Call for Papers
of the Psychology and Public Opinion Section for the Sessions at the
IAMCR
Conference in Porto Allegre, 25.-30. th of July, 2004.
The
Psychology and Public Opinion Section plans three types of
sessions at
the Porto-Allegre-Conference of IAMCR in July 2004. The following text
describes them shortly:
·
First,
there is planned a series of thematically open sessions devoted
to papers which refer in general to the research area of the section,
“psychology and public opinion”, and which are occupied with the
central
conference theme “Communication and Democracy: Perspectives for a New
World”.
Here, a lot of topics will have a place, and we hope to get a variety
of
interesting papers.
·
Second,
the section will organize some sessions about “Erving Goffman and
the
Media”.
Erving Goffmann today is seen as one of the modern classics of
Sociology and
Interaction theory. He created a microsociological view on interaction
and
communication, which is far from “transport of information”. Instead,
an
understanding of interaction as a process, the definition of the
situation,
constructed by all participants as a frame for communication, the
balance of
identity between the own idea and the view from outside and topics like
this
have been his central concern.
Goffmans perspective on interaction and communication was fruitful, not
only
for interpersonal, but also for media related communication. E.g.
Joshual
Meyrowitz referred to him to understand “situation” as an information
system
and to show empirically, how situations are changing if media become
part of
it. Other researchers referred to the frame concept to analyze the
developing
forms of communication in the socalled Cyberspace. Again others used
his
methodological example and his microsociological ideas to describe the
changing
character of public places by media. Others used Goffmans ideas to
discuss
advertisement, the changing stereotypes of gender roles, the role of
institutions for communicative behaviour and so on.
But Goffmans work contains much more what could be of interest for
communication research. His methods are not finally understood, his
interaction
theory is only in part adapted to describe media communication and a
lot of
further questions are open.
Because of this, the Section plans some sessions to discuss his work in
relation to media communication and thus calls for papers on this
topic.
·
Third,
the Section intends to make a session about the effect of public
opinion
polls in political issues on public opinion and on governments policy
by the
publication of results in the media: Recent examples show that
asking
specific questions, offering only specific possible answers and
presenting the
results in the media may be an instrument to influence government
policy and
public opinion. The Section expect research papers on that.
Answers to
this call should consist in an English abstract of one page about the
planned
presentation, the title of the presentation, name, address and details
of
affiliation of the sender. Deadline will be the 14th of
February,
2004.
Proposals
will be reviewed by the two heads of section and by further
specialists, named
by the heads. All authors get an answer not later than at 30th
of
April, 2004.
If a
proposal is accepted, the sender must fulfil two things. First, she or
he must
send a full paper until July, 15th. Second, she or he must
registrate her- or himself for participation in the Congress. This is
possible
at www.pucrs.br/famecos/iamcr.
All
abstracts (and later all full papers) should be sent by e-mail to the
local
organizers of the conference, (jacqalwa /at/ pucrs.br)
and in addition to the Section heads (friedrich.krotz /at/ uni-erfurt.de)
and (hnossek /at/ colman.ac.il)
