Cfp: "Beyond Boundaries: Media, Culture and Identity in Europe," Bahcesehir University, Istanbul, October 2-3, 2009.

What is Europe according to its others? An essence, an origin, a center? Or is it nothingness, a void or chiasm? Where is Europe? In diasporic or migrant spaces? How is Europe different from the West? Can an identity be made European? Could it be Eurocentric or Euro-chiasmic? Can one leave one's cultural frame to take on another? Can one transnationalize and/or regionalize a national identity or vice versa? Can the European Union create a single entity or a grand signifier of Europe out of multiple differences? What is the role of communication, media, and culture in such exchanges, transformations, processes and practices? Can we account for the similarities, proximities, and relations or should we focus on the differences, cleavages, and tensions? This conference aims to explore the questions above and how such questions surface in media and cultural texts, ranging from everyday practices to media representations. The papers may deal with various meanings of Europe and its relation to non-European cultures, and how these are experienced or altered at the level of media, culture, and identity. Possible paper topics are: Eurocentrism and its alternatives Transnationalism and nationalisms Global, regional, and local media and culture Diasporic and migrant culture and identities Gender equality and cultural diversity Tactics and strategies of dialogue between cultures Symbolic representations of Europe in various cultural practices Theories of European cinema, media and culture Challenges for European cinema, media, and cultural studies European communication studies and strategies The EU policies on media, communication, and culture Visit the conference homepage here: http://www.emcs.bahcesehir.edu.tr/conference.html.