CFP: Politics, Civic Life, and Pop Culture Area for #NEPCA2021

2021 Northeast Popular Culture Association (NEPCA) Virtual Conference Thursday, October 21-Saturday, October 23, 2021 Proposal due: August 1, 2021

Papers for the Politics, Civic Life and Culture area of NEPCA explore the role of political actors, institutions, ideology, rhetoric, and satire in popular culture. Topics and themes may be drawn from all policy domains – both foreign and domestic. Recent conferences featured panels on:

• The presidency in popular culture

• Storytelling in the public square

• News coverage of political figures and campaigns

• Narrative approaches to public policy

• Political icons

• American identity

• Political art or performance

Presentations will be limited to 15 or 20 minutes in length depending on the final panel size.

Special topics:

• Papers and panels that address “cancel culture” and its relationship to pop culture and performance are particularly welcome. 

• Papers and panels that address how popular culture is engaged by activists to effect political change are especially welcome. 

• Papers and panels that focus on the use of social media in both politics and policy are extremely welcome as well, as well as those papers and panels addressing the role of satire and humor as it pertains to politics, civic life, and pop culture.

Singular presentations or full panels can be submitted for consideration.  Proposals can be submitted on the NEPCA Conference page or by going directly to the submission form here.  Please select “Politics, Civic Life, and Pop Culture” as your designated area.

Please address any questions about submissions to the area chair, Dana Gavin, at dgavi001@odu.edu.