The Society for Phenomenology and Media will hold its 8th annual international conference, February 23-25, at the National University campus in La Jolla. Distinguished faculty from 11 countries and 10 states will present papers on topics related to philosophical and literary inquiry into media and communications.
"The society has broadened its interests in recent years," said Prof. Paul Majkut, the conference host. "The society now accepts approaches outside of phenomenological methodology and has extended its areas of interest beyond media and communications."
Existential phenomenology, among the most influential philosophical movements of the twentieth century, is today experiencing renewed growth and influence because of recent expansion of its principles into cognitive science, political philosophy, and ethics. Over 100 scholarly societies are devoted to phenomenological and existential research worldwide. The Society for Phenomenology and Media is one of the largest and most active.
Past conferences have been sponsored by leading universities throughout the world, including the Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Mexico, Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland, the University of Jyväskylä, Finland, Universidad del Salvador in Argentina, Brigham Young University and the University of Western Oregon.
The society conference, returning to National University after a four years, will be keynoted by Dr. Julia Iribarne of the National Academy of Sciences of Argentina. Dr. Iribarne, a leading international existential philosopher, will speak on responsibility and media in the thought of Jean-Paul Sartre.
Papers to be presented reflect a wide range of interests. Along with traditional papers dealing with philosophical, literary, and media questions, this year's conference will include papers that reveal the breadth of current international concerns that involve communication in a broader context, among them, the following:
* Jari Rantapelkonen of the National Defense College of Finland will speak on "Colin Powell's WMD Slide Show."
* Hung-Chang Liao of Chun-Shan Medical University in Taiwan will speak on "Nursing Ethics in the SARS Crisis of Taiwan."
* Mélanie Bourdaa of the University of Bordeaux, France, will speak on "Interactivity in French Television Programming."
* Ayten Gorgun of Kadir Has University, Istanbul, Turkey will speak on "Anti-Americanism in Turkish Media."
* Joseph Bebe of the University of Yaounde I, Cameroon will speak on "The New Media, Globalization and the Political Culture in Cameroon Today."
The dean of the College of Letters and Sciences, Dr. Alice Scharper, believes the conference is an indication of the National University's commitment to a high level of scholarly research.
"Sponsorship of this conference by the College puts the university on the international intellectual map," she said. "We are privileged to have such outstanding scholars visit our campus and discuss important theoretical and practical matters."
