Hi Everyone, Just a note that nominations are being accepted for three International Communication Association prizes (which we created last year). CITASA's own Barry Wellman received the first Communication Research as an Open Field award. Nominations have to come from ICA members, but there are no restrictions on nominees. See http://www.icahdq.org/aboutica/awards.asp for more details. Any help spreading the word would be welcome. The deadline is Jan 31, with prizes awarded at ICA in May. Happy New Year to you, Joe Joe Karaganis SSRC COMMUNICATION RESEARCH AS COLLABORATIVE PRACTICE The CRCP prize is awarded to researchers who engage in innovative forms of collaboration to address emergent problems in media and communication. It is designed to encourage collaborative communications research combining the efforts of researchers, practitioners, and other interested parties in the production of new knowledge. Collaboration that falls outside the usual incentive structures of the academy and that overcomes risks associated with building new kinds of partnerships will be a focus of this reward. The award carries a cash prize of $500. COMMUNICATION RESEARCH AS AN AGENT OF CHANGE The CRAC prize of $500 is awarded to research that has a demonstrable impact on practice outside the academy, with clear benefits to the community. How communication research may serve as an agent of change and social benefit is open to definition with the application for the award. COMMUNICATION RESEARCH AS AN OPEN FIELD The CROF prize of $500 is awarded to researchers who have made important contributions to the field of communications from outside the discipline of communications. It rewards and supports dialogue with other fields and institutional locations in which vital new understandings of the communications environment and the public sphere are being produced.

Thanks Joe for announcing. The award I got was interesting. I call it The Marginal Man (sic) Award. Officially, it is for a researcher who has "made important contributions to the field of communications from outside the discipline of communications." There are no fixed criteria, but obviously someone in Comm Sci who was trained in Comm Sci is not eligible. The committee will debate whether someone such as Manuel Castells (trained in Sociology, employed at Annenberg Comm, USC) or Elihu Katz (trained in Sociology employed at Annenberg Comm, U Penna) is eligible. These are just examples -- don't read much into me. Of course, the winner doesn't have to be a sociologist. People have suggested to me Larry Lessig, Lee Rainie, Howard Rheingold -- altho I haven't seen the formal nomination letters -- not due for some weeks. Although nominations should be sent to ICA headquarters (nice letters + CV), you should know that I'm on the selection committee, altho I declined the honour of being chair. (Having already accepted the honour of co-chairing the CITASA Career Award committee). I've retained the Governor of Illinois as my consultant on the selection process;-) Barry Wellman _______________________________________________________________________ S.D. Clark Professor of Sociology, FRSC NetLab Director Department of Sociology University of Toronto 725 Spadina Avenue, Room 388 Toronto Canada M5S 2J4 http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~wellman fax:+1-416-978-3963 Updating history: http://chass.utoronto.ca/oldnew/cybertimes.php _______________________________________________________________________ On Wed, 7 Jan 2009, Joe Karaganis wrote: > Date: Wed, 7 Jan 2009 14:57:25 -0500 > From: Joe Karaganis <karaganis@ssrc.org> > To: citasa@list.citasa.org > Subject: [CITASA] CRCP, CRAC, CROF > > Hi Everyone, > > > > Just a note that nominations are being accepted for three International > Communication Association prizes (which we created last year). > CITASA's own Barry Wellman received the first Communication Research as > an Open Field award. > > > > Nominations have to come from ICA members, but there are no restrictions > on nominees. See http://www.icahdq.org/aboutica/awards.asp for more > details. Any help spreading the word would be welcome. > > > > The deadline is Jan 31, with prizes awarded at ICA in May. > > > > Happy New Year to you, > > > > Joe > > > > Joe Karaganis > > SSRC > > > > > > > > COMMUNICATION RESEARCH AS COLLABORATIVE PRACTICE > > The CRCP prize is awarded to researchers who engage in innovative forms > of collaboration to address emergent problems in media and > communication. It is designed to encourage collaborative communications > research combining the efforts of researchers, practitioners, and other > interested parties in the production of new knowledge. > > Collaboration that falls outside the usual incentive structures of the > academy and that overcomes risks associated with building new kinds of > partnerships will be a focus of this reward. The award carries a cash > prize of $500. > > > > COMMUNICATION RESEARCH AS AN AGENT OF CHANGE > > The CRAC prize of $500 is awarded to research that has a demonstrable > impact on practice outside the academy, with clear benefits to the > community. How communication research may serve as an agent of change > and social benefit is open to definition with the application for the > award. > > > > COMMUNICATION RESEARCH AS AN OPEN FIELD > > The CROF prize of $500 is awarded to researchers who have made important > contributions to the field of communications from outside the discipline > of communications. It rewards and supports dialogue with other fields > and institutional locations in which vital new understandings of the > communications environment and the public sphere are being produced. > > > >

I thought of it more as the 'What is the Field? Award'--or, more narrowly, the 'What is the Discipline in Relation to the Field? Award.' Not a trivial question for a discipline-based professional association to ask, as we discovered last year. Minor addendum: the nomination process is online only ( http://www.icahdq.org/cfp ). I am guessing that snail mail submissions will be frowned on. J On 1/7/09 9:27 PM, "Barry Wellman" <wellman@chass.utoronto.ca> wrote: > Thanks Joe for announcing. > > The award I got was interesting. I call it The Marginal Man (sic) Award. > Officially, it is for a researcher who has "made important contributions > to the field of communications from outside the discipline of > communications." > > There are no fixed criteria, but obviously someone in > Comm Sci who was trained in Comm Sci is not eligible. > > The committee will debate whether someone such as Manuel Castells (trained > in Sociology, employed at Annenberg Comm, USC) or Elihu Katz (trained in > Sociology employed at Annenberg Comm, U Penna) is eligible. These are just > examples -- don't read much into me. > > Of course, the winner doesn't have to be a sociologist. People have > suggested to me Larry Lessig, Lee Rainie, Howard Rheingold -- altho I > haven't seen the formal nomination letters -- not due for some weeks. > > Although nominations should be sent to ICA headquarters (nice letters + > CV), you should know that I'm on the selection committee, altho I declined > the honour of being chair. (Having already accepted the honour of > co-chairing the CITASA Career Award committee). > > I've retained the Governor of Illinois as my consultant on the selection > process;-) > > Barry Wellman > _______________________________________________________________________ > > S.D. Clark Professor of Sociology, FRSC NetLab Director > Department of Sociology University of Toronto > 725 Spadina Avenue, Room 388 Toronto Canada M5S 2J4 > http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~wellman fax:+1-416-978-3963 > > Updating history: http://chass.utoronto.ca/oldnew/cybertimes.php > > _______________________________________________________________________ > > > On Wed, 7 Jan 2009, Joe Karaganis wrote: > >> Date: Wed, 7 Jan 2009 14:57:25 -0500 >> From: Joe Karaganis <karaganis@ssrc.org> >> To: citasa@list.citasa.org >> Subject: [CITASA] CRCP, CRAC, CROF >> >> Hi Everyone, >> >> >> >> Just a note that nominations are being accepted for three International >> Communication Association prizes (which we created last year). >> CITASA's own Barry Wellman received the first Communication Research as >> an Open Field award. >> >> >> >> Nominations have to come from ICA members, but there are no restrictions >> on nominees. See http://www.icahdq.org/aboutica/awards.asp for more >> details. Any help spreading the word would be welcome. >> >> >> >> The deadline is Jan 31, with prizes awarded at ICA in May. >> >> >> >> Happy New Year to you, >> >> >> >> Joe >> >> >> >> Joe Karaganis >> >> SSRC >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> COMMUNICATION RESEARCH AS COLLABORATIVE PRACTICE >> >> The CRCP prize is awarded to researchers who engage in innovative forms >> of collaboration to address emergent problems in media and >> communication. It is designed to encourage collaborative communications >> research combining the efforts of researchers, practitioners, and other >> interested parties in the production of new knowledge. >> >> Collaboration that falls outside the usual incentive structures of the >> academy and that overcomes risks associated with building new kinds of >> partnerships will be a focus of this reward. The award carries a cash >> prize of $500. >> >> >> >> COMMUNICATION RESEARCH AS AN AGENT OF CHANGE >> >> The CRAC prize of $500 is awarded to research that has a demonstrable >> impact on practice outside the academy, with clear benefits to the >> community. How communication research may serve as an agent of change >> and social benefit is open to definition with the application for the >> award. >> >> >> >> COMMUNICATION RESEARCH AS AN OPEN FIELD >> >> The CROF prize of $500 is awarded to researchers who have made important >> contributions to the field of communications from outside the discipline >> of communications. It rewards and supports dialogue with other fields >> and institutional locations in which vital new understandings of the >> communications environment and the public sphere are being produced. >> >> >> >> >

I think the basic concept of the award is flawed. In an initiative apparently designed to give off an impression of inclusivity, it furthers the reification of a socially constructed academic field. Brenda Dr. B. E. Brasher Department of Sociology Tulane University New Orleans, LA USA bbrasher@tulane.edu -----Original Message----- From: citasa-bounces@list.citasa.org on behalf of KARAGANIS Sent: Thu 1/8/2009 8:12 AM To: Barry Wellman Cc: citasa@list.citasa.org Subject: Re: [CITASA] CRCP, CRAC, CROF I thought of it more as the 'What is the Field? Award'--or, more narrowly, the 'What is the Discipline in Relation to the Field? Award.' Not a trivial question for a discipline-based professional association to ask, as we discovered last year. Minor addendum: the nomination process is online only ( http://www.icahdq.org/cfp ). I am guessing that snail mail submissions will be frowned on. J On 1/7/09 9:27 PM, "Barry Wellman" <wellman@chass.utoronto.ca> wrote: > Thanks Joe for announcing. > > The award I got was interesting. I call it The Marginal Man (sic) Award. > Officially, it is for a researcher who has "made important contributions > to the field of communications from outside the discipline of > communications." > > There are no fixed criteria, but obviously someone in > Comm Sci who was trained in Comm Sci is not eligible. > > The committee will debate whether someone such as Manuel Castells (trained > in Sociology, employed at Annenberg Comm, USC) or Elihu Katz (trained in > Sociology employed at Annenberg Comm, U Penna) is eligible. These are just > examples -- don't read much into me. > > Of course, the winner doesn't have to be a sociologist. People have > suggested to me Larry Lessig, Lee Rainie, Howard Rheingold -- altho I > haven't seen the formal nomination letters -- not due for some weeks. > > Although nominations should be sent to ICA headquarters (nice letters + > CV), you should know that I'm on the selection committee, altho I declined > the honour of being chair. (Having already accepted the honour of > co-chairing the CITASA Career Award committee). > > I've retained the Governor of Illinois as my consultant on the selection > process;-) > > Barry Wellman > _______________________________________________________________________ > > S.D. Clark Professor of Sociology, FRSC NetLab Director > Department of Sociology University of Toronto > 725 Spadina Avenue, Room 388 Toronto Canada M5S 2J4 > http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~wellman fax:+1-416-978-3963 > > Updating history: http://chass.utoronto.ca/oldnew/cybertimes.php > > _______________________________________________________________________ > > > On Wed, 7 Jan 2009, Joe Karaganis wrote: > >> Date: Wed, 7 Jan 2009 14:57:25 -0500 >> From: Joe Karaganis <karaganis@ssrc.org> >> To: citasa@list.citasa.org >> Subject: [CITASA] CRCP, CRAC, CROF >> >> Hi Everyone, >> >> >> >> Just a note that nominations are being accepted for three International >> Communication Association prizes (which we created last year). >> CITASA's own Barry Wellman received the first Communication Research as >> an Open Field award. >> >> >> >> Nominations have to come from ICA members, but there are no restrictions >> on nominees. See http://www.icahdq.org/aboutica/awards.asp for more >> details. Any help spreading the word would be welcome. >> >> >> >> The deadline is Jan 31, with prizes awarded at ICA in May. >> >> >> >> Happy New Year to you, >> >> >> >> Joe >> >> >> >> Joe Karaganis >> >> SSRC >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> COMMUNICATION RESEARCH AS COLLABORATIVE PRACTICE >> >> The CRCP prize is awarded to researchers who engage in innovative forms >> of collaboration to address emergent problems in media and >> communication. It is designed to encourage collaborative communications >> research combining the efforts of researchers, practitioners, and other >> interested parties in the production of new knowledge. >> >> Collaboration that falls outside the usual incentive structures of the >> academy and that overcomes risks associated with building new kinds of >> partnerships will be a focus of this reward. The award carries a cash >> prize of $500. >> >> >> >> COMMUNICATION RESEARCH AS AN AGENT OF CHANGE >> >> The CRAC prize of $500 is awarded to research that has a demonstrable >> impact on practice outside the academy, with clear benefits to the >> community. How communication research may serve as an agent of change >> and social benefit is open to definition with the application for the >> award. >> >> >> >> COMMUNICATION RESEARCH AS AN OPEN FIELD >> >> The CROF prize of $500 is awarded to researchers who have made important >> contributions to the field of communications from outside the discipline >> of communications. It rewards and supports dialogue with other fields >> and institutional locations in which vital new understandings of the >> communications environment and the public sphere are being produced. >> >> >> >> >

FWIW, here's my take (and since we're disclosing: as the award's instigator, a committee member last year, and-incidentally-an interloper in the comm. field): Comm, viewed as a loose collection of schools and departments, is very under-reified compared to the core Soc Sci disciplines. It has no strong methodological center. Instead, it (1) had a more-or-less unifying object in the mass media and broadcasting in particular; and (2) has the system of recognition built around the professional associations. I'll posit that this isn't news to anyone here. The CROF award scratches the question of what happens to #2 after #1 goes away. What's the specific purchase of a Comm school on the convergent digital environment? Not so obvious in my view. There has been a lot of institutional innovation in the last decade or so to accommodate/anticipate these changes, and certainly more to come as J-Schools get clobbered and universities retrench. New subjects and forms of expertise are all over the place, inside and outside the university. Academic professional associations are almost by definition efforts to reify their disciplines. The reorganization of the larger 'field' in which they operate is a major challenge in this respect. There are two basic choices: circle the wagons around an existing professional cadre, or reach out and try to incorporate the new forms and locations of expertise. Represent the discipline or the field. Institutional inertia almost always favors the first direction. From my perspective, the CROF award is a small but non-trivial step by ICA in the second. These things are always the products of compromise, but note that these are ICA-wide awards, not marginalized in a section. Professional recognition is the only currency ICA has, and it's chosen to spend it here on a series of things that fall outside the usual reward system. My own view is that the collaboration prize is the most challenging. I'd definitely second Barry's call for some creative nominations on that. Cheers, Joe Joe Karaganis SSRC From: Brasher, Brenda E [mailto:bbrasher@tulane.edu] Sent: Thursday, January 08, 2009 11:28 AM To: Joe Karaganis; Barry Wellman Cc: citasa@list.citasa.org Subject: RE: [CITASA] CRCP, CRAC, CROF I think the basic concept of the award is flawed. In an initiative apparently designed to give off an impression of inclusivity, it furthers the reification of a socially constructed academic field. Brenda Dr. B. E. Brasher Department of Sociology Tulane University New Orleans, LA USA bbrasher@tulane.edu -----Original Message----- From: citasa-bounces@list.citasa.org on behalf of KARAGANIS Sent: Thu 1/8/2009 8:12 AM To: Barry Wellman Cc: citasa@list.citasa.org Subject: Re: [CITASA] CRCP, CRAC, CROF I thought of it more as the 'What is the Field? Award'--or, more narrowly, the 'What is the Discipline in Relation to the Field? Award.' Not a trivial question for a discipline-based professional association to ask, as we discovered last year. Minor addendum: the nomination process is online only ( http://www.icahdq.org/cfp ). I am guessing that snail mail submissions will be frowned on. J On 1/7/09 9:27 PM, "Barry Wellman" <wellman@chass.utoronto.ca> wrote: > Thanks Joe for announcing. > > The award I got was interesting. I call it The Marginal Man (sic) Award. > Officially, it is for a researcher who has "made important contributions > to the field of communications from outside the discipline of > communications." > > There are no fixed criteria, but obviously someone in > Comm Sci who was trained in Comm Sci is not eligible. > > The committee will debate whether someone such as Manuel Castells (trained > in Sociology, employed at Annenberg Comm, USC) or Elihu Katz (trained in > Sociology employed at Annenberg Comm, U Penna) is eligible. These are just > examples -- don't read much into me. > > Of course, the winner doesn't have to be a sociologist. People have > suggested to me Larry Lessig, Lee Rainie, Howard Rheingold -- altho I > haven't seen the formal nomination letters -- not due for some weeks. > > Although nominations should be sent to ICA headquarters (nice letters + > CV), you should know that I'm on the selection committee, altho I declined > the honour of being chair. (Having already accepted the honour of > co-chairing the CITASA Career Award committee). > > I've retained the Governor of Illinois as my consultant on the selection > process;-) > > Barry Wellman > _______________________________________________________________________ > > S.D. Clark Professor of Sociology, FRSC NetLab Director > Department of Sociology University of Toronto > 725 Spadina Avenue, Room 388 Toronto Canada M5S 2J4 > http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~wellman fax:+1-416-978-3963 > > Updating history: http://chass.utoronto.ca/oldnew/cybertimes.php > > _______________________________________________________________________ > > > On Wed, 7 Jan 2009, Joe Karaganis wrote: > >> Date: Wed, 7 Jan 2009 14:57:25 -0500 >> From: Joe Karaganis <karaganis@ssrc.org> >> To: citasa@list.citasa.org >> Subject: [CITASA] CRCP, CRAC, CROF >> >> Hi Everyone, >> >> >> >> Just a note that nominations are being accepted for three International >> Communication Association prizes (which we created last year). >> CITASA's own Barry Wellman received the first Communication Research as >> an Open Field award. >> >> >> >> Nominations have to come from ICA members, but there are no restrictions >> on nominees. See http://www.icahdq.org/aboutica/awards.asp for more >> details. Any help spreading the word would be welcome. >> >> >> >> The deadline is Jan 31, with prizes awarded at ICA in May. >> >> >> >> Happy New Year to you, >> >> >> >> Joe >> >> >> >> Joe Karaganis >> >> SSRC >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> COMMUNICATION RESEARCH AS COLLABORATIVE PRACTICE >> >> The CRCP prize is awarded to researchers who engage in innovative forms >> of collaboration to address emergent problems in media and >> communication. It is designed to encourage collaborative communications >> research combining the efforts of researchers, practitioners, and other >> interested parties in the production of new knowledge. >> >> Collaboration that falls outside the usual incentive structures of the >> academy and that overcomes risks associated with building new kinds of >> partnerships will be a focus of this reward. The award carries a cash >> prize of $500. >> >> >> >> COMMUNICATION RESEARCH AS AN AGENT OF CHANGE >> >> The CRAC prize of $500 is awarded to research that has a demonstrable >> impact on practice outside the academy, with clear benefits to the >> community. How communication research may serve as an agent of change >> and social benefit is open to definition with the application for the >> award. >> >> >> >> COMMUNICATION RESEARCH AS AN OPEN FIELD >> >> The CROF prize of $500 is awarded to researchers who have made important >> contributions to the field of communications from outside the discipline >> of communications. It rewards and supports dialogue with other fields >> and institutional locations in which vital new understandings of the >> communications environment and the public sphere are being produced. >> >> >> >> >

I appreciate your explanation the basis of these awards. I see the value in acknowledging ground-breaking work or overall contributions to the field, but I would just like to discourage phrases like "agent of change" (or, God forbid, "thought leader") in the descriptions as vague & lofty attributions like these are currently much ridiculed in online social communities. Likewise the descriptive titles technologist, expert, guru, evangelist. maven, strategist, futurist, influencer, or visionary should be avoided, if at all possible. There must be more concrete ways of describing the value of someone's work and promotion of the discipline. Elizabeth Pullen Drew University epullen@drew.edu

as Elizabeth Pullen says, we must avoid larger than life words. Dr.Manjeet Chaturvedi Professor and Chair, Department of Sociology (Sociology & Social Work), Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi India --- On Fri, 1/9/09, Elizabeth Pullen <epullen@drew.edu> wrote: From: Elizabeth Pullen <epullen@drew.edu> Subject: Re: [CITASA] CRCP, CRAC, CROF To: "Barry Wellman" <wellman@chass.utoronto.ca>, "Joe Karaganis" <karaganis@ssrc.org>, "Brenda E Brasher" <bbrasher@tulane.edu> Cc: citasa@list.citasa.org Date: Friday, January 9, 2009, 12:24 AM I appreciate your explanation the basis of these awards.   I see the value in acknowledging ground-breaking work or overall contributions to the field, but I would just like to discourage phrases like "agent of change" (or, God forbid, "thought leader") in the descriptions as vague & lofty attributions like these are currently much ridiculed in online social communities.   Likewise the descriptive titles technologist, expert, guru, evangelist. maven, strategist, futurist, influencer, or visionary should be avoided, if at all possible. There must be more concrete ways of describing the value of someone's work and promotion of the discipline.   Elizabeth Pullen Drew University epullen@drew.edu_______________________________________________ CITASA mailing list CITASA@list.citasa.org http://list.citasa.org/mailman/listinfo/citasa_list.citasa.org