The recent ICA conference in San Francisco witnessed the formal creation of a new ICA Interest Group: The Communication History Interest Group. In keeping with the bylaws of ICA, and in response to petitions from scholars around the world, the Communication History Interest Group held its first business meeting in San Francisco, and will begin programming sessions and other special events for ICA '08 in Montreal.
This Communication History Interest Group is dedicated to the use of historical methods in the study of communication. Of course, history is one of the most well-established themes in the study of communication.
The notion of 'communication history,' as pursued in this interest group, pulls together no fewer than three major areas of research:
I) The History of Communication, including Media History.
This branch of communication history involves research that concerns itself with issues in the history of communication praxis. What is commonly called media history will be a major component of this area in communication history.
II) The History of the Idea of Communication.
Scholars who address this issue take on one of the fundamental task of understanding how communication has been conceptualized, as well as how and why these conceptualizations have changed over time.
III) The History of the Field of Communication.
This subfield in communication history provides a home to those who ask questions about how the study of communication has developed. Much as other social sciences (including psychology, sociology, anthropology, and economics) benefit from subfields that address their own histories, the history of the field of communication allows us to engage in a dialogue concerning the ideas and structures that have shaped the study of communication.
Membership in the Communication History Interest Group will be available to all members of ICA. Simply look for the relevant box to check when renewing your ICA membership.
Anyone who would like more information concerning the Communication History Interest Group should contact the acting chair of the Interest Group, David Park of Lake Forest College (park@lakeforest.edu). Information about the Interest Group can also be obtained from the Interest Group's website: http://www.communicationhistory.org/.
The Communication History Interest Group will be holding its first election, and encourages ICA members to nominate individuals who could serve the Interest Group in the positions of chair, vice-chair, and secretary.
