Your CIOS file request: COMGRADS hotline item

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Received:  by CIOS Mailer; Thursday 5 Aug 1999 17:28:10
Date:          Thu, 5 Aug 99 17:18 -0400
To: "Multiple recipients of COMGRADS" 
From: "Lisa R. Barry" 
Subject:       Re: help! re: sex, media, and religion

Hi Paul:

The call appeared on H-Rhetor.  I've copied it below.

Lisa :-)

CALL FOR PROPOSALS: SEX, RELIGION & MEDIA ANTHOLOGY

Proposals are solicited for chapters for an anthology of social scientific,
historical and legal research on the nexuses of sex (behavior, attitudes,
identities, statuses, issues), U.S. religion, and the U.S. mass media (with
emphasis on news media).

"Sex and religion" topics of interest include:
1) Premarital sex
2) Extramarital sex
3) Homosexuality (gay marriage, gay clergy, gay parishioners, and so on)
4) Bisexuality (ditto)
5) Celibacy
6) Castration (remember the Heaven's Gate followers?)
7) Ritual male circumcision
8) Ritual female "circumcision"
9) Sexual relationships between church leaders/employees and parishioners
(adults and/or children)
10) Sexual behavior or relationships of Biblical figures and other persons
known primarily in a religious context (Last Temptation of Christ; Priest;
Jim Bakker; etc.)
AND MANY MORE (inquire if uncertain of your topic's appropriateness)

Sources of data/evidence or sites for analysis include:
1) Content of popular and/or religious media coverage of sex &
religion-related topics
2) Consumption of same
3) Production of same
4) Content of popular and/or religious media images/portrayals of sex &
religion-related topics
5) Consumption of same
6) Production of same

Disciplines, Theories and Methods
Chapters are particularly sought from scholars in mass communications,
speech communications, history, sociology, law, comparative religion,
political science, anthropology, American studies and other applicable
social scientific or interdisciplinary fields. Each chapter must fulfill the
goal of exploring the nexuses of sex, religion and media. Each chapter
should reflect, and identify, both applicable theories and research methods
used; is is planned that the book will be published by a university press,
and therefore each accepted chapter must be scholarly in nature and not
easily dismissed by reviewers as an "essay" or "journalistic treatment." No
limitations on theories employed are being set. Methods may include
quantitative and/or qualitative research, and it is expected that most of

the chapters will be based on content analysis, textual analysis, rhetorical
analysis, rigorous ethnography, historical research and/or legal research.

Background and Contact Information
A major university press has expressed interest in receiving a formal
proposal for this book. Although numerous books have been published on media
issues and religion, it is believed that this will be the first book devoted
to three-way nexus. Proposals are sought from scholars who have a variety of
backgrounds and express a wide variety of conclusions.
The book's editor is Dr. Dane S. Claussen, Assistant Professor of
Communication & Mass Media at Southwest Missouri State University, and
former editor and publisher of daily, weekly, biweekly and monthly
newspapers. He is the editor of, and a contributor to: Standing on the
Promises: The Promise Keepers and the Revival of Manhood (Cleveland: Pilgrim
Press; in press, 1999); and, The Promise Keepers: Essays on Masculinity and
Christianity (Jefferson, NC & London: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers;
in press, 1999). Each is an interdisciplinary book that presents a wide
variety of information, analysis and conclusions about PK: "pro," "con,"
"mixed" and "neutral."

Proposals (500-word maximum) should be submitted by Sept. 30, 1999, to:
Prof. Dane S. Claussen, PhD, MBA
Department of Communication & Mass Media
Southwest Missouri State University
901 S. National Avenue
Springfield, MO 65804
417-836-4156 (office, starting Aug. 16); 417-831-7705 (H);
dsclaussen@hotmail.com

Chapters for the book will be accepted from among the proposals immediately
after the due date of Sept. 30, and chosen contributors will be contacted
immediately with additional guidelines, a list of resources, and a due date
for manuscripts.

=======================================
"Discipline of mind and body is one of the most difficult things one has to
acquire, but in the long run it is a valuable ingredient of education and a
tremendous bulwark in time of trouble."
                                              --Eleanor Roosevelt
=======================================
Lisa R. Barry
Ph.D. Candidate (ABD)
Graduate Instructor
The Pennsylvania State University
234 Sparks Building
University Park, PA  16802
lrb7@psu.edu
http://www.personal.psu.edu/lrb7
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