Impressions of the
2002 SIETAR Japan Annual Conference
As a new member of SIETAR this was the first conference
I have attended, even though I have been on the periphery of the field
of intercultural communication for a number of years now. Since most
of my own research has been concerned with intercultural ethics, I was
a bit concerned about how open SIETAR would be to more theoretical and
philosophical issues in the field of intercultural communication. My
initial (and, as it turned out, erroneous) impression had been that
SIETAR was more concerned with practical matters, such as intercultural
education and training, than with research. However, I was delighted
to find, as one of the speakers noted, that the R of
research has indeed not been dropped from SIETARs agenda. Indeed,
the conference showed that SIETAR is fully living up to its name as
a society for intercultural education, training, AND research. In addition
to a whole series of sessions devoted specifically to theory, it was
encouraging to find an abundance of both empirical and normative research
being presented throughout the conference.
It is also a sign of health, I think, that some of the
speakers critically engaged the field of intercultural communication
itself, questioning both the values and the assumptions that have guided
the field in the past, and proposing new directions for both research
and applications. I appreciated both the micro personal
perspectives of some of the speakers, as well as the macro
big-picture perspectives of others. This diversity is important for
an academic society because it gives each of us an opportunity to share
our own unique perspectives with others, as well as a chance to learn
from others whose views and perspectives might be different from our
own.
I got a lot out of the conference both academically and
personally. It was great having opportunities to socialize with others
at the evening events, to meet old friends and make new ones. A LOT
of planning goes into making a successful conference (more than most
of us probably realize) and I would especially like to thank the organizers
for all the hard work they put into making the gathering so worthwhile
and memorable. Thanks also to all of those volunteers who are helping
with SIETAR projects throughout the year!
Richard Evanoff
(Aoyama Gakuin University)
Bunka,Culture, Kulcha & Kultur?
A Quick Glance at the Annual Conference
This year's Annual Conference, Culture and Global Dynamics
consisted of over 40 presentations and workshops. As a new member,
this was my first-ever SIETAR conference. The rainy weekend came no
where near stopping this well-planned and finely executed conference.
What a stimulating blast it was for SIETARIANS who could enjoy their
pick of topics: from hearing about Japan's salsa culture and exploring
gay cultural identity in Japan, to debating theoretical perspectives
on intercultural communication. In Japan's so-called homogenous society
it was a delight to be surrounded by those who do not fit in or in
some way challenge normative futsuu standards. Presenters and participants
from as faraway as China and Austria were in attendance, as were a
wide variety of disciplines ranging from the TEFL/TESL world, anthropology,
journalism, educational policy and administration, engineering, management
and of course, intercultural studies. A special thanks to those whose
meticulously and gracefully pulled off this yearly treat!
Kris Mizutani