8th International Summer School 2002 - Scientific Report

Scientific Highlights:

The series of Euro Summer School (2002-4) events entitled "Communication: Media, Social Interactions and Social

Representations" continue the 1995-2000 cycle on "Social Representations and Communication". These high-level, intensive international didactic seminars are an essential part of research training for post-graduate students enrolled in the European PhD on S.R. & C. and for Marie Curie Fellows. They are also open to a select number of young researchers from all countries.

The goals of the new cycle of related events were:

* to widen participants' knowledge of the theories, methodologies and applications of Communication Studies in relation to the Social Representations paradigm

* to develop technological expertise on communication and interaction in "face-to-face", mediated and virtual contexts

* to provide multidisciplinary and multi-methodological research training for participants

* to maintain the Summer School's role as the leading European forum for state of the art research and research training

Concerning scientific content, the first event's programme concentrated on the theme of "Nets and Internet". In addition to the key lectures given by international experts from academia, conferences were also held by professionals from industries specialised in the field, such as Cisco Systems and France Télécom. (see: attached detailed scientific programme) The International Summer School offered critical analysis and discussion of the relations between communication, the new media, physical and virtual interaction, languages and Social Representations. It examined the methodological consequences of different theoretical models and what is added to them when social psychological empirical research on computer-mediated communication is examined in the light of the Social Representations theory, which is open to multidisciplinary fields.

Training:

The Euro Summer School training adopted a multidisciplinary and multi-methodological approach. It gave students access to an integrated didactic structure in which important themes were discussed at the individual, group and plenary levels.

The didactic structure was as follows:

* Early morning sessions: plenary sessions, lectures by leading international experts

* Late morning sessions: parallel thematic workshops relating to researchers' current projects.

* Related interactive training session based on open discussion and critical feedback

* Early afternoon sessions: informal and targeted meetings (i.e., Euro PhD and Marie Curie Fellows)

* Late afternoon sessions: Different types of computer mediated training, both theoretical and methodological, also relating to the didactic use of the Euro PhD website and methodological skills.

* Evening sessions: keynote lectures by leading international experts presented in plenary sessions

As in previous International Summer Schools on Social Representations, face-to-face interaction between participants was a fundamental characteristic of the event. Indeed, one of the main goals of Summer School activities was to involve participants in different learning sessions, ensuring that they were not mere onlookers but also drawn into the learning method and sharing what they have learned from their training in their own country. The activities involved in Euro PhD Summer School , (i.e., parallel workshops, forum discussions, roundtable discussions, informal meetings, plenary lectures) are particularly conducive to this kind of interaction. Interaction between teaching staff and young researchers was particularly encouraged and the possibility of individual meetings between invited speakers and participants was programmed into the didactic structure. As a Multipartner Marie Curie Training Site, participation in the International Summer Schools, part of the training for the Euro PhD on S.R. & C., was also offered to Marie Curie Fellows. In this sense, the International Summer School did benefit a select number of young researchers enrolled in doctoral studies on S.R. & C.

European Added Value (incl. Networking):

The theory of Social Representations, the field of study of the Euro PhD Summer School, originated in and spread out from Europe. With its link to the EuroPhD on SR & C, the International Summer School has reinforced the European character of the research field and can be seen as a permanent European forum for disseminating state-of-the-art research in what has now become a multilingual, world-wide field of research.

The International Summer School's tie to the Euro PhD on S.R. & C. has also ensured the participation of young researchers from the partner Universities of the Euro PhD network. In addition, a large number of young researchers have also come from outside the Euro PhD network and not only from Western and Eastern Europe, but also from outside Europe (this year mainly from Canada). The need for the study of communication as a prerequisite for EU progress has never been stronger. The new media, particularly the Internet, have also shown how flexible collective and individual interaction has become and how out of date are the standard forms of mass communication. However, only a few networks, such as the Euro PhD on Social Representations and Communication network, have regularly been able to integrate open distance learning and virtual mobility with intensive seminars that include physical mobility. As recognised Marie Curie Multipartner Training Site and selected as a "best practice" for its European doctoral programme by DG Education and Culture, this network is a model for aspiring networks of a similar nature and needs to be encouraged and further developed.

Furthermore, the Marie Curie Fellows selected this year participated in the International Summer School as part of their doctoral training. In brief, the participants in this event are not only diverse in provenance (country and institution), but also have diverse research interests within the specialised field of Social Representations and Communication.

Additional Information:

Chosen as the site of the event, Genazzano is located about 45 km from Rome. It is situated on the top of a hill overlooking a beautiful landscape and is distinguished by the presence of interesting medieval ruins and works of art and of the International Centre of Contemporary Art (CIAC) located at Castello Colonna. This year, for the first time, the International Summer School was held at the magnificent Castle of Genazzano, a remarkable example of Renaissance architecture formerly belonging to the noble Colonna family. The Castle has been made available to the Euro Ph.D. on Social Representations and Communication by the Mayor of Genazzano in agreement with the Rector of the co-ordinating university, the University of Rome "La Sapienza" for important scientific activities, such as the annual International Summer School. Informal communication and a friendly atmosphere were facilitated by the fact that guest speakers and tutors spent most of their time under the same roof as the conference participants, both for scientific activities at Castello Colonna and in the peaceful Aminta country inn for lunch and informal meetings.

As one of the social events, the 8th International Summer School provided the opportunity to visit the European PhD on S.R. & C.'s new research centre located on Piazza Ara Coeli at the foot of the Campidoglio in the very heart of historic Rome. The participants were invited to the new European Ph.D. Research Centre and Multimedia Lab for a drink to celebrate its formal inauguration in the presence of representatives from "La Sapienza". On the same occasion, Dr. Salvatore D'Amore, one of the participants in the Euro PhD programme who defended his thesis in February 2002 in front of an international jury, received his final diploma .

The recordings of the lectures and seminars of the 8th International Summer School will be made available online, in digital format, at: http://www.europhd.psi.uniroma1.it/schools/ss8.htm

The Scientific programme of the International Summer School on SR &C, entitled "Communication, Media and Social Representations. New Media: Nets and Internet" accomplished the identified goals of this cycle of International Summer Schools dedicated to "Communication: Language, Representations, Interactions":

* to widen participants' knowledge of the theories, methodologies and applications of Communication Studies in relation to the Social Representations paradigm

* to develop technological expertise on communication and interaction in "face-to-face", mediated and virtual contexts

* to provide multidisciplinary and multi-methodological research training for participants

* to maintain the International Summer School's role as the leading European forum for state-of-the-art research and research training in Social Representations and Communication studies.

In terms of scientific content, the 2002 International Summer School dealt with the specific topic of "New Media and Social Representations: Nets and Internet" with particular attention to Forms and Communication Processes between global and local scenarios and Virtual interaction in "situated" contexts. Representative studies of different theoretical models were presented in order to investigate the value added when social psychological empirical research on communication is examined in the light of sociology and mass communication.

In addition to the participation by the teaching staff of the Euro PhD on S.R. & C., and the founder of the S.R. theory, Serge Moscovici, internationally recognised scientists in sociology and mass communication were invited to present lectures. The International Summer School also developed technological expertise on communication with the participation of leading experts in the new media from large private sector enterprises.

Invited keynote speakers

* Brenda Danet, who at the last minute couldn't attend the event for personal reasons, had her papers specially prepared for the occasion, presented by Oren Golan, one of her researchers.

Teaching staff of the Euro PhD on S.R. & C network

Three parallel group seminars focussed on the specific topic of this International Summer School or dedicated to the presentation of research reports by students currently enrolled in the European doctoral programme (including the new outstanding candidates admitted for academic year 2002-2003), those selected as Marie Curie Fellows as well as a number of other young researchers enrolled in national doctoral programmes outside the network. In addition the participants enrolled into the Euro PhD programme attended a special training session reserved for them to share advise about their projects, as a monitor system, and to reinforce their sense of belonging to our institutional scientific community.

The three Small group seminars were:

1. Developing Euro PhD projects (moderated by: A. de Rosa, E. Cohen, S. Moscovici, J. Jesuino)
2. Social Norms (moderated by: L. Amancio, F. Buschini, K. Helkama)
3. Media, Communication and Internet (moderated by: V. Beaudouin, P. Flichy, M.L. Rouquette)

In answer to the methodological training need of doctoral students and young researchers an important part of the scientific programme has been dedicated to an Advanced Methodological Seminar in plenary session on Facet Analysis using Hudap package, led by Erik Cohen and Fabrice Buschini. Furthermore, innovative actions promoted by the scientific co-ordinator of the Euro PhD on SR & C, aimed at improving scientific exchange among the members of the virtual community on SR & C, were presented during a special session dedicated to the E.L.V.I.R.T.I.S.S. project.