure you have the necessary time to complete your chapter with all the quality and polishing it deserves.

TO SUBMIT: Please e-mail a 500 word abstract along with a brief bio of no longer than 150 words to debate@binghamton.edu no later than May 4th, 2018. You should expect to hear back no later than May 14th, 2018 as to the status of your acceptance.

Please feel free to contact us with additional questions and circulate this CFP with any interested peers or institutions you may be connected to.