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| Thanks to the Editors of Con/text. In the fine tradition started by our former FSD Chair, Carolyn Byerly, I would like to begin this column by thanking Chris Demaske and Rosa Mikeal, both of whom very graciously agreed to continue in their respective roles as content editor and production editor of Con/text as I stepped into the position as Chair of FSD. The transition from Vice Chair has been made that much easier knowing that I could rely upon the expertise and dedication of Chris and Rosa, ensuring that FSD continues to be able to produce an informative, useful and visually stunning newsletter. Thanks, too, to Radhika Gajjala for agreeing to stay on as head cyberdiva of the FSD website - I am very grateful! |
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| Thanks to our Immediate Past Chair. I’d like to take this opportunity to again thank Carolyn Byerly for all of her hard work and dedication to FSD over the past four years and in her capacity as Immediate Past Chair. Carolyn continues to be actively involved in the activities of FSD, most notably as Chair of our Awards Committee. Her experience, wisdom, tenacity, energy and good humour are all valuable assets to our Division (see below for Carolyn’s work on the Awards Committee). |
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| Thanks to FSD Members. I’d also like to thank FSD members for all of the support they have shown me over the past years - first, in electing me to serve as Vice Chair, then in my capacity in that position, and now as Chair. I feel very fortunate to have been chosen to represent the interests of the Division. Please do feel free to e-mail me (cartercl@cardiff.ac.uk) at any time if you have a question, problem or suggestion of any kind! |
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| "Communication Research in the Public Interest" and FSD. This year the theme of the ICA conference to be held in New Orleans is "communication research in the public interest". It is certainly an idea that is strongly linked to the underlying political principles and aims that have long been at the centre of feminist research - "research that has the potential to serve general human and democratic values". Over the years, feminist scholarship has made a significant contribution to the development of more critically informed media and communication research and has raised academic and public awareness around the ways in which the media and communication processes contribute to the construction and (re)production of gender inequalities in society. Moreover, as we have recently seen in relation to the war in Afghanistan and then Iraq, gender relations are often central to war and conflict. |
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| So far, our Vice Chair (Programme), Marian Meyers, has already managed to put together two theme panels that directly address the ways in which feminist scholarship is making important contributions to progressive social change around the world. Vicki Mayer has been working hard to put together a pre conference retreat for members that sounds like a lot of fun and a great opportunity for members to chat outside the sometimes stressful atmosphere of the conference (see Marian’s column in this newsletter for further details about the conference). Stresses aside (!), this coming year’s conference promises to be an exciting, engaging and lively one for feminist scholars and we do hope that you will be able to come to New Orleans! The last time I was in New Orleans was for an ICA conference in the late 1980s when I was a student so I’m looking forward to seeing it again, this time through the eyes of a now world weary, middle aged academic! |
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| Organising to Recognise Feminist Scholarship. At the FSD business meeting in San Diego last May, members agreed to strike the first ever official awards committee, to be lead by Immediate Past Chair, Carolyn Byerly. As Carolyn has so aptly said, "Feminist scholarship is vital to all branches of the communication discipline but feminist scholars have been rarely recognized by ICA at annual awards time. It's our job to try and change this." Having done her homework, Carolyn discovered in looking at the list of recipients of past year’s ICA scholarship awards that few were female, and even fewer came from outside the United States. Carolyn has also found that most of the award winners are scholars informed by traditional (quantitative) social science and that few scholars approaching their research using critical and interpretive (qualitative) methods have had their scholarship acknowledged by the ICA. To begin the task of addressing this "reality", Carolyn and other members of the FSD awards committee have been asked to identify feminist scholars whom they believe would be viable contenders for the award categories on offer, to discuss and agree upon names to put forward and do all of the work needed to support the candidacies. Thanks to all who have agreed to be on the committee and good luck to you in your work! |
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