Recent crisis events such as hurricane Sandy, the earthquake and the following nuclear catastrophe in Japan 2011, the oil spill crisis of BP in the Gulf of Mexico 2010, the Arab Spring or the Euro crisis all show that crises are increasingly crossing institutional, national and cultural boundaries and affect all important areas of society, such as politics, economics, religion or civil society. The increasing relevance of international crises also raises the importance of research-based knowledge on their characteristics, societal impact, and management.

The Third International Conference on Crisis Communication at the Beginning of the 21st Century therefore intends to offer an integrative and truly international perspective. Entitled Crossing Boundaries in Crisis Communication, the conference will broaden the perspectives on crisis communication by discussing the theoretical, methodological, and practical implications of domestic and transnational crises. In addition, it aims at giving a comprehensive overview on how scholarship in crisis communication has developed in different disciplines and in different countries around the world.

Conference topics

The organizers of the conference call for contributions that present innovative perspectives on international and/or cross-cultural crisis communication. In addition, papers offering conceptual and/or empirical approaches to crisis communication that cross institutional, disciplinary, or epistemological ‘boundaries’ are welcome.

All theoretical perspectives and methodologies are welcome. However, special consideration will be given to cross-national/cross-cultural comparative research. Desirable are also submissions with a focus on methods for analyzing cross-cultural crisis communication.

Furthermore, the following aspects are of special interest, including but not limited to research on:

• different crisis types such as organizational crisis, war and conflicts, terrorism, natural disasters/pandemia, societal/political crisis,
• different communication perspectives such as the role of institutions and communicators in crises, media representations of crises as well as audien- ces and/or stake holders of crisis communication,
• contextual factors of crisis communication (e.g., theoretical approaches and findings of crisis communication research in different regions and countries around the world, analyses of context variables such as culture, national infrastructure, and media systems on crisis communication),
• theoretical approaches and findings in different fields of the social sciences besides communication which are relevant to understanding crisis communication (e.g., psychology, sociology, cultural anthropology, political science, economics, management, etc.)
• crisis communication as an integrative and interdisciplinary field of study,
• current developments or trends in crisis communication (e.g., the role of technology, educational aspects, leadership in crises, tc.) as well as future challenges in terms of theory and methodology.

Submissions

Presentation proposals (20 min) in English language are to be submitted as meaningful extended abstracts (max. 5000 characters). Abstracts should state the title of the presentation, purpose, theoretical approach, methodology, (expected) findings, implications, relevance, and originality of the study. Author and affiliation details are to be included separately in the paper submission system. The abstracts have to be submitted until April 15th 2013 via the paper submission system which can be accessed via the conference website: http://www.tu-ilmenau.de/crisis3

Notifications of acceptance will be sent through an e-mail by June 1st 2013.

Please note: Authors should submit only one abstract as main author and not more than one further abstract as co-author. This applies to papers submitted for review as well as invited papers.

Inquiries to the conference chairs should be directed to Claudia Auer (claudia.auer@tu-ilmenau.de).

For more information, please visit the conference website.

Deadlines

• April 15, 2013 : abstract submission due
• June 01, 2013 : acceptance notification (sent via e-mail)
• July 17, 2013 : end of early bird registration

Conference fees

• Early bird rate: 195 Euro (registration before July 17, 2013)
• After July 17, 2013: 245 Euro

Scientific committee

Robert Chandler, Timothy Coombs, Finn Frandsen, Amiso George, Michel Haigh, Sherry Holladay, Winni Johansen, Alessandra Mazzei, Timothy Sellnow, Patric Spence, Krishnamurthy Sriramesh, Robert Ulmer, Marita Vos, N.N.

Conference chair

Dr. Andreas Schwarz
Email: andreas.schwarz@tu-ilmenau.de
Phone: +49 3677-694703

Organization team

Claudia Auer (coordinator)
Alice Srugies, Kathrin Schleicher,
Ines Birnschein, Kersten Hoppe

Further information about the conference

Web: http://www.tu-ilmenau.de/crisis3
FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/crisis3erfurt

From Opportunity to Action: Bridging the Gap between Disaster Reduction and Development through Science(s), Technology and People Centred Actions

4-6 September 2013
Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK

DwD / IDRiM 2013 Overview

The focus of the conference builds on opportunities through science and technology, political will and behaviour change to address current crises and reduce risks for future generations. Whilst knowledge about the nature and context of disasters has proliferated, many potential actions for integrated disaster reduction remain far from realised. The disjuncture between existing opportunities and actions both present and anticipated is a complex problem of the disaster and development nexus. Driven by common objectives of survivability, there is a need to bridge gaps between disaster reduction and development through varied types of science (natural, social and others), technologies and people centric actions. This requires ‘smart awareness’, motivation and vision to enable combined disaster reduction and sustainable development at local and global levels. The conference aims to address opportunities for action through varied state of the art contributions from the worlds of disaster science, technology, policy and practice. It is also open to expertise less conventionally recognised within this field. It intends to stimulate a next generation of ideas and actions for disaster reduction.

Cross-cutting Themes

The conference focus solicits papers and sessions informed by cross-cutting themes of disaster management, sustainable development, resilience building, vulnerability reduction, risk assessment and governance, risk financing, living with uncertainty, transformative processes, cultural recognition and change, poverty reduction, wellbeing, climate change adaptation, integration science, disaster communication, social subgroups, innovation, communities of practice, and policy including dialogue from different disciplines related to risk. These cross-cutting themes from academic, policy and practice dialogues will for the purpose of this conference be considered interrelated, mutually informative and key to moving from opportunity to action. The conference focus will be maintained by reflecting on how theory, method and implementation presented by these processes can make a difference to the future of dealing with disasters.

Conference topics particularly encouraged

We are keen to receive proposals for papers or sessions relating to the following, though other contributions associated with the conference theme absent from this list will also be considered:

• Understanding uncertainties to reduce gaps to action
• Using poverty led actions to address disaster risk
• Developing public-private-civil societal-academic partnerships in disaster and development work
• Investing in safer human habitats – safety science – post disaster reconstruction and building resilience
• Experiential and intuitive learning in disaster and development contexts
• Engaging demographic change – child centred and elderly persons disaster risk reduction
• Health and wellbeing centred disaster reduction
• Social and economic mobility, displacement and adaptation
• Visualisation and communication in disaster risk reduction
• Social protection, insurance and human security
• Risk governance, education, development and collective decision making
• ‘The risk governance, scientific advisors, science and policy interface’ (This theme already identified as a Special Session – proposals for papers are invited)
• Complex ‘Natech’ disasters – critical scenario development
• Developing applications of forensic science, emergency management and disaster warning systems
• A new humanitarianism

Conference Features

The conference will include plenary, parallel, poster, panel, ‘young scientists’ and doctoral sessions. A full set of double blind peer reviewed proceedings will be produced with special editions of journals / book. Several publishers are interested in providing outlets for this event. Further partnerships and sponsorships in progress.

Dates

• December 10th: Opening of abstract and session proposals. Send to sz.dwdconf@northumbria.ac.uk;
• December 19th: Opening of registrations via http://www.northumbria.ac.uk/dwd-idrim2013;
• April 30th: Abstract and session proposals closing;
• May 15th: Announcement of conference programme;
• June 30th: Full paper submission and early registration close.

Associated meetings and events at DwD2013 / IDRiM 2013 include:

• IDRiM Society Board Meeting and General Assembly
• British Festival of Science (BSF) 7th – 12th September, Newcastle including a specially hosted DwD/IDRiM 2013 high level panel on; ‘Communication and Disaster Reduction: the future of science, education and politics in negotiating uncertain nature’ (7th Sept).
• Meeting of the Global Summit of Research Institutes for Disaster Risk Reduction (multiple partners)
• Meeting of the Disaster and Development Alliance – ‘UK Champions for Change Initiative’
• Delphe – British Council / DFID meeting on ‘Disaster Education for Community Resilience’
• Meeting of the Japan-UK Disaster Risk Reduction Study Programme
• Board Meetings of at least three international journals focussed on disaster reduction
• … other meetings and events to be added by June 2013

Contacts:

• Conference website: http://www.northumbria.ac.uk/dwd-idrim2013
• Email: sz.dwdconf@northumbria.ac.uk
• IDRiM website: http://idrim.org
• Email: society@idrim.org

Sent to us by Christine Hagar (christine.hagar@sjsu.edu)

The Coordinating Committee of the DSCRN again invites all network members, associated colleagues, and all those interested to submit abstracts for any of our sessions outlined in the links below. The DSCRN invites scholars from different disciplines and practitioners from different areas to submit abstracts and share with us their thoughts, research results, and experiences. All abstracts will be considered and reviewed by the Coordinating Committee and by the convenor/s of the respective sessions.

Please find more details about our sessions here: http://www.dscrn.org/esa2013/call-for-papers

Submission of abstracts closes on 15 February 2013 (extended deadline). The submission is entirely electronic at http://esa11thconference.eu/call-for-papers/research-networks/RN08

Note: if you experience any troubles while submitting your abstract on the ESA web site, we suggest based on our own submissions to try sending your abstract on a number of different web browsers (Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox etc.).

The abstract deadline for the whole ESA conference is 1 February 2013. 

We look forward to welcoming you to Torino!

Welcome to Åre Risk Event which will be held for the second consecutive year at hotel Holiday Club in the ski-resort Åre, 1 hours drive from Östersund, Sweden.

This year’s conference theme is “Risk and Crisis Management” and the conference focuses on the future management and leadership in a changing society. What characterizes the management and leadership in a socially heterogeneous society that is constantly exposed to risks and crises? Also, questions on power and the role of social media is brought to a head.

The conference gathers researchers, entrepreneurs, politicians and representatives of public and voluntary organizations to exchange knowledge about the risk and crisis management in our society. The programme is still tentative but will consist of lectures and paper sessions, mixed with workshops and exchange of experiences in smaller groups.

The conference seeks to include researchers on an interdisciplinary basis, all with an interest in risk and crisis research. We welcome papers with a broad range of perspectives on topics like, for instance,

• management of operations that includes unknown actors,
• management of organized as well as unorganized volunteers,
• management of temporary organizations,
• power and management/leadership during risk and crisis.

Abstracts, with a maximum of 200 words plus full name, department/institution, and the author(s) contacts, should be sent by December 23 2012 to the following e-mail address: johanna.ekroth@miun.se

Notification of acceptance will be announced by January 12 2013

Please find more information at www.miun.se/areriskevent/en

Contact: rcr@miun.se

Newsletter 47, April 2012 – August 2012

The European Sociological Association (ESA) invites scholars from around the globe to come together in Torino, 28-31 August 2013 to debate the most pressing sociological questions of the day under the general theme: “Crisis, Critique and Change”. This general theme of Conference directly refers to the interests of the Research Network 8 (RN8) of ESA entitled as ‘Disaster, Conflict, and Social Crisis Network’ (DCSCRN). The social causes and consequences of the financial crisis, impacts on institutions, groups and individuals in the European and other countries make the main scope of the intended RN8 program. This is not to exclude however, other kinds of crises caused by climate change, natural disasters, technological accidents, and political conflicts with social implications. Proposals for presentation should be dealt with critically regarding analyses, methods and theories. A number of questions may be considered relevant for both the European and global contexts in the RN8 sessions:

• How do we deal with notions of critique and change in the turbulent times?
• What factions of society are most affected?
• What new methods of coping with crisis have emerged?
• What forms of social consolidation does the crisis context give rise to?
• Could new forms of critique and expressions of dissent actually lead to social change?

Just as RN8 is preparing for a midterm conference with the title “The Debt Crisis in the Eurozone: Social Impacts”, once again the theme of the ESA Conference seems to target the scope of our research network.

The DCSCRN Coordinating Committee (CC) invites all members of the network and all colleagues to submit proposals for sessions to be held during the 2013 conference. The ideas that you send us will enrich the program and ensure the quality of the sessions of our research network.  We invite you to send us not only suggestions concerning our RN08 sessions, but also to propose ideas for semi-plenary speakers for the Conference, as well as for joint sessions with other research networks.

We welcome proposals from people who have research,  teaching and/or practical experience with  the topics of the network but particularly those that engage with the conference theme, with key theoretical methodological and research issues in the field of disasters, social conflicts, social crises and crisis policies or practices. The CC will consider all proposals. Members and colleagues from countries within and outside of Europe are invited to participate and send their proposals. Please note that we expect proposers to convene and chair the session proposed.

Proposals for sessions should not exceed 500 words and should be submitted no later than September 15th to the DCSCRN vice-coordinator, ninablom@ruc.dk.  If you have any queries please contact, Nina Blom Andersen at the same e-mail address.

The International Sociological Association (ISA) World Congress of Sociology is hosting their 2014 meeting in Yokohama, Japan on July 13-19. If you are interested in proposing a session idea for the Research Committee on Disasters (RC-39) please contact Dr. Lori Peek (lori.peek@colostate.edu) or Dr. Sudha Arlikatti (Sudha.Arlikatti@unt.edu) with your name, affiliation, and email address; a draft session title; a 3-5 sentence session description and; a note regarding whether you are interested in serving as moderator for the session you are proposing. Please send this information, in the body of an email or a word document, by no later than September 1, 2012.

Please note that you will be asked to become a member of the ISA and the Research Committee on Disasters (membership fee information here: http://www.isa-sociology.org/rc39.htm). The number of sessions that the RC-39 is allocated in 2014 is dependent on how many individuals are active members of the Research Committee and the ISA. We hope to see you in Japan in 2014!

Lori Peek (lori.peek@colostate.edu)

The Mobilities social science paradigm examines both the large-scale movements of people, objects, capital, and information across the world, as well as more local processes of daily transportation, movement through public and private spaces, and the travel of material things in everyday life. Recent developments in transportation and communications infrastructures, along with new social and cultural practices of mobility, present new challenges for the coordination and governance of mobilities and for the protection of mobility rights and access. This has elicited many new research methods and theories relevant for understanding the connections between diverse mobilities and immobilities (Hannam, Sheller & Urry, 2006). The conference is directly relevant to a range of stakeholders, such as charities, non government organisations and others involved in responding to disasters as well as academic researchers. By bringing together delegates from this broad spectrum of organisations research and practice can be informed by real life experience and sharing cutting edge ideas for dealing with disasters and analysing disasters from a mobilities perspective.

Possible topics include:

1.  Environmental disasters and ensuing refugee issues
2.  Industrial disasters and the implications for transport planning
3. Conflict as disaster and the mobility implications
4.  Relationship between disasters, travel and tourism and ensuing mobilities
5. Globalisation, displacement and adaptation
6. Disaster communication and mobility
7. Securitisation and mobility

The conference is to be hosted by the Postgraduate Institute of Management (PIM), Colombo, Sri Lanka, 28 – 30 November inclusive.

The scientific committee includes:

• Professor David Alexander, Global Risk Forum (GRF) and UCL, UK (from 1 October)
• Professor Norio Okada, University of Kumamoto, Japan
• Professor Srinath Perera, University of Northumbria, UK
• Dr. Janaka Jayawickrama, University of Northumbria, UK
• Dr Cody Morris Paris, Middlesex University, Dubai
• Professor Julie Mennell, University of Sunderland, UK
• Professor Dilanthi Amaratunga, University of Salford, UK
• Professor Brian Hobbs, University of Glamorgan, UK
• Dr Travis Perera, PIM, Sri Lanka
• Salvano Briceno, IDRC
• Professor Uditha Liyanage, PIM, Sri Lanka (Co-Chair)
• Professor Andrew Collins, University of Northumbria, UK (Co-Chair)
• Professor Kevin Hannam, University of Johannesburg, South Africa (Co-Chair)

Please send abstracts to Professor Kevin Hannam via the conference organisers ATLAS by the 1st September. Please see the conference website for further details:

http://www.atlas-euro.org/Default.aspx?TabID=194

Andrew Collins (andrew.collins@northumbria.ac.uk)