The official registration and information web site for the 58th Annual ICA Conference, "Communicating for Social Impact" (to be held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada), has been activated. Anyone wishing to get more information regarding the conference or to register can find what they are looking for at http://www.icahdq.org/conferences/2008/2008confinfo.asp.
The conference will take place from May 22 - 26, 2008, and eight preconference sessions take place on the 21st and 22nd. Four excursions are also planned throughout the conference that will offer participants several fun ways to become acquainted the beautiful city of Montreal!
Throughout the 5-day conference, an estimated 2,200 scholars will attend over 425 presentations representing the latest advances in the field of communication. The conference will be large, diverse, and high in quality across the board. The conference theme, "Communicating for Social Impact," received a tremendous response. The conference will reflect both the attention to the development and publicizing of communication research that assists different nations, NGOs, community organizations, and other institutions in identifying and combating social problems, and that addresses challenges to the meaningfulness of our work and its translation into venues where the people who need this research can access it. Rather than one or two major plenary sessions, this year's conference will highlight three or four special sessions in each plenary time slot. Among those will be panels by ICA Fellows featuring the work of recently selected fellows.
Division-sponsored panels of particular interest include the ERIC's panel "Changing Networks: New Methodologies in Media and Cultural Diversity Research," addressing the growing complexity in diasporic and migrant connections that are related to different appropriations and forms of engagement with space, political and geographical boundaries and technology, bringing with it new methodological challenges. One of ICA's newest special interest groups, Communication History, presents the panel "Communication and the Postwar Experience Abstract," which will explore history as an enduring theme in communication research and will demonstrate that 'history' can mean many things in the study of communication.
An outstanding lineup of preconference workshops will address "The Long History of New Media," "Mediating Global Citizenship," "What is an Organization? Materiality, Agency, and Discourse," "The Global and Globalizing Dimensions of Mobile Communication," "Remapping Public Media," "Communication and Social Change," "Analyzing Media Industries and Media Production," and "Bridging Scholar/Activist Divides in the Field of Communication."
Several excursion tours will also be available: a Montreal Discovery Tour by motorcoach, a St. Lawrence River Cruise, a Cycling Tour, and a couple of walking tours through Old Montreal. Discover this city's many facets on a City Tour specially designed with you in mind. You will be fascinated while visiting Mount Royal ("the mountain," to the locals), which towers above the city and region. Its main summit is the Mount Royal Park with lookouts offering an unequalled view of downtown and the St. Lawrence River. Mounted Montreal police officers patrol this distinctive park. Set between Mount Royal and Old Montreal, the downtown sector blends a rich historical past, a dynamic recent period and a future that promises to keep Montreal in the forefront of internationally acclaimed cities. St. Catherine Street, the city's main shopping artery with the elegance of its boutiques, department stores, and shopping complexes, clearly attests to Montreal's reputation as a fashion capital. Old Montreal offers one of North America's most remarkable architectural ensembles with one of the greatest concentration of 17th-, 18th-, and 19th-century buildings. You will discover the rich cultural heritage held within this 100-acre jewel. Old Montreal is definitely a favorite with visitors, bustling with activity morning, noon and night.
The Bateau-Mouche is an amazing incursion in Montreal's history, a very special way to locate the sites of this modern, festive, and creative city that you will then want to visit. Let yourself be guided to activities that create life in a city which is like a small European oasis in the hearth of America. You will be amazed by these moments that will dazzle you and the anecdotes will bring a smile to your face during this excursion on the majestic St. Lawrence River.
A workout and a visit of Montreal - there is no better way to get to know the city! Montreal has over 350 km of biking and roller-blading trails that surround the city. Take a scenic route down the Lachine Canal or visit the Old Port and experience first hand why Bicycling magazine rates it as the "number one cycling city in North America."
As you can see there will be plenty to do at this year's conference. We hope to see you there!
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