PANEL- Mediated portrayals of communities in the context of the war in Ukraine.
Finnish Anthropological Society Biennial Conference 16 – 18 June 2025, Helsinki
War often strengthens images, conceptions, and experiences of nations and international communities involved in or affected by the conflict. Citizens may feel more united with their nations, and national, international and other collective identities may become stronger, while views of outsiders might become more exclusionary. Divisions between
“Us” and “Them” might deepen, and mediated narratives reflect these divisions.
This panel explores how different communities are portrayed and compared in media coverage of the war in Ukraine. It examines how states, societies, cultures, alliances, transnational organizations, or “civilizations” involved or perceived to be involved in the war are characterized, (re)defined, or (re/de)valued in the media. For example,what kinds of “West” and “non-West,” “Us” and “Them,” or pro-Ukraine and anti-Ukraine groups emerge through media coverage? Additionally, what
global or local ideological, (geo)political, ethical, cultural, and other comparisons, hierarchies, and dichotomies of populations, nations, and communities are (re)produced in the media? How are the responsibilities, roles, and essences of different communities involved or not involved in the war portrayed and compared?
The panel adopts a flexible media anthropological approach and welcomes empirical or empirically informed papers from social and cultural anthropology, as well as related disciplines such as journalism, linguistics, media studies, philosophy, political science, sociology, and cultural studies. Participants should focus on how media represents, produces, and constructs reality, and reproduces images of communities.
CONTACT
Jukka Jouhki, Suvi Mononen / (jukka.jouhki /at/ tuni.fi) <mailto:(jukka.jouhki /at/ tuni.fi)>
Please note that Communication and Media Studies scholars are warmly welcome to propose their papers! No payment from the authors will be required.
Key dates:
Call for papers from the 5th December – 15th January 2025
Notification of acceptance of paper on 18th February 2025