By Amanda Ma -

June was an exciting time for some faculty members and PhD graduates of the Department. For three days, Lisa Coutu, Gerry Philipsen, and 14 UW Communication doctorates joined 24 other scholars of Ethnography of Communication (EoC) at a conference in Omaha at Creighton University.

Ethnography of communication refers to the study of how people communicate with each other, taking both language and culture into consideration. Scholars identify communication acts, codes, rules, functions, and norms when conducting empirical research. Either members of specific cultures or “speech communities,” which create and establish their own speaking codes/norms, are studied. In his 1975 article, “Speaking ‘like a man’ in Teamsterville: Culture patterns of role enactment in an urban neighborhood” (Quarterly Journal of Speech), Philipsen explains, “Each community has its own cultural values about speaking and these are linked to judgments of situational appropriateness.”

The conference, “The Ethnography of Communication: Ways Forward,” marked the 50th anniversary of Dell Hymes’ 1962 landmark publication of “The Ethnography of Speaking,” (Anthropological Society of Washington) and the 25th anniversary of Philipsen’s 1987 influential theoretical work, “The Prospect for Cultural Communication” (Academic Press). These milestones come at a time when EoC scholarship is developing intensively as it is being applied to practical concerns and social problems worldwide.

“Ways Forward” was organized by two alums of the Department, Jay Leighter (PhD, ’07) and Donal Carbaugh (PhD, ’84). Philipsen said it “involves a long-standing research tradition and enterprise in the Department and it brought together researchers from nine countries to chart the way forward for this area of research.” The scholars discussed the theory, methodology and practice of the EoC field.

What is most interesting about the group of attendees is that they form a sort of scholarly family tree. “Most of the people there are doctorates or present graduate students of UW doctorate alums,” Philipsen said. “That is, there is a multigenerational network of scholars, across several countries, that are linked either directly or through their advisor to our Department.” Tabitha Hart (PhD, ’12) noted that it was quite the inspiring experience, coming together with other EoC scholars from the “family” of ethnographers of communication. “It gave everyone a chance to connect and learn firsthand about the ongoing work being conducted by EoC researchers around the world,” she said. “It also gave a tangible sense of the reach of EoC scholarship, and Gerry’s substantial contributions to the field.”

With Philipsen’s retirement imminent, the convention was especially significant as many of his former students, including Coutu, Hart and others, were there to take part in this landmark occasion of his career. Philipsen gave a speech at one of the group dinners, looking back at his time studying in the field, with both meaningful and comical reflection, according to Leighter. “I think for those who were there and were his students, it was hard not to feel fortunate to see him speak with gratitude about what the field has become,” Leighter said.

For all at the conference, Leighter believes it was a very gratifying and unifying time, not only to meet with other scholars, but to reflect on the work of their predecessors and the impact it has had on their own studies. “It was really a generational gathering but without nostalgia,” he said. “Everyone showed enthusiasm about getting to work on new problems, addressing older problems and learning in and with this research.” For this group, “Ways Forward” was truly helpful in determining what may develop in the next 50 years in the Ethnography of Communication field.