http://www.scils.rutgers.edu/rutechworkshop.html

Workshop December 12 & 13, 1999, and edited book


Perpetual Contact: Mobile communication, private talk, and public performance

Profs. James Katz and Mark Aakhus are pleased to announce a workshop sponsored by the Department of Communication, Rutgers University.

The workshop, which will lead to an edited book, will be held on December 12 &13, 1999 on the Rutgers campus in New Brunswick New Jersey, USA.


Purpose

Schedule

 Participants

Contact

Topics

 Author Instructions

E-mail list

Lodging & Helpful Information

Communication Department

 Rutgers & Maps



Purpose
 

The spread of mobile communication, most obtrusively as cell phones, is dramatically affecting people's lives and relationships.  For many, the consequences of mobile communication dwarfs that of the Internet.  Yet, despite billions of dollars and hours spent on mobile communication, there is but slight academic interest from the social scientific community.  Our goal is to foster and formalize social scientific insight on the major change mobile communication is precipitating in the way people conduct their lives and relationships. Our workshop presents an opportunity for leading scholars to meet and discuss common interests and the latest research findings on this major change.  To record the event, and to stimulate further investigation, the papers from the workshop will be assembled into an edited volume.

Mobile communication technologies are already modifying well established communication patterns, amplifying and substituting for them. Indeed, even creative and unanticipated uses are proliferating, with consequences for the pace and content of all walks of life.  There has been a rapid and continuing merging of formerly separate modalities of mediated communication.  These include the Internet, the telephone, portable computers, personal digital assistants, radio broadcasting, wireless and infrared technologies, and, traditionally, paper.  The social consequences of this convergence of technologies will also be explored in the workshop and book.

The workshop and edited book will explore how personal communication technologies are:

  • Changing the way people live, act, and relate. 
  • Altering social relationships both within the friendship circle and family as well as the work and professional environments. 
  • Affecting those in the ambient social and physical environment of the user. 

The workshop will be devoted primarily to critiquing papers already written. Hence workshop participants should have their paper completed at least three weeks in advance of the workshop so that other attendees will have an opportunity to read and think about the analysis and data. 


Schedule
 

Activity 

Date

Submit Workshop Papers for review

November 30, 1999

Workshop

December 12 & 13, 1999 

Deadline for submission of revised book contributions (note extension).

January 31, 2000

Anticipated publication date

July, 2000


Topics
 

Topics include but are not limited to the following:

 

  • Where is public space?: The consequences of personal communication technology for the spaces where we live and interact. 
  • The magnitude and extent of personal communication technology use and social change. 
  • Cultural variation around the world in the use of personal communication technology. 
  • Where does informal political discussion happen? 
  • The evolution of personal communication devices. 
  • Cross-media comparisons. 
  • The micro-coordination of everyday life: personal communication devices and the structure/substance of interaction. 
  • Micro-control of manners & norms: Inventing the use of personal communication technology to manage technical limitations and social boundaries. 
  • Technology as fashion: The presentation of self through gadgets. 
  • Embodying technology: Non-verbal communication in the use of mobile communication technology 
  • Friends, strangers, and colleagues: What is the relational meaning of personal communication technology use? 


Contact organizers/editors
 

James E. Katz, Ph.D.

Professor 

Department of Communication

School of Communication, Information, and Library Studies

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

4 Huntington Street

New Brunswick, NJ 08901-1071

Office, TAM, fax: 732.932.7168

jimkatz@scils.rutgers.edu

Mark Aakhus, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor 

Department of Communication

School of Communication, Information, and Library Studies

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

4 Huntington Street

New Brunswick, NJ 08901-1071

Office: 732.932.8826/8563 

Fax: 732.932.6916

aakhus@scils.rutgers.edu

E-mailing List
 

To join our e-mailing list:

 

  1. Send message to: Majordomo@scils.rutgers.edu
  2. In body of message type: subscribe rutechworkshop
  3. To contribute send messages to: rutechworkshop@scils.rutgers.edu 

Current List of Workshop Participants (as of November 22, 1999).
 

Emanuel Schegloff 
UCLA 
USA

Richard Ling 
Telenor
Norway

Enid Mante
KPN
Netherlands

Christian Licoppe
CNET 
France

Leopoldina Fortunati
University of Trieste
Italy

Steve Duck
University of Iowa
USA 

Dawn Nafus
Oxford University
UK

Karina Tracey*
British Telecom
UK

Valentin Varbanov 
H&B Ingenering 
Bulgaria 

Shin Dong Kim 
Hallym University 
Republic of Korea 

Georg Strøm*
Ericsson
Denmark

Ken Gergen*
Swarthmore College
USA

Akiba Cohen
Tel Aviv University
Israel

Amit Schejter
Tel Aviv University
Israel

Nicola Green
Digital World Research Centre, University of Surrey
UK

Sheizaf Rafaeli
University of Haifa
Israel

Kathleen Robbins
Cellular One
USA

James Rule
State University of New York (SUNY), Stony Brook
USA

Jorge Quitegui
Direccion Planeamiento Estratigico, uniFON
Argentina

Chantal de Gournay
CNET
France

Jean-Philippe Heurtin
CNET
France

Jenny Mandelbaum
Rutgers University
USA

Ronald E. Rice
Rutgers
USA

Hartmut Mokros 
Rutgers
USA

Mark Aakhus
Rutgers
USA

James E. Katz
Rutgers
USA

* will contribute to edited volume but will not be at workshop.

Author Instructions
 

Please send immediately:

  • Paper Title
  • Abstract (100-150 words)
  • A brief biographical statement
  • Your coordinates (name, title, address, e-mail,web address, and phone/fax number)

Please send by November 30:
 

  • 6,000-7,000 word paper addressing the conference call:

Perpetual Contact: 

Mobile Communication, Private Talk, and Public Performance

  • Write the paper using the style of the American Psychological Association (Guides to APA style  and  citing on-line sources ).
  • Direct quotes of 15 or more words taken from previously published sources may require permission from the copyright owner.
  • Send in electronic format to aakhus@scils.rutgers.edu. Microsoft Word (.doc) format is preferred but rich text files (.rtf) are acceptable.

Lodging & Helpful Information
 


Workshop SiteThe workshop will be held at the University Inn & Conference Center.  There is a block of rooms set aside for workshop participants to rent.

Rutgers: There are three campuses in the Rutgers University system. The Workshop Site is located on the main campus in New Brunswick, NJ.

Airport The most convenient airport is Newark International Airport.  It is about 25-35 minutes from the Rutgers New Brunswick Campus.

Weather: Our weather will be transitioning from fall to winter while you are here.   So, you will miss the beauty of fall but you will avoid the extremes of our winter weather.  For the lastest information, you can check the site given here.  You can expect the low temperatures to be near freezing (32 F/0 C) and the high temperatures to be temperate but cool (45 F/6 C).  We do recommend an umbrella and warm coat.

New JerseyRutgers University is located in the "Garden State" also known as New Jersey, USA.