The George Gerbner Conference on Communication, Conflict, and Aggression
Inspired by the life and work of Budapest native and renowned Communication and Media scholar Dr. George Gerbner (1919-2005), the conference has taken place from Friday, June 14 to Saturday, June 15, 2013 in Budapest, Hungary. The goal of the conference was to bring together individuals with a common interest in aggressive communication and conflict so as to foster international relationships that lead to research collaboration and knowledge exchange. The inaugural Gerbner Conference, held in May 2010, and the second conference, held in June 2012, featured presentations by scholars from eight countries covering three continents.
This international conference focused on aggressive communication and behavior, conflict, and other types of antisocial communication and behavior across contexts. Topics included, but were not limited to: the Arab Spring, War against terror in Sri Lanka, cyber agression, agression in "love" relationships, the ethical implications of the “Cool” professor, agression and conflict among children.
In the past years, the conference dealt with topics likemedia violence, media coverage of crime and violence, violence in advertising, political violence, workplace violence and aggression, aggression in instructional settings, war rhetoric, peace and conflict communication, verbal aggression, crime, oppression, injustice, incivility, assertiveness, argumentativeness, disagreement, bullying, indirect aggression, psychological abuse, anger, frustration, hostility, deception, child abuse, spousal abuse, domestic violence, youth violence, school violence, gang violence, sexual violence, discrimination, conflict styles, conflict resolution, the origins, causes, and predictors of aggression, and the management and prevention of aggression.
The PROGRAM and the ABSTRACTSof this year's conference are available for downloading.
Programme:
Friday, June 14, 2013
- 09:00–09:15 - Conference Welcome by Dr. László Vass, Rector of Budapest College of Communication and Business, Hungary
- 09:15–10:45 - Studies on the Role of News Media in War and Revolution, Chair: Christina M. Morus, The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, United States of America
- Democracy vs. Opportunity: Revealing the Nature of Conflict Communication following the “Arab Spring” - Thomas B. Christie, University of Texas at Arlington, United States of America (2012 Gerbner Conference Award Recipient)
- Cycles of Contention & Social Movement Networks: New Mass Media Linkages and Transnational Collective Action during the 1848 & 2011 People Revolutions - Amina Asim, Northwestern University, United States of America
- Moral Framing and the News Media’s Role in Political Conflicts: A Critical Analysis of New York Times’ Stories in the Build Up to the 2003 Iraqi War - Vitalis Torwel, Benue State University, Nigeria
- Press Narratives on War against Terror in Sri Lanka - Pradeep Nishantha Weerasinghe, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka; Rathambalage Hasitha Mihirani, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka
- 10:45–11:00 - Break
- 11:00–12:15 - Biological, Personal, and Social Predictors of Aggression, Chair: Christine M. Willingham, Florida State University, United States of America
- The Intersection between Communication Competence and Alcoholism Recovery - Frances Spellman, West Virginia University, United States of America
- Predictors of Cyber Aggression - Kumi Ishii, Western Kentucky University, United States of America
- “Survival of the Fittest” or The End of a False Myth - László Gyula Jobbágy, Budapest College of Communication and Business, Hungary
- 12:15–13:15 - Lunch
- 13:15–14:30 - Communication Management and Misuse in Micro and Macro Organizational Processes, Chair: Gabor Hardy, SUNY Oswego, United States of America
- Dowry Violence in India as Aggressive/Violent “Negotiation” Strategy: An Analysis of Media Coverage and Cultural Meaning - Peter M. Kellett, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, United States of America; Thomas Matyok, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, United States of America
- Romantic Partner Surveillance as a Predictor of Relational Conflict, Aggression, and Satisfaction - Shannon T. Carton, West Virginia University, United States of America
- Explorations and Redefinitions of Human Sexuality and Relationships in the Era of New Media Technology (Videochatting and Social Networking): The Invigoration of Exploitations of Filipino Men and Women - Joseph Reylan Viray, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, the Philippines; Kriztine R. Viray, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, the Philippines; Amalia C. Rosales, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, the Philippines
- 14:30–14:45 - Break
- 14:45–16:00 - New Directions in Cultivation and Storytelling, Chair: Gordon Coonfield, Villanova University, United States of America
- The Multiple Scary Worlds of Television, An International Perspective on Gerbner’s Cultivation Theory - Jan Van den Bulck, University of Leuven, Belgium
- Retesting Cultivation Theory on the Origins, Causes, and Predictors of Aggression: The Case of Pre and Post Genocide Rwanda - Agnes Lucy Lando, Daystar University, Kenya; Linda Muthuri, Daystar University, Kenya; Everlyne Otieno, Daystar University, Kenya; Joan Wanja Macharia, Daystar University, Kenya; Stella Nsubuga, Daystar University, Kenya; Martin Mwengah, Daystar University, Kenya; Paul R. Odira, Daystar University, Kenya
- Remediating Aggression: Humbaba, Mythic Transformation, and Virtuality - Elaine Sponholtz, University of Florida, United States of America
- 16:00–16:15 - Break
- 16:15–17:30 - Communication Undermining Student Learning, Development, and Research, Chair: Kriztine R. Viray, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, the Philippines
- The Ethical Implications of the “Cool” Professor - Rebecca M. Chory, West Virginia University, United States of America; Evan H. Offstein, Frostburg State University, United States of America
- Communication Dynamics Addressing Conflicts Encountered by Researchers Working in Groups - Divina T. Pasumbal, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, the Philippines; Windy P. Añonuevo, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, the Philippines; Gelyn D. Arciaga, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, the Philippines; Camille M. Corral, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, the Philippines; Katherine M. Dator, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, the Philippines; Alvin John M. Fernandez, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, the Philippines
- Knowledge Creating Conversations: Endlessly Unfolding Inquiries of Discovery and Invention - Arthur Brogden Male, University of London, England
- 17:30- Dinner
Saturday, June 15, 2013
- 09:00-10:30 - Aggression and Conflict among Children, Chair: Natascha Zowislo-Grünewald, Bundeswehr University Munich, Germany
- Family Conflict on Adolescents’ Aggression - Karin M. Fikkers, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Jessica Taylor Piotrowski, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Wouter D. Weeda, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Helen G.M. Vossen, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Patti M. Valkenburg, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Constructing Televisual Violence as an Issue in Children’s Speech - Anca Velicu, The Romanian Academy, Romania
- Empowering Dialogue in Intercultural Conflicts between Children - Vittorio Iervese, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Italy
- Ostracism: The Powers and Effects of the Silent Bully - Timothy Gozanski, West Virginia University, United States of America
- 10:30-10:45 - Break
- 10:45-12:15 - Portrayals and Perceptions of Violence Surrounding Social Issues, Chair: Kumi Ishii, Western Kentucky University, United States of America
- The Barabbas Complex: Targeting the Wrong Villain in the Global Warming Debate - Gabor Hardy, SUNY Oswego, United States of America; Eyub Yegen, SUNY Oswego, United States of America
- Places of Personal Identity, Places of Violence: A Research on Contemporary Film about the (Near) Future - Monica-Elena Mitarca, Dimitrie Cantemir Christian University, Romania
- The Rhetoric of Gun Violence: Blurring the Focus, Blaming the Lens - Christine M. Willingham, Florida State University, United States of America; Margaret K. Chojnacki, Barry University, United States of America
- Hard-Knock Life: Exploring Prisoner Perceptions of Media’s Influence on Society and Crime through In-Depth Interviews and Q-Methodology - Savannah R. Overton, Syracuse University, United States of America
- 12:15-13:15 - Lunch
- 13:15-14:30 - Communication Management and Misuse in Micro and Macro Organizational Processes, Chair: Amalia C. Rosales, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, the Philippines
- Strategic Communication and Security Policy – Towards a Communicative Centrum Gravitatis? - Natascha Zowislo-Grünewald, Bundeswehr University Munich, Germany; Alexander Paquée, Bundeswehr University Munich, Germany
- Litigation as Aggression: Use of the Legal System and the Media for Bullying, Not Justice-Seeking - Donald Papy, University of Miami, United States of America
- Organizational Exit: Communicating Dissent in the Workplace - Virginia Nardi, West Virginia University, United States of America
- 14:30-14:45 - Break
- 14:45-16:00 - Ethnicity, Race, Diversity, and Antisocial Communication, Chair: Divina T. Pasumbal, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, the Philippines
- Deviance in Indian Workplace - Pooja Malik, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, India
- Microaggressions of Japanese American Women of the U.S. World War II Internment Camps: Reading between the Lines of Shame and Silence - Precious Yamaguchi, Cedar Crest College, United States of America
- Self-Categorization Theory and Racism - Megan Quirk, West Virginia University, United States of America
- 16:00-16:15 - Break
- 16:15-17:30 - Visual Representations of Violence and Vulnerability, Chair: Agnes Lucy Lando, Daystar University, Kenya
- The Writing on the Wall: Graffiti and the Circulation of Vulnerability in Everyday Urban Life - Gordon Coonfield, Villanova University, United States of America
- Sights of Conflict, Aggression, and Transformation: Vernacular Visual Tactics in the Struggle for Post-Conflict Memory - Christina M. Morus, The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, United States of America
- War as Routine: The Normalization of Violence and War Photo-Journalism in Israel - Eva Berger, College of Management Academic Studies, Israel
- 17:30- Presentation of Gerbner Conference Award by Dr. Jolán Róka, Budapest College of Communication and Business, Hungary
- Closing Remarks by Rebecca M. Chory, West Virginia University, United States of America
Co-organizers of the conference were:
- Dr. Jolán Róka, Vice Rector for Research and International Relations at the Budapest College of Communication, Business and Arts, and
- Dr. Rebecca M. Chory, Professor of Communication Studies at West Virginia University and 2009 Fulbright Scholar at the Budapest College of Communication, Business and Arts
