Good news for hard times
Abstract
In hard times, good news sound like actions of resistance. They are lights inside the tunnel that leads to the common good, carrying proposals for reducing inequalities, improving living conditions, democratizing access to information and knowledge. From this point of view, good news result of critical and inventive attitude, either revisiting the past, innovating the present or suggesting solutions to anticipate future problems.
Occasional or lasting, hard times are always the hostile environment in which life is, after all, to continue. They are the stony ground of totalitarian processes, of the lack of several features, of environmental damages not reversed, of the construction of barriers to frontiers crossing, of the financialization of urban life, of the depreciation of theoretical thinking, of the fight against diversity, of the threat to civil and human rights, of the intensification of violent conflict between social groups, of the prioritization of individual projects over collective ones and of public interest, among others.
Still, because they threaten our comfort zone pushing us into the unknown, hard times can encourage new searches and the confrontation of what we do not know yet. They can be the uncomfortable stimulus which generates new demands for research, resulting in overcoming processes and the formulation of possible solutions. Intending to broaden the debate on these issues, the thirteenth edition of V!RUS journal wants to gather articles that, in addition to characterizing such hard times, especially address potential solutions.
We seek studies and reflections, in the various disciplines, on the history or the present of projects and successful experiences in the acceptance of differences, uses and appropriation of public spaces for citizens, modes of improvement of urban mobility, socio-environmental initiatives in urban areas but also related to family farming and permaculture, reviews of the design of domestic spaces, results of affirmative actions and inclusive laws, renewal proposals in education and teaching both innovative as the method or the intended training, use of online social networks as an alternative to conventional means of communication, studies and proposals of political participation and active citizenship, cultural and artistic collective practices or artistic interventions aimed at social change, technological innovations that presuppose participatory processes or the recovery of traditional knowledge, among others.
We also welcome articles that reflect on possibilities of revision of the academia itself, discussing new research methods and their applications, rethinking traditional ways of research structuring, promoting the development of new theories or innovative reading of contemporary issues from classic theories, focusing on transdisciplinarity, colaborativity and community participation in knowledge production processes.
Are expected, therefore, works that address experimentation in music, architecture, urbanism, cinema, design, the performing and visual arts, environmental and social sciences and engineering, involving techniques and processes such as parametric thinking, digital fabrication, BIM platform appropriations, the exploration of visual and sound scenic effects, documentary use in urban readings and expressions, among others.
In addition to text and still images, we welcome musical pieces and testimonials in audio files, architectural, urban planning and design projects accompanied by critical reflection, photo essays, animations, videos and short films, gifs, slide shows, interviews, considering Nomads.usp's interest in exploring the potential use of digital media on the Internet for academic communication.
Contributions will be received IN ENGLISH, PORTUGUESE OR SPANISH on the journal website until August 22nd, 2016, according to the guidelines for authors, available at www.nomads.usp.br/virus/submissao_submission.php
IMPORTANT DATES
August 15th, 2016: deadline for receiving submissions
September 26th, 2016: sending acceptance information and adjustment requests to authors
October 17th, 2016: deadline for receiving requested adjustments
October 31st, 2016: deadline for receiving the paper translated version (English or Portuguese)
