Do you have a scholarly interest in social-networking practices? With a special focus on the RuNet? Do consider the below reminder - deadline: July 1 - of the call for papers for The Russian Cyberspace Journal, issue 2. The Russian Cyberspace Journal, of which this LJ is the blog pendant, is a peer-reviewed online journal, whose first journal has been avidly visited. In other words, thorough feedback and a wide audience would be guaranteed. Questions about the CfP are welcome here in the blog. - ERCALL FOR PAPERS - Deadline: 1 July, 2009TRCJournal, issue 2: 'From Comrades to Classmates: Social Networks on the Russian Internet' At the beginning of 2009, the Communist Party of the Russian Federation had approximately 150,00 members, while there were over 20 million users of odnoklassniki.ru, a social networking site for former "classmates." Russia's dominant political party, "United Russia," commands some 2 million members; however this pales in comparison to the 35 million active members of the popular networking platform Vkontakte.ru. While political activity in party organizations is certainly different from the spontaneous, informal, and often apolitical participation in social networks on the web, these comparisons demand inspection. Over the coming decade, sociologists predict a general shift from formal to informal organization of social groups and communities. Undoubtedly, this shift will be shaped by contemporary networking technologies. The Russian Cyberspace Journal, No 2, will examine the structure, taxonomy, function, and significance of social networks on the RuNet. What role do these new web-based forms of socializing play in contemporary Russia, particularly given the paradoxical stereotypes of Russian society as collectivistic on the one hand, and amorphous/apathetic on the other? Does social networking in Russia represent a cultural form specific to post-Soviet Russia, or is it a mere unreconstructed and uncritical adaptation of "Western" net practices?For 'From Comrades to Classmates', we seek contributions that approach social networks as a critical component of politics, society, culture, education, and economics. We are interested in exploring a number of questions, including: Have new social networks replicated and/or replaced Soviet traditions of social mobilisation? What is the role of social networks in maintaining Russia's regional integrity and binding together the widely-dispersed Russian- speaking diaspora? What can we learn about post-millennial everyday practices-dating, business associations, public relations-from the operation of Russian social networks?For more information, including guidelines and contact information, please visit the CfP link on our website.