The Summer School will explore the complex relationship between media and diverse instances of political participation and mobilization. More in particular, the lectures during the Summer School will revolve around three main themes on which literature flourished in the past few years, providing new perspectives on the relationship between media and political participation/mobilizations: (1) media cultures; (2) media materialities; and (3) media practices.

Participants (up to 15) will be given the possibility to present their ongoing research and project activities during afternoon sessions. Other participants and speakers will provide feedback and suggestions. Participants will also have the possibility to schedule a meeting with the Summer School invited lecturers to discuss more in details their work and receive targeted advices.

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS AND ACADEMIC PROGRAMME

The Summer School will include two keynote speeches on media and political participation and mobilization. Confirmed keynote speakers are: Prof. Donatella della Porta (Scuola Normale Superiore); Prof. Nick Couldry (London School of Economics). This is the preliminary academic programme, that includes a detailed overview of the summer school, confirmed instructors and lectures topics.

DATES AND LOCATION

The Summer School will last 5 teaching, from the 26th to the 30th of June 2017. The Summer School will take place at the Istituto di Scienze Umane e Sociali, Scuola Normale Superiore, in Florence, Italy.

APPLICATION

The Summer School is open to 15 graduate and master students as well as early career researchers with a specialized interest in media in political participation and mobilization in different fields of study, including political science, political sociology, political communication, and political anthropology from throughout European and beyond.

Applicants must email a cover letter in which they explain how the Summer School would be beneficial for their research, a 500-word abstract of their proposed paper, and an updated curriculum vitae no later than 17th of March 2017 to media_summerschool@sns.it

Applicants will be informed of the outcome by email as soon as possible and no later than 7 April 2017. Selected applicants shall confirm their participation and pay the enrollment fee within 15 days, after which places may be offered to applicants on the reserve list.

REQUIREMENTS

Students will be required to write and submit a 5.000-6.000 words paper before the starting of the Summer School. The paper will be then presented and discussed during one of the afternoon sessions. Students will be also required to complete the mandatory readings for morning lectures and to actively participate in discussion during morning and afternoon sessions.

Successful participation in the Summer School will be accredited a certificate of participation.

English will be the working language of the Summer School. Therefore students are expected to have a good command of written and spoken English.

ENROLLMENT FEES

Full fees for the Summer School are €350 and cover tuition costs, academic materials, lunches, welcome aperitivo & farewell dinner, use of library, computing and internet facilities.

Fees will not cover travel and accommodation costs.

Details of how to pay the fees and book the room will be emailed to all selected participants. Once paid, fees are not reimbursable.

AUDITORS

PhD students enrolled at the Scuola Normale Superiore can participate as auditors in the Summer School with no need to pay any enrollment fees.

A limited number of PhD students based in other academic institutions might be admitted as auditors in the Summer School paying a reduced fee of €250 that will cover academic materials, lunches, welcome aperitivo & farewell dinner, use of library, computing and internet facilities.

ORGANIZING COMMITTEE

Director: Donatella della Porta

Co-director: Alice Mattoni

Scientific Committee: Diego Ceccobelli, Marco Deseriis, Lorenzo Mosca, Elena Pavan, Andrea Pitrioni, Emiliano Treré, Lorenzo Zamponi

CONTACTS

Email contact for application, questions and clarifications about the Summer School: media_summerschool@sns.it

FINANCIAL AND LOGISTIC SUPPORT

The Summer School is kindly supported by:

• European Consortium for Political Research – ECPR and its Standing Group on Political Participation and Mobilization
• Istituto di Scienze Umane e Sociali, Scuola Normale Superiore;
• Centre on Social Movement Studies (COSMOS) at the Scuola Normale Superiore;
• PiCME – Political Participation in Complex Media Environments, a research project funded by the SIR grant 2014 of the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research.