Delighted to be involved in organising an International Communication Association 2027 preconference at the University of Glasgow. Please see below for details (with thanks to Jun Liu for writing the CFA).

We are delighted to announce our International Communication Association 2027 Preconference: Centering the Human in Networked Activism: Care, Vulnerability, and Lived Experience, taking place on 2 June 2027 at the University of Glasgow.

This year, we turn our attention to the human dimensions of activism: agency, vulnerability, care, emotions, creativity, and the lived experiences of those who organize, participate in, and sustain collective action. How do activists navigate the opportunities and constraints of platforms, algorithms, AI, and surveillance? How do care, vulnerability, and everyday experiences shape activism in different political and cultural contexts?

We welcome theoretical, empirical, methodological, and practice-oriented contributions, particularly from early-career researchers, PhD students, and scholars working on underrepresented movements and communities.

We will also continue fostering open conversations through an interactive “Ask Anything about Researching Activism” session.

Call for Abstracts
📅 2 June 2027 | University of Glasgow
📝 400–600 words | Deadline: 20 January 2027
✉️ activism.preconf@gmail.com

Organizing team: Paul Reilly, Guobin Yang, Qian Huang, Rasha El-Ibiary, and @Chris Chao Su. Together with International Communication Association‘s Activism, Communication & Social Justice Division with the chair Rasha El-Ibiary and vice-chair Elisabetta Ferrari and Global Communication and Social Change Division with the chair Wenhong Chen and vice-chair Dani Madrid-Morales.

With the support of:
Independent Research Fund Denmark, Sapere Aude Starting Grant (1055-00011B)
NWO Talent Programme – Veni Grant, Negotiating Digital Visibility: Public Intellectuals’ Cautious Labor
CDCS: Center on Digital Culture and Society, University of Pennsylvania

Four years of bringing scholars together around activism research—and we look forward to continuing these conversations, building connections, and welcoming new perspectives in Glasgow!

#ICA2027#DigitalActivism#NetworkedActivism#SocialMovements#ActivismResearch