Gebser Annual 2007 Theme:
Language and Consciousness
Language is a fascinating
phenomenon, having unique relationships with identity, community, culture,
perception, and cognition, among others, and has been studied from a variety of
perspectives including the technological, psychological, neurological,
physiological, phenomenological, and philosophical. Jean Gebser argues that study of language is
vital in all fields and perspectives because of the interconnected relationship
between thought and language. Specifically, creating both meaning and change within these contexts can
be difficult because to do so involves moving into the "new" while
using the limitations and framework of the "old." For Gebser, language and all its manifested uses,
shapes, changes, and appearances is the preeminent means of reciprocal
communication between humans and our world.
This relationship between
language and consciousness also has very stark consequences. One example is found in the presence of language.
Because of additional
contact between language communities, there has been an increase in the number
of multilingual individuals. By some
estimates, nearly two-thirds of the world's population is at least bilingual. However, this increase may be a result of
dominant language forms replacing more traditional language systems. If current trends continue, many linguists
predict that around half of the world's languages could disappear by the year
2050, with 90 percent gone in the next 100 years. The specific impacts of such a wide
extinction of language systems is not yet known or even widely studied. If the connection between cognition and
language is as strong as has been suggested by Gebser, Walter Ong, Martin
Heidegger, Michel Foucault, Edward Sapir and many others, greater interest in
the appropriation, disappearance, or reappearance of language is needed, along
with the associated impacts on individual, local, regional, or even global
consciousness
The goal of this annual is
to seek scholarly works focusing on the
CALL FOR MANUSCRIPTS
The intention of the annual
is to publish the most rigorous work that explores, critiques, synthesizes
and/or applies Gebser's work to the widest variety of phenomena to which Gebser
speaks. This third volume will consist
of both reprints of exemplary articles that have been written or otherwise
published in the past and original work that those of you might offer and
submit for publication
Instructions to Authors
We invite cultural scholars
worldwide who are interested in the works of Jean Gebser to submit manuscripts
to Communication, Comparative Cultures and Civilizations. This publication is peer-reviewed, and our
annual's editorial board consists of well respected scholars in a wide array of
communication and related fields and from a variety of countries
Manuscripts should be
formatted in Microsoft Word in a PC-compatible version (Mac users making sure
to use the most current version of Word and to end their file names in
".doc") and submitted electronically as
Manuscripts submitted to
Communication, Comparative Cultures and Civilizations must not be under review
elsewhere or have appeared in any other published form. Upon notification of
acceptance, authors must assign copyright to Hampton Press and provide
copyright clearance for any copyrighted material