IAMCR - International Association for Media and Communication Research

The Health Communication and Change Working Group of the IAMCR is calling for papers for the 2011 conference in Istanbul, Turkey, 13-17 July. The conference theme is ‘Cities, Connectivity & Creativity’.

The Health Communication and Change Working Group is a forum for critical thinking and examination of health communication theory and practice that moves thinking beyond behaviour change and toward social change. We encourage conceptual papers that focus on epistemology, theory and methodology in health communication.

The Working Group aims to enhance understandings of the role of media and communication in generating meanings about health issues and of the ways in which diverse audiences engage with and negotiate these. It also encourages the development of new insights as far as scope and focus of communication are concerned. The stream is open to a range of perspectives and research approaches that shed light on health communication practices and processes.

In addition to welcoming submissions on the conference theme we invite papers in but not limited to the following areas:

• Critical approaches to health communication theory and practice
• Ethical issues in health communication research and practice
• Health social movements
• Health resistance
• Health activism and health advocacy
• Communication in health care contexts
• Media representations of health and illness
• Media audiences and health communication
• Media and public health
• Internet health studies
• The communication dimensions of health policy

Joint session

The Health Communication and Change Working Group and the Communication and HIV/AIDS Working Group will also be hosting a joint session exploring communication and social change in the context of HIV/AIDS as a global health catastrophe. Responses to HIV/AIDS have raised questions about how we understand change within health communication interventions. In particular, questions remain in understanding processes of social and cultural change surrounding the epidemic. We invite papers from those engaging in research and practice that critically explore social and cultural change related to health, communication and HIV/AIDS.

The deadline for submission of abstracts is February 8, 2011.

Submissions of abstracts and full papers should be done online through the IAMCR’s Open Conference System (OCS). The OCS system will be available to receive abstract submissions from Wednesday December 1, 2010. Abstracts should be no more than 500 words and must include title, name(s), affiliation, institutional address and email address of author(s).

The results of peer reviews of submitted abstracts will be announced by Section and Working Group Heads by March 25, 2011. Full papers must be submitted online via the IAMCR-OCS by June 3, 2011.

For further information please consult the conference website or contact us directly:

Kind regards,

Marjan and Kate

Kate.Holland[AT]canberra.edu.au
marjan.debruin[AT]uwimona.edu.jm