Conference Seminar: Changing Discourses, Changing Workplaces: Postmodern Trends in Institutional Communication

Call for papers

Thematic Seminar: Changing Discourses, Changing Workplaces: Postmodern Trends in Institutional Communication

12th ESSE conference, Kosice, Slovakia (29 August – 2 September 2014) http://www.esse2014kosice.sk

Seminar Convenors:

Cornelia Ilie, Malmö University, Department of Culture and Society (Sweden) cornelia.ilie@gmail.com & Zayed University, UAE
Giuliana Garzone, University of Milan, Department of Language Mediation and Intercultural Communication (Italy) giuliana.garzone@unimi.it

This thematic seminar will take place as part of the 12th ESSE conference, Kosice, Slovakia (29 August – 2 September 2014).

Seminar Theme

In increasingly multicultural and highly interconnected work environments, members of various communities of practice start by applying existing discourse-reinforced rules and conventions, while gradually adjusting and changing them, which leads to a hybridisation of discourse structures, text types, and interactive strategies across workplaces and cultures. New challenges, unpredictable expectations and competing commitments shape and are being shaped by emerging workplace interaction patterns that reflect globally felt tensions and uncertainties.

The seminar aims to explore the manifestations and effects of the interplay between discourse styles and workplace practices enacted in culture-specific and multicultural institutional or organisational contexts (e.g. business, education, media, politics). A special emphasis will be on metadiscourse and intertextuality in professional discourses, multi-level and multi-purpose dialogue, negotiation of personal and group identities, culture-based and cross-cultural enactment of and attitudes to management and leadership roles in the workplace, stereotypes related to race, gender and class, relevance of intercultural communication training.

Abstract Submission

We invite abstract submissions for individual paper presentations by 28 February 2014 directly to the conveners (cornelia.ilie@gmail.com and giuliana.garzone@unimi.it). The abstracts (max. 200 words) should indicate the main question/s addressed, the data and methodology used and, if possible, expected results. The following information should be included in the abstracts:

Name & Surname
Affiliation
E-mail
Title of paper
Equipment needed (all seminar rooms will be equipped with a computer and a projector)

According to the conference guidelines, presenters will be asked to circulate reduced versions of their papers in advance of the seminar, and they will have 15 minutes for presentation and 10 minutes for discussions.

Proponents will be informed about the acceptance of their papers by 31 March 2014, and conference registration will open on 1 April 2014.

Please do feel free to contact the seminar conveners in case you have any queries.

Kind regards,
Cornelia Ilie & Giuliana Garzone