INVITATION:

You are invited to attend the workshop Communicating Health and New Genetics. The purpose of the workshop is to bring together doctoral students and senior researchers interested in different aspects of the communication process of health, illness and new genetics in society. The plenary lectures by invited international and Finnish senior researchers are open to all. Doctoral students are welcome to submit their papers for presentation and discussion in the working groups.

The workshop is arranged as a co-operation between three Communication Science departments at the University of Helsinki, the University of Tampere, and Åbo Akademi University. It is open to all postgraduate students from departments belonging to the University Communication Science Network in Finland and the Media Culture Program of the Academy of Finland. Interested doctoral students from other disciplines are also welcome.

The organizing committee hope that you can attend this workshop. We look forward to seeing you at the meeting in September.

Sincerely,
The Organizing Committee

OBJECTIVES OF THE WORKSHOP:

A short intensive course on how to use theories and methods to study communication processes on health, illness and new genetics in society. The program will include plenary lectures given by international and Finnish senior researchers in the fields of sociology and communication sciences, and presentations of the students' own research papers.

Postgraduate students from the Communication Network departments can be given study credits (1-2 ) for participation in the workshop: the presentation of a research plan and active participation gives 1 credit, presentation of a paper and active participation gives 2 credits.

THE LANGUAGE of the seminar is English.

BACKGROUND:

Advances in biotechnology and information technology have produced radical shifts in our ability to reproduce, distribute and control both information and life itself. In the media environment of today this knowledge has been commercialised and integrated into the everyday life of the citizens, having a great impact on people's attitudes to health and well-being, as well as on their creation of meaning. This multifaceted phenomenon, which takes various shapes and meanings in different communication and media cultures, involves different kinds of knowledge processes and affects traditional social relations. The objective of this workshop is to highlight the implications of the different dimensions of the phenomenon, from a social, a communicative, and an information content point of view.

PROGRAM:

Monday 17.9 2001

11.00 Coffee
11.15 Welcome: Mariam Ginman
11.30 Session I: Communicating Genes

SENIOR RESEARCHERS:

Invited senior researchers:

Sarah Franklin, Reader in Cultural Anthropology, Dept. of Sociology, Lancaster University.
Research interests: theories of kinship and gender, the embodiment of progress, and new forms of genetic capital.

Mike Michael, Senior Lecturer, Dept. of Sociology, Goldsmith College, London.
Research interests: sociology of science and technology; public understanding of science; post-structuralist social psychology; sociology of the environment.

Finnish senior researchers:

Mariam Ginman, Professor, Dept. Information Studies, Åbo Akademi University

Esa Väliverronen, Professor, Dept. of Communication, University of Helsinki

Kimmo Tuominen, Ph.D, CSC - Center for Scientific Computing

ORGANIZING COMMITTEE:

Marianne Wikgren, Department of Information Studies, Åbo Akademi University

Esa Väliverronen, Department of Communication, University of Helsinki

Kristina Eriksson-Backa, Department of Information Studies, Åbo Akademi University

Stefan Ek, Department of Information Studies, Åbo Akademi University

If you have any questions about the workshop, please contact one of the committee members.

SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE:

Esa Väliverronen, Dept. of Communication, University of Helsinki

Mariam Ginman, Dept. of Information Studies, Åbo Akademi University

WORKSHOP SPONSORS:

The workshop is sponsored by the University Communication Science Network in Finland and the Media Culture Program of the Academy of Finland, through the projects: Citizens, Health and the Changing Media Culture (Prof. Ginman) and The Power of the Gene (Prof. Väliverronen).

REGISTRATION:

Please send your registration before 20.8 2001 to:
Marianne Wikgren
Department of Information Studies
Åbo Akademi University
Hämeenkatu 13
20500 Turku
Phone: 02-215 3406
Email: marianne.wikgren@abo.fi

Please indicate:

Your Name
Home Institution
Address
Phone Number
Fax Number
Email Address

Present a Paper?
Title of Paper and Author(s)

Please provide a 300-400 word abstract if you intend to present a paper at the workshop.

ACCOMODATION:

We have booked overnight accomodations for 17 persons in a students' hostel. Please indicate if you would like a room for the night 17-18 September.