19 September 2009

ECREA Philosophy of Communication Conference 'Communication and Memory'

The ECREA Section for the Philosophy of Communication will host its second Landmarks conference, from 9-11 December 2009, at the University of London’s School of Advanced Study. Landmarks is the name of our bi-annual conference exploring current pathways of research and scholarship in the philosophy of communication. We aim to provide a platform for interdisciplinary discussion and engagement, spanning philosophy and communication studies broadly understood, and creating opportunities for established as well young scholars and researchers to present their work and their ideas.

The theme for Landmarks 2 is Communication and Memory. At all levels at which communication mediates, expresses or constructs relatedness, the function of memory – and with it forgetting and expecting - is present. Memory shapes presuppositions in communication as much as expectations. The temporality of personal existence and of consciousness is a prerequisite for communicative interaction. But communication processes have a formative influence on the content of individual and collective memories and of cultures and practices of remembrance as well – as indeed, according to some thinkers, on the performative constitution of temporality, seriality or iteration itself. At the same time, communication introduces a factor of change, or otherness - of mediation - in what is remembered or memorised. Thus the dialectics of memory and communication signals the interdependence of the immediate and the mediated. In personal, social, political, ideological and cultural practices and identities this dialectic plays a largely unexplored role.

Again, for hermeneutics, the process of understanding is essentially both mediated by memory, in the form of tradition, and by communication, in the form of dialogue – Mnemosyne is the mother of the muses. Memory, as conceptualised in traditions of thought as diverse as phenomenology and the philosophy of cognition, plays a central role in the understanding of thinking and thought processes.

With this conference we aim to explore the fundamental aspects of the relation between memory and communication, across a range of (philosophical) methods and disciplines. These include phenomenology, philosophy of culture, philosophy of language and cognition, metaphysics, critical theory, rhetoric and aesthetics, the history of philosophy, the new universalism and communication ethics.

Many aspects of the relation between communication and memory have not yet been investigated systematically; this conference aims to provide a map of the landscape. We hope to be able to bring together researchers from a wide range of backgrounds to collectively explore this area.

We seek to explore questions such as the following:

1. What role does communication play in rituals and cultures of remembrance?

2. What is the role of memory in the information society?

3. What is the difference between memory and remembrance and how do mediation practices play a role in this difference?

4. How can we conceptualise the relation between memory, remembrance and communication in various philosophical traditions and disciplines, including aesthetics and ethics?

5. What are the outlines of a (critical) theory conceptualising the interplay of memory and communication – including cultural practices, social and political practise, cognitive practices, information management practices etc.?

6. How can we understand the relationships between the mediation of memory and ideology formation, hegemony and power, reason, mythos and logos?

7. Is there a utopian dimension to memory, remembering and communication?

8. What are the outlines of a contemporary theory of rhetorical memoria and how do they relate to a descriptive and normative theory of communicative competence?

9. What is the role of communicating memory and of remembering in the constitution and dynamics of the subject and of intersubjectivity – e.g. in psychoanalysis or the philosophy of mind?

Key note speakers will be announced shortly.

Abstracts of 500 words maximum for a paper or poster presentation can be submitted to: papersubmission@philosophy-of-communication.eu, by 1 October 2009 at the latest.

The registration fee is £40; an on-line registration form will be available on the Section’s website from 1 September.

The conference is taking place in the beautiful buildings of the Institute of Germanic and Romance Studies, School of Advanced Study, University of London, on Russell Square in central London. Participation fee is TBC. A full programme, as well as information about accommodation and travel, will be made available in due course on the Section's website. A selection of conference papers will be published in the Section’s Journal, Empedocles – European Journal for the Philosophy of Communication.

3 comments:

subodh kumar said...

HOW Indigeneous Communication methods can MAke Mass movement for the Development activity for Natural resources.
By Subodh Kumar, Programme Specialist, Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (India), Junagadh Gujarat
Phone number- 9925239357
COMMUNICATION STRATEGY FOR DIFFERENT THEMES

Communication is a process of conveying message, motivating people, taking feedback and finally aims to bring behaviour and cognition change. It is success in creating a platform where like minded people come together and work towards a common purpose with collective action. It is also called participative communication. AKRSP (I) is working in Junagadh area on three entire different themes. So, it becomes essential to design different tools and techniques to address people and get appropriate participation and support for the development action.
The three themes are:
1. RIVER BASIN MANAGEMENT
2. GIR PERIPHERY AREA MANAGEMENT
3. SALINITY INGRESS PREVENTION
We design our communication strategy after looking at different target audience. There are different stakeholders for the different themes. Many times we have to work with farmers on river basin themes. Where as we have to work with the Siddi and Mladhari community in Gir Periphery Area Management. We are also working on Salinity Ingress Prevention issue with the community of the area.
Minutely looking in to the issue will reveal that our most of the programs aims to target women. Hence it aims to empower women (Economic participation, Income generating activity, using different sources of alternate and drinking water issue etc.)
Our stakeholders of the projects and programs are:
1. Women
2. Children
3. Farmers
4. Local bodies and associations
5. Local NGOs
6. Government
7. Other institutions; School, Panchayat and Anganwadi etc.

The main objective of the communication in the Salinity Ingress prevention theme is to increase the level of awareness about salinity ingression and its negative impact on livelihoods. Activities are aimed towards the community awareness, building on and bringing out the issue of the salinity and uses of water efficient devices, ground water recharge and to develop portable drinking water sources. The immediate objective is to create multiple sources of fresh water. And communication strategy is very important to fulfill the purpose.
AKRSP (I) aims to revive the Meghal river through better ground water management practices. The communication strategy is deigned in a participative way. Revival of Meghal River needs mass participation. Hence it needs mass mobilization for fulfilling the aim through village institutions and getting involvement of everyone. It is very important to focus on the roles and responsibility of all the stakeholders living in the Meghal River basin.
AKRSP (I) also works in the GIR periphery area mainly, with the Siddi and Maladhari community (Dependent community) and others (Affected community). The project aims to decrease direct and exploitative dependency on the GIR forest. Thus strategy aims to focus on the alternative sources of energy, importance of grass land and village common land for fodder management. We also focus on the financial exploitation of the Siddi community. Thus communication aims to bring awareness, take people for the development action and finally take control over the development process by the community.

Anonymous said...

i am shardul bhalgariya from maliya hatina and i am journalist . i read your comment on ecrea philosophy of communication conference communication and memory. you write about meghal progect i like this and i want to help for your project and give me information about your project. my email. shardulbhalgariya86@gmail.com and my mo no 9428050141

subodh kumar said...

What kind of help can you do? and please also give the detailds of the information you need.

regards
Subodh
9925239357