Divisional Status for Communication History
At its meeting in London on 17 June 2013, the ICA Board approved the motion that recognised Communication History as a Division of the Association. The Communication History Interest Group was founded in 2008, and its membership has been growing so that we were able to meet the criterion for Divisional status by having more than 200 members for three consecutive years.
We are interested in all kinds of history of all kinds of communication, including:
I) the History of Communication, including Media History: research that concerns itself with issues in the history of communication praxis;
II) the History of the Idea of Communication, addressing the fundamental task of understanding how communication has been conceptualized, as well as how and why these conceptualizations have changed over time; and
III) the History of the Field of Communication: providing a home to those who ask questions about how the study of communication has developed and creating a space in which we can engage in a reflexive dialogue concerning the strengths and weaknesses of the institution of communication studies.
Our sessions at the ICA conference are always eclectic, inclusive and stimulating; and our pre-conference this year, "New Histories of Communication Study," was groundbreaking in the many new topics and approaches it offered for debate.
What I would emphasise here, though, is that we are also a very friendly group: For example, in London we held the first Communication History Family Breakfast for all members and any of their family who might be travelling with them. Please do consider joining us when you renew your ICA subscription: all are welcome!