Consumer Culture Theory Conference

July 7-9, 2022 | Corvallis, OR USA
CH2M HILL Alumni Center at Oregon State University

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CONSUMER CULTURE THEORY CONFERENCE 2022

“DISRUPTION FOR A BETTER WORLD”
CALL FOR PARTICIPATION

July 7-9, 2022
Oregon State University
Corvallis, Oregon, USA

Conference Co-Chairs
Michelle Barnhart, Oregon State University, [email protected]
Aimee Dinnin Huff, Oregon State University, [email protected]

Modalities
CCT 2022 is a hybrid conference: an in-person event with remote participation options for those who are unable to travel to Oregon State University. The app Whova will be used for the conference program and as the platform for remote participation.

Key Dates
All times for the conference are Pacific Time; time zone identifier is Los Angeles.

  • Submission deadline: 11:59pm on January 9, 2022 (firm)
  • Deadline for reviews: 11:59pm on February 6, 2022
  • Notification of accepted works: March 1, 2022
  • Announcement re. decision for hybrid or fully-remote conference: March 15, 2022
  • Announcement re. specifics for remote participation: April 24, 2022

2022 Qualitative Data Analysis (QDA) Workshop
The QDA Workshop will be held July 5-7, 2022 at Oregon State University. The event is chaired by Ela Veresiu, Tonya Bradford, and Ashlee Humphreys.

Disruption for a Better World

Disruption – rapid and drastic upheaval – has been a focal theme since the COVID-19 pandemic emerged. It forced swift changes to the routines, welfare, economic position, and possibilities for citizens and market actors the world over. Other contemporary disruptions are salient and have interrelated impact on societies around the world: climate disasters, including hurricanes, flooding, and wildfires, and related refugee crises; social, environmental, and legal injustices that spur protests and activism; technological innovations, including COVID-19 vaccines; cultural and geo-political disruptions such as Brexit.

Some disruptions can be successful – they effectively interrupt, impede, or reorient the status quo in cultural and market systems. In summer 2021, individuals and institutions in some countries shifted rapidly to normalize and make widely accessible rapid COVID-19 testing. Other disruptions can fail to achieve their intentions; Theranos’ innovative technology launch and subsequent implosion spurred enormous disruption in the Silicon Valley. Further, disruptions can be aimed at and result in change that creates the conditions of a better world: the shift to remote work during COVID-19 made conditions and feasibility of remote work more equitable for people with disabilities. And, in summer 2021 after years of pressure from stakeholders, Harvard University effectively divested from fossil fuels.

CCT researchers are well equipped to study such disruption – to establish phenomenological, conceptual, theoretical, and practical links between disruption and the condition of a better world. Our collective expertise can illuminate the cultural and market actors, processes, conditions, politics, dynamics, and phenomena implicated in or affected by disruptions, and identify possibilities and paths forward to mitigate disruption’s negative effects and harness their positive effects.

The CCT 2022 conference – the first gathering of the global CCT community since prepandemic times – is oriented to the opportunity and responsibility of CCT scholars to examine how disruption can foster a better world. By embracing research and researchers with diverse ontological, methodological, and substantive orientations; employing a new track, Focused Forums, dedicated to discussion and interactive knowledge-sharing; and offering an accessible, hybrid platform, this conference should inspire the CCT community to contemplate the ways that disruptions are or could ultimately result in improvements in society and consumer well-being.

Suggested topics for submissions of original research, discussion forums, and artistic modes of representation include work at the micro, meso, or macro levels oriented to how embodied, material, discursive, or experiential cultural conditions and practices shape or are shaped by
disruptions, and CCT work in any of the following areas:

  • Power: who has it, how it is (mis)used, how it sustains social, economic, and environmental inequities, how it can be challenged
  • Activism: how consumer movements, consumer or organizational activism, or protests are orchestrated, how they can disrupt the status quo
  • Politics: how regulation, policy, political ideology are or could be used to disrupt cultural and market systems, practices, responsibilization, or patterns of behavior
  • Inequity and social justice: conditions and dynamics related to inequities in race, gender, class, disability, age, religion, sexual orientation, nationality, etc., and intersections therein
  • Media & technologies: how mainstream, niche, or social media shape consumer practices, culture, and markets; how health, finance, entertainment, educational, or assistive technologies are used to understand or guide well-being
  • Problems: social, economic, political, environmental, legal, and/or technological harms, and how consumer culture and market systems could intervene or mitigate the harms
  • Knowledge: how non-Western knowledge-holders and ways of knowing, such as Indigenous teachings and knowledge, can inform or guide disruption
  • “A better world:” who determines or could determine what constitutes “a better world,” and how morals intersect and feature in cultural and market systems

Submission Guidelines

Submissions are invited in six tracks: Competitive Papers; Special Sessions; Working Papers; Focused Forums; Art & Photography; and Poetry & Spoken Word. Submission instructions for each track are offered below.

As you prepare your submissions, please keep in mind that some (or all) presenters and attendees will participate remotely.

Submissions to Competitive Papers, Special Sessions, and Working Papers tracks must be original research. Work submitted to these tracks should not have been presented at a past CCT conference or be published, at the time of submission, at an academic journal.

Authors may not be listed as the presenting author more than twice in the Competitive Papers, Special Sessions, and/or Working Papers tracks. Authors may be listed as a co-author or participant on multiple submissions.

The submitting author (or presenting author) commits to registering for the conference and presenting if their work is accepted. Authors of accepted work may present in-person or via remote participation.

Submitting authors are likely to receive an invitation to review for the conference. We are grateful to reviewers for their contributions to a high quality conference experience for all.

Track 1: Competitive Papers

Track Chairs

We solicit submissions of empirical and conceptual papers, and especially welcome work that is aligned with the conference theme. Papers considered for this track should conform to a standard journal manuscript format including an introduction, research question or goal, literature review, methods, (preliminary) findings, and discussion. Conceptual papers are welcome and their format may vary from that indicated above. Accepted submissions will be grouped with 3 other competitive papers for presentation in a 75-minute combined session.

Competitive paper submissions may not exceed 22 pages total, and should be in Word or PDF format. No author information should be included in the submitted document. Please ensure author information is deleted from the document properties.

  • Page 1: title and short abstract (50 words maximum).
  • Pages 2-21: body of the paper and references. Text must be double-spaced, 12pt Times New Roman, with 1” margins (US letter) or 2.5cm margins (A4). Authors should use a clear, consistent style for first-, second-, and third-level headings. References and long quotations of data may be single-spaced.
  • Page 22 is optional and should include figures or tables.

Please submit your work via the online submission portal available on Easychair. The portal will open on December 1, 2021.

All submissions will undergo double-blind peer review. The track co-chairs will oversee the review process, make acceptance recommendations to the conference chairs, and provide authors with reviewer comments.

Authors of accepted work will be asked to choose whether to have an extended abstract (1000 words) or full paper format published in the proceedings. Authors choosing the extended abstract option will need to submit their extended abstract by April 1, 2022.

Accepted papers will be presented in-person or via remote participation in synchronous sessions. Presenting authors will need to physically or remotely attend their assigned synchronous session.

Track 2: Special Sessions

Track Chairs

We invite proposals for 75-minute sessions that include three or four thematically- or methodologically-focused papers. Proposals should present a compelling justification for the session, and specify thoughtful and thought-provoking questions on which the session discussant will focus. We especially encourage special sessions that focus on or relate to the conference theme.

Special Session submissions require two documents. Both documents should be in Word or PDF format, using 12 pt Times New Roman, 1” margins, and 1.5 line spacing.

Document #1: main submission document: This document will undergo double-blind review.
Please ensure all author identification is removed from the document, and structure it as follows:

  • Session title
  • Session description (500 word maximum) including: the topic, why it is of interest to conference attendees and the CCT community, how the three or four papers fit together
  • Title and extended abstract for each of the 3 or 4 papers (1000 word maximum per extended abstract); each paper may include one table or figure (not included in word limit)
  • Final page(s): full reference list. References are not included in the word limit.

Document #2: supplementary submission document: Please include the following:

  • Session title
  • Session abstract (50 word maximum); this will appear in the conference program
  • Name and affiliation of person submitting the session; this person will be named as session chair if the submission is accepted
  • Name and affiliation of discussant (optional); discussants are recommended for sessions with 3 papers, and should commit to attending the session if it is accepted
  • For each of the 3 or 4 papers:
    • Title
    • Short abstract (50 word maximum for short abstract); this will appear in the conference program
    • Names and affiliations of authors

All submissions will undergo a double-blind peer review process. Please submit your work via the online submission portal available on Easychair. Accepted sessions will be presented in-person or via remote participation in synchronous sessions. Presenting authors will need to physically or remotely attend their assigned synchronous session. The submitting author of the session will be named session chair, and is required to attend the session, if accepted.

Track 3: Working Papers (Posters)

Track Chairs

We invite submissions of in-progress original research for presentation in an informal format.

This track provides the opportunity for the visual display of theorizing, data, and concepts in a setting designed to generate feedback and help further develop ideas for future research and foster collaboration.
Submissions should be in Word or PDF format, using 12 pt Times New Roman, 1” margins, and 1.5 line spacing. No author information should be included in the submission. Please ensure author information is deleted from the document properties. Submission documents must include:

  • Title
  • Short abstract (50 words maximum); this will appear in the conference program
  • Extended abstract (1000 words maximum); this should include brief descriptions of the research problem and/or questions, relevant literature, methods (in-progress or completed, if applicable), findings (if applicable), and contributions
  • One figure or table (optional; not included in word limit)
  • References (not included in word limit)

Please submit your work via the online submission portal available on Easychair.

Accepted working papers will be presented in-person or in a virtual format. More details will be available prior to the conference.

Track 4: Focused Forums

Track Chairs

We invite proposals for Focused Forums, which include roundtables, workshops, special interest groups, seminars, professional development discussions, etc. This track is designed as a ‘big tent,’ to include interesting, relevant, meaningful, and productive gatherings of CCT members.

Focused Forums are not intended as venues to present original research or for primarily social/networking purposes.

We encourage proposals that are conventional and/or unconventional, and specifically invite proposals that relate to the conference theme. If you are unsure whether or how to propose a
forum, please email the conference chairs or track chairs.

Suggestions include:

  • Workshop focused on method(s), or creating compelling figures for manuscripts
  • Seminar focused on a specific theory, or theorizing race and/or gender
  • Special interest group focused on substantive topic
  • Working-group session focused on collaboration and research program development around a topic (similar to TCR)
  • Professional development workshop focused on career stage, geographic region, mentoring, etc.
  • Panel focused on diversity, inclusion, and/or equity in CCT
  • Roundtable focused on teaching CCT, or decolonizing pedagogy
  • Professional development workshop focused on working with mainstream media

Focused Forums will be open to all conference attendees. However, space may be limited in in-person rooms. Focused Forum organizers should plan to accommodate some or all participants
on the Whova/Zoom conference platform.

Proposals should be in Word or PDF, and use 12 pt Times New Roman, and 1.5 line spacing.

The document must include the following information:

  • Title and format (eg, roundtable, panel, workshop, seminar, special interest group, professional development workshop); format names do not have precise meanings, so please choose the format type that is most suitable.
  • Facilitators/ chair(s): names and affiliations of individual(s) who will lead the forum
  • Panelists (if applicable): names and affiliations of individuals who will participate formally (eg, with prepared remarks or material). This is required for a panel or roundtable, but not necessary for other formats. Individuals listed as panelists must commit to attending the conference if the forum is accepted.
  • Summary: a short description (50 words maximum) that indicates the focus of the forum. If the forum is accepted, this summary will appear in the conference program.
  • Purpose: a description (500 words maximum) that includes who should attend your forum; why they should find your forum interesting; how the time will be used (eg, discussion questions, activities), and what your participants will ‘take away’ from the forum. Tables, figures, appendices, and references are welcome and do not count toward the word limit.
  • Time required: please indicate the amount of time (minimum 75 minutes, maximum 2 hours) your forum requires.
  • Participant preparation (if applicable): briefly describe preparation (eg, readings, completing a survey, sharing documents) required by individuals participating in your forum. Facilitators of accepted forum proposals will be able to revise this description and communicate more detail to participants prior to the conference.
  • Preferred modality: if the facilitator(s) are certain they will not attend the conference in-person, please indicate that the forum will be virtual. If the facilitator(s) hope to attend the conference in-person, please indicate that the forum will be in hybrid format.

Please submit your work via the online submission portal available on Easychair.

Track 5: Arts & Photography

Track Curators

We seek CCT work created or communicated through visual aesthetic forms. Accepted submissions will be displayed in online gallery format. We invite work in such forms as photography, drawings, paintings, sculpture, videography and mixed media. The submissions for CCT 2022 will form two modes of participation: the Artwork submission and the inaugural CCT Photography competition. Submissions for this track should be made through Easychair.

Artwork submission

Submit no more than two entries as digital photos representing your original work via Easychair. One entry may consist of multiple images or components (e.g., a photo collage), but, in this case, cannot exceed five images/components. Each submission must be accompanied by a 500-word abstract which describes how it is relevant to consumer culture, how it can enrich our understanding of theory or research. Please note that the abstract plays a central role in the review process. Because of the early deadline, we will also be accepting partially completed work (e.g. sketches, partial paintings, or sculptures). In this case, the submission needs to show clearly what the final submission will look like. Moreover, partially completed work will be accepted conditionally, pending submission of the complete components (e.g., sketch/equivalent and abstract) by May 1, 2022.

CCT photography competition: Telling the Story of your CCT Research Practice through Photography

The CCT Research Photography Competition is a new initiative to allow us to include a greater diversity of work in to the CCT Art stream. You don’t have to be an expert photographer to enter, all we ask is for a single image that captures an aspect of your research. Anyone can submit a photograph relating to their paper/poster/special session CCT 2022 submission and it’s a great way for CCT scholars to capture and share the excellent and diverse research. Research photography provides an opportunity to be creative, using photography to explore the relevance of your research and to communicate quickly to a varied audience using a visual medium that can inspire and engage. Many leading  universities and scholarly societies run annual research photography competitions across all disciplines, and there is an audience out there interested in research-based photographs. Previous competitions have generated significant
social media activity, raising the profile of individual researchers and their work.

Photographs can be taken on a variety of equipment from smartphones to DSLRs. Image files should be submitted as a PDF to Easychair, along with a 150-word paragraph of information/explanation which links the photograph to the research in a way that a layperson could understand. Images should be original work. There will be a judged panel award for best entry and a popular award, voted throughout the conference by all participants.

For ideas and inspiration please visit the sites below:

Ethics statement: The photographs will form part of an online gallery and may be viewed and shared publicly. If people are identifiable in the photographs used, written consent must be gained from those individuals for their images to be used in this way. 

Track 6: Poetry & Spoken Word

Track Curators

The poetry session is a regular feature of the CCT Conference. Participating poets perform original work inspired by their musings on consumer culture. Session organizers publish a volume of the poetry so that audience members can participate more fully.

Poets are invited to submit up to four completed poems (no more than four pages, total). Submissions must include (1) an author page with complete contact information and the titles of the submitted poems, and (2) the poems, each beginning on a fresh page with no identifying author information.

Poems will be evaluated according to the following criteria: (1) Theme / Does the poem address cultural aspects of consumption and /or markets? Does it speak in a way that would elude traditional prose? (2) Technique / Is the poem well-crafted according to poetic conventions? Is the language fresh and devoid of cliché? Is the poetic voice distinctive? (3) Performance / Will the work enhance the poetic state of discourse as an evocative performance? Will it stir emotion or discussion?

Please submit your work directly to the track chairs via email by the submission deadline.

Call for Participation PDF