On March 21, 2014 I presented “Constructing frames: Goffman, Bateson, and frame analysis as a neglected part of social construction theory” at the University of Otago, in Dunedin, New Zealand. This was my second talk at Otago (description of the first was posted in 2012). Last time I was hosted by the Department of Languages and Cultures; this time by Media, Film and Communication.
Despite meeting late on a Friday afternoon, there was a large crowd, so local dedication to scholarly conversations is impressive. A personal first for me was having someone, in this case Rosemary Overell, tweet about my talk as it was occurring.
The fact that faculty and graduate students from across the campus attended on a Friday afternoon was even more impressive. In addition to multiple members of the Media, Film and Communication department, I talked to people from Theatre Studies, Sociology, Anthropology, Tourism, German, the Higher Education Development Centre, Applied Sciences, the Centre for Science Communication, and several other parts of the university.
My thanks to my host, Michael Bourk, who organized the event, to Vijay Devadas, Head of Department, who supported it with a generous reception and dinner, and to department staff members Maureen and Paulette for managing the details. In the days before and after the talk, I met with several graduate students and faculty members about a variety of other subjects, ranging from intercultural communication to ethnographic methods. I look forward to continued conversations on these and other topics, and hope to have the chance to visit the University of Otago again in the future.
Wendy Leeds-Hurwitz, Director
Center for Intercultural Dialogue
Center for Intercultural Dialogue 