International Conference Identity and Intercultural Communication

Transcription

1 International Conference Identity and Intercultural Communication Bucharest, Romania, September 26-27, 2011 *** Centrul de Cercetare în Comunicare Institut de la Communication Cox International Center SNSPA Université Lyon2 University of Georgia în colaborare cu Romanian-U.S. Fulbright Commission This conference aims to address issues such as the role of media in creating and enhancing local, regional, national, or transnational identities based on cultural, ethnic, and racial relationships, and the impact of the new communication technologies on the identity and strategies of professional organizations. Based on this perspective of intercultural communication, we are interested in what are the entities that are involved in the dialog, the dynamics of multicultural environment and the social discourses, and the changes in the construction of self-identity in the relationship with the Other. 1

2 Sections Identity Meeting Otherness The question of identity can represent the object of different approaches: that of sociology (social and/or professional identities), anthropology (behaviours, rituals, ways of life), political science (identity trough institutional structures). The present work about identity takes place in the general framework of intercultural communication and gives the concept of communication its entire disciplinary importance, referring to those works that structure communication as scientific knowledge. Specifically, the question is here to understand the possible relationships among communication, culture and identity during the encounter with Otherness. The representation of Otherness is mostly developed by the media discourse. Included in logics of expression of our own identity, our media provides us specific definitions of the difference to the Other, inside a dynamic news discourse. Some specific situations develop today professional practices of intercultural communication, which contribute to the definition of identity: geographical mobility, cohabitation (personnel, communities ), cooperation between organisations in an international context. We often speak of the ideological dimension of culture. On the one hand, this dimension can create, in an intercultural context, a specific connection between identity and commitment. On the other hand, it can contribute in certain cases to specific strategies of argumentation or persuasion, according to hierarchy of values or assimilation logics. From this perspective of intercultural communication, we focus here particularly on identities in dialogue, on dynamics governing transformations and on expressions of identities in different processes of discovering the Other. This section will cover themes including: - Representation of Otherness (the figure of the foreigner, of the difference, of those who make a different political choice or belong to another religion ) in different types of media discourse and the articulation between our own identity and those representations. 2

3 - Forms of institutional management of Otherness: in the legislation of different countries, in the internal structure of organizations, during implementation of multi-actors projects - Communicational situations staging identity or otherness of different belonging or reference groups: diaspora, social networks, professional communities, adherents to a cause, to a party The New Technologies and the Communication Professionals Identities The sharp downturn in the world economy, the collapse of the economic model for media industries in the country, and the strong impact of new communication technologies at the end of first decade of the new century has had a dramatic impact on the media job market and on the professional communicators status. The turmoil was not limited to the entry-level segment of the job market. An estimated 5,900 full-time jobs were cut in U.S. newspaper newsrooms in both 2008 and 2009 (Project for Excellence in Journalism, 2009, 2010). Television, radio and news magazines also trimmed their staffs, often by eliminating positions at the top. Many of those journalists continued to practice their occupation by setting up their own web operations or joining others in doing the same. If successful, these activities mean that journalism no longer will be the province only of those working at or for established media companies. Perhaps what is more important, the journalists continuing to work at the established media and those who have gone out on their own have found themselves in competition with another group of individuals, often labeled citizen journalists. The terminology is important, for it suggests a transformation and deprofessionalization of the journalistic occupation itself. Given the uncertainty of the financial models for the old journalistic organizations and for the start-up companies being formed by former journalists, it is even possible to question whether journalism will remain an occupation. The competition of the professional journalist with the citizen journalist raises questions anew about the relationship between journalism and citizens. The turmoil has affected other communication occupations as well. The easy access of amateurs to the tools of graphic design, data bases needed for sales, and the distribution capabilities of the web also mean that everyone can become an advertising or public relations professional. 3

4 Any deprofessionalization of an occupation raises questions about the necessity for and components of the educational paths that lead to it. This section calls for papers that focus on issues such as: - What (de)legitimizes professional communicators - What is the status of citizen journalists and community journalists - How the new technologies address diversity issues - How the new technologies have impacted journalism and mass communication education The Role of the European Public Sphere in the Configuration of a Transnational Identity The concept of European identity was launched at the European Community summit in Copenhagen, in 1973, soon after the first enlargement, as a counterpart to the lack of identity visible in the interpretative framework existent at the time. The Declaration on European identity also known as The Declaration on Copenhagen, signed by the then nine European Community member states, marks a period of constant academic inquiry about the new concept. The debates on the European identity are nowadays focused on two main directions. On the one hand, many scholars agree that European identity is rather a theoretical construct, a form lacking content, an empty shell, a desired ideal, far away from being accomplished. On the other hand some scholars argue that European identity is a well established presence, a new layer of one s identity, just as real as the national identity. A lot of research has been done with regards to the possible construction of a European public sphere, and a common European agenda, within which the European identity is constantly questioned and analyzed. In this context, the Europeanization of national public spheres and of national media raises the problem of a fragmented and rather inconsistent identity. The role played by the media in the Europeanization process and in the construction of a European public sphere is another rich field of constant academic attention. This panel calls for papers focused on both theoretical and empirical research discussing several issues related to the European identity: - European identity and intercultural communication - European identity in the media 4

5 - Cultural integration and cultural identity - American Perspectives on the Dynamics of the European Union - European public sphere - Europeanization and the media - National identity vs. European identity - Comparative Analyses of US and European Media Systems - Setting the agenda about the European Union Any other related topics are welcome. Keynote speaker Hans-Jörg Trenz ARENA Center for European Studies, Norway Bio here: Scientific Committee Alina Bârgăoanu National School of Political Studies and Public Administration, Romania Claudine Carluer Université Stendhal Grenoble, France Dominique Desjeux Université Paris Descartes, France Dorina GuŃu Romanian-U.S. Fulbright Commission, Romania Jisu Huh University of Minnesota, USA Adrian Lesenciuc "Henri Coanda" Air Force Academy, Romania Mira Moshe Ariel University Center of Samaria, Israel Remus Pricopie National School of Political Studies and Public Administration, Romania Klaus Schönbach University of Vienna Andrea Semprini Univ. Lyon 2, France Jean-Claude Soulages Univ. Lyon 2, France Claes De Vreese University of Amsterdam, Nederland David Weaver Indiana University, USA 5

6 Important Deadlines May 25, 2011: abstract submission; June 10, 2011: abstract acceptance (notification of authors); July 30, 2011: full paper submission; Abstracts The abstracts (max. 500 words followed by 3-5 keywords) will be submitted for review in electronic MS Word format. Please provide the full names, affiliations, mailing addresses, telephone and fax numbers, and addresses of all authors, indicating the contact author. There will be accepted only one paper for each participant as a first author. Abstracts will be submitted online to the following address: iic-conference-2011@univ-lyon2.fr. The official languages of the conference are English and French. The authors will receive confirmation via . Selected papers will be published, after the conference, in the conference volume. To this end, full papers will be re-submitted to peer-review process. Guidelines All manuscripts submitted must follow the most recent version of the APA style guide (American Psychological Association Publication Manual). Conference fee Conference fee is 100 euro / participant. For PhD and MA candidates the conference fee is 50 euro / participant. Information and contacts Further information and updates regarding conference venue, registration, conference program, and accommodation details will be avilable in due time on the conference website: 6

7 Organizing Committee Lee B. Becker, University of Georgia Nicoleta Corbu, National School of Political Studies and Public Administration Mihai Moroiu, Romanian-U.S. Fulbright Commission Dana Popescu Jourdy, Université Lyon2 Tudor Vlad, University of Georgia Contact Conference 7