“International Communication” and scientific issues: A state of the art at the birth of the information and communication sciences in France
Cabedoche, Bertrand
“International Communication” and scientific issues: A state of the art at the birth of the information and communication sciences in France - 2017.
30
What is designated as International Communication does not, in fact, actually exist, neither as a concept, a field, a category, a theory, a school, a discipline, nor a sector. It does not provide any original methodological approach. Its area of utility remains unclear and notably flexible, since the identification attempts to specify it are diachronic in character, as their claims refer to actors that steadily become more numerous and give rise to a variable geometry, as well as additional, subtle discursive productions. Although it is embodied in publication titles and university courses, mobilized by international organizations for use in classificatory objectives, called upon for terminological clarification, it can only disappoint, offering false structural syntheses that fill scientific journals. Driven by a variety of often non-visible politico-cultural interests, its terminological polysemy discourages serious and exhaustive research. However, its discursive manifestation does produce “meaning effects,” therefore having an impact on our level of understanding, and it is now time to put this in perspective. Thus, the only option for illuminating this situation—one that would avoid endless description and inventories—requires the common thread of a discipline, namely the information and communication sciences. From its formal constitution in France at the end of the 70s and with its progressive establishment in the humanities and social sciences, this discipline provides a significant theoretical corpus and epistemological foundation that is, at the same time, reasonable and accessible, allowing for the provision of an initial overview. Moreover, confining ourselves to one country while simultaneously taking into account transnational scientific collaborations and productions—and, not least, avoiding the pitfalls of mediacentrism—an interrogation of the discipline reveals a formidable toolbox. Its epistemological, theoretical, conceptual, and methodological features justify a provisional state of the art, one that stands out in a crowded academic domain, and offers useful alternatives to the problematic character of International Communication.
“International Communication” and scientific issues: A state of the art at the birth of the information and communication sciences in France - 2017.
30
What is designated as International Communication does not, in fact, actually exist, neither as a concept, a field, a category, a theory, a school, a discipline, nor a sector. It does not provide any original methodological approach. Its area of utility remains unclear and notably flexible, since the identification attempts to specify it are diachronic in character, as their claims refer to actors that steadily become more numerous and give rise to a variable geometry, as well as additional, subtle discursive productions. Although it is embodied in publication titles and university courses, mobilized by international organizations for use in classificatory objectives, called upon for terminological clarification, it can only disappoint, offering false structural syntheses that fill scientific journals. Driven by a variety of often non-visible politico-cultural interests, its terminological polysemy discourages serious and exhaustive research. However, its discursive manifestation does produce “meaning effects,” therefore having an impact on our level of understanding, and it is now time to put this in perspective. Thus, the only option for illuminating this situation—one that would avoid endless description and inventories—requires the common thread of a discipline, namely the information and communication sciences. From its formal constitution in France at the end of the 70s and with its progressive establishment in the humanities and social sciences, this discipline provides a significant theoretical corpus and epistemological foundation that is, at the same time, reasonable and accessible, allowing for the provision of an initial overview. Moreover, confining ourselves to one country while simultaneously taking into account transnational scientific collaborations and productions—and, not least, avoiding the pitfalls of mediacentrism—an interrogation of the discipline reveals a formidable toolbox. Its epistemological, theoretical, conceptual, and methodological features justify a provisional state of the art, one that stands out in a crowded academic domain, and offers useful alternatives to the problematic character of International Communication.
Réseaux sociaux