Hi Barry, I am not a huge fan of JOC or the ICA which generates it, but your admittedly "provocative" query puts me in the odd position of feeling that I have to defend both the journal and the field from which it springs. Thanks a lot! First off , "comm sci" is a problematic designation, though the problem lies not necessarily in your attribution, but in the field of study and its context. As I know you already know, communication studies' inter-disciplinary and trans-disciplinary approaches, which many of us view as strengths, are still viewed by some, including many in the field, as problematic. This is in part because of the (North American?) academic tradition in which, gods forbid (and despite several decades of contrary evidence and the Germanic/European concept of wissenschaft), the humanities, social sciences and physical/biological sciences should never intermingle. This point is relevant to my apology (in the classical sense) precisely because, second, the issue of JOC to which you refer is primarily concerned with these discipline versus field of study issues. Thus it largely, though not exclusively, concentrates on theory, epistemology, methodology, inferiority complexes, etc., rather than on specific foci of empirical study. Even if these debates don't highlight the internet or new media, they may still be relevant to how we study them. Given this, I have to say to say that your holding up this particular issue of JOC as example seems a bit unfair. Previous issues include both studies and book reviews concerned with the internet and new media. Granted the internet and new media are not the only things people in comm studies study, and not the only topics published in JOC, but neither are they they the only forms of communication. That said, if you want to open up a critique of JOC and the ICA on the basis of elitism/old guardism, the seemingly contrary trend of trendiness, lack of emphasis on practical approaches to important issues, etc., I'm all ears (eyes?). And don't even get me started on what's happened to ICA's "Communication Theory!" Cheers! Chris Richter Christopher J. Richter Associate Professor Communication Studies Hollins University PO Box 9652 Roanoke, VA 24020 540-362-6358 ________________________________________ From: air-l-bounces@listserv.aoir.org [air-l-bounces@listserv.aoir.org] On Behalf Of Barry Wellman [wellman@chass.utoronto.ca] Sent: Monday, February 09, 2009 10:33 AM To: communication and information technology section asa; aoir list Subject: [Air-L] Does Comm Sci notice the internet? A provocative Q, to be sure, and of course, the answer to members of this list is Yes. BUT I just went thru the entire "intersections" (with other disciplines) issue of the J of Communication (54, 4, 12/08) and didn't notice one mention of the Internet, or the new media in general. Perhaps I missed some obscure thing, but I wuz amazed. Having started this, please excuse me if i don't respond personally. Deadlined on my book chapter NOW. 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 _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________ The Air-L@listserv.aoir.org mailing list is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at: http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org Join the Association of Internet Researchers: http://www.aoir.org/