Baudrillard's Cultural Politics A Stream at
Engaging Baudrillard: An International Multidisciplinary Conference 4-6th September 2006 At Swansea University, United Kingdom
Is Jean Baudrillard a prophetic cultural theorist of contemporary political significance? Or is he a myopic intellectual impostor, a twenty-first century writer of cultural and political fantasies that have no relevance to our current condition? How should we understand Baudrillard's explosive cultural and political concepts today?
The aim of this stream is to circumvent both a hasty reaction against and a euphoric celebration of Baudrillard's cultural politics. Rather, it seeks to provide a contemporary assessment of Baudrillard's writings and what they mean for the future of cultural politics. The stream intends to make an important contribution to the broad understanding and literature on Baudrillard's postmodern cultural politics.
The stream organizers are in search of a collection of original conference papers that, together, will provide a multiperspectival overview, guide to and consideration of Baudrillard's contentious and often misunderstood work on present day cultural politics.
Papers are sought on Baudrillard's writings that discuss and evaluate them in relation to his cultural politics, inclusive of papers on but not restricted to: fatal strategies and the aleatory; seduction; the self; reversibility; celebrity; symbolic exchange and death; simulations; silent majorities; technology; ecstasy; communication; evil; images; America; art; terrorism; media; consumption; feminism; theory-fiction; and postmodernity.
Our aim is to engage with Baudrillard's cultural politics in surprising, exciting and yet accessible ways.
The stream will not only be a point of reference for understanding and assessing Baudrillard's stunning cultural theory and political vision but also the launch pad for a special issue of the international refereed journal, Cultural Politics, to be edited by Douglas Kellner: http://www.bergpublishers.com/uk/culture/culture_about.htm
Please send 250 word abstracts to: Dr John Armitage Co-editor, Cultural Politics Media & Communication Room 306, Lipman Building School of Arts & Social Sciences Northumbria University Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8ST, UK (t) (+44) 0191 227 4971 (e)(w) j.armitage@unn.ac.uk <mailto:j.armitage@unn.ac.uk> (e)(h) j.armitage@technologica.demon.co.uk <mailto:j.armitage@technologica.demon.co.uk> Visit the Cultural Politics Website And Dr Ryan Bishop Co-Editor, Cultural Politics Associate Professor of English The National University of Singapore Dept. of English AS5, Arts Link Singapore 117570 Tel. 65-6874-6633 Fax: 65-6773-2981 E-mail: ellrb@nus.edu.sg <mailto:ellrb@nus.edu.sg>