Editors: Prof. Amir Hetsroni, College of Social Sciences and Humanities – Koç University, Istanbul, Turkey and Meriç Tuncez, Graduate School of Social Sciences and Humanities – Koç University, Istanbul, Turkey
An interdisciplinary book, Internet-Infused Romantic Interactions and Dating Practices, to be published by the Institute of Network Cultures, Amsterdam, aims to analyze intricacies of internet-infused romantic interactions and dating practices. The proposed collection aims to include contributions from communication scholars, social scientists, computer scientists, humanities scholars and design experts whose research and practice will shed light on the romantic interplay of affect, cognition, and behavior on the internet with special attention given to social media platforms such as Tinder, Facebook, Grinder, and OkCupid. The collection would aim to offer an array of international perspectives and methodological novelties and feature a volume of scientific research and practice from a multitude of disciplines and interdisciplinary outlooks.
Quantitative as well as qualitative empirical research, theoretical essays and research reviews are all welcome. We aim to provide the readers with a theoretical and methodological assortment that is sensitive towards various approaches to the study of intimate relationships and romance as reflected in new media – from discourse analysis to visual network analysis; from in-depth interviews to experimental designs; from ethnographic observations to cross-sectional and longitudinal survey studies.
Feasible topics include, but are not limited to (please feel free to suggest additional themes):
- Romantic socialization and impression management in social networking services (SNS)
- Cross-cultural examinations of online dating scripts and practices
- Analysis of stages of intimate relationship on the screen (courtship, breakup, etc.)
- Motivations for using casual hook-up apps (e.g. uses and gratifications)
- Mobile representations and practices of deviant and alternative romance (e.g. threesome, swinger clubs)
- Cross-platform examination of mobile romantic interactions (TV, Internet, Tinder, Grindr, Instagram etc.)
- Construction of body, affect and love on online dating user profiles and role of selfies in exchanging affect
- Algorithmic challenges and role of AI, VR, AR and Machine Learning on the future of dating online.
- Chasing love while playing video games (falling in love with an NPC).
- Intergenerational differences in online dating attitudes, intentions and behaviors
- Privacy-protective behaviors, self-disclosure and impact of personality and context on online dating
- Queer, gay, lesbian and LGBTQ accounts and ethnographies of online romantic practices
- Role of interface, design and coding in online dating services
Please note that while as editors we remain open to any theoretical or methodological approach, the book is eventually an academic volume – not a collection o journalistic reviews or political-ideological polemic.
Please send extended abstracts (1,500 to 2,000 words) or complete papers (3,500 to 12,000 words) that should include a purpose statement, research questions and hypotheses (where applicable), theoretical frame, method(s) of analysis, expected results (for empirical studies), scholarly contribution and public appeal reference.
Because the book needs to be balanced, the chances of having a paper accepted depend not only on the quality of submissions but also on the rarity and innovativeness of their content. Using novel methodological approaches that are not typically employed in studies of online romantic interactions like controlled experiments, experience sampling, brain imaging and eye tracking techniques, intervention programs and action research may increase the likelihood of acceptance.
The deadline for submission of extended abstracts – 1,500 to 2,000 words plus references is: April 15th, 2018.
Notification of accepted proposals and invitations to submit complete papers (4,500 to 11,000 words, APA style) will be made on or before May 15th, 2018.
The complete papers’ due date is October 1st, 2018.
Revisions requests (when required) will be sent by November 1st, 2018
Revisions due date is December 1st, 2018
The book will be sent to the publisher by the End of 2018.
No publication fee would be required.
Please send submissions, inquires and proposals to:
Prof. Amir Hetsroni – amirhetsroni@gmail.com
and Meriç Tuncez – mtuncez@ku.edu.tr