Intergroup Interest Group

The Intergroup Interest Group has resurrected its website and members are invited to check it out: http://igrp.icahdq.org/ohana/website/index.cfm?p=65935565. Relatedly, we encourage intergroup members to send in news of their recent publications, intergroup courses being taught, and other news of interest to the unit (to HowieGiles@cox.net). This year our Call for Papers for the upcoming ICA Conference lends itself only to extended abstracts - and we shall monitor how successful this mechanism is for subsequent years. In addition, we are seeking submissions for ICA Seattle for a panel on the topic of "contested identities" framed in the following way. Identities, variously related to differential power, sexual orientations, nationhood, and organizations and so forth, have been "contested" to the extent that they are social constructions, debated, and hotly-disputed by interested parties. Identities are an integral part of who people are and their social influence, yet people may contest their legitimacy and their markers and even find them threatening. For example, in many countries there are debates about who may claim membership of minority groups and in the workplace groups can contest who has the legitimacy to undertake particular roles. These contest discourses are integral to, yet under-theorized in, the study of intergroup communication. One aim of this session is to determine if we can carve out a new or better refined theoretical perspective on what has become ubiquitous phenomena this century, and one that could potentially trigger a special journal issue or edited volume.

Journalism Studies Division

The 2014 Seattle conference will mark ten years of Journalism Studies at ICA. This is a time to reflect on the progress in journalism research and to speculate about its future. To this end, we are giving special attention to anniversary themed panels. To propose an anniversary themed panel, please title your panel proposal as: "10 Years of Journalism Studies at ICA: [Your Panel Topic]." Ideas include panels addressing the state of research in a particular area within journalism studies, panels proposing an agenda for future research, and panels marking the contributions of particular scholars to our understanding of the field. Other ideas are welcome.

Of course we still welcome proposals for panels that address other, non-anniversary topics and themes too. Note, however, that very few panel proposals can be accepted. That means every panel must provide exceptional added value. Besides topicality and substance, international composition is another strong point of successful panel submissions for both anniversary and non-anniversary panels. Consider, too, the number of panelists you propose to include. It is difficult to have a successful panel with more than five participants or presentations. Panel proposals must provide all the information required by the All Academic template, including a rationale for the panel and individual abstracts from each participant.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Matt Carlson mcarls10@slu.edu or Stephanie Craft scraft@illinois.edu.