XIX ISA World Congress of Sociology (July 15-21, 2018)

261

Identities and Borders in the Contemporary Society: Media Narratives Joint with AISLF-RC38

RC14 Sociology of Communication, Knowledge and Culture (host committee)

Language: French and English

We believe that the refugee problem (together with the "new technologies" issues) is central for the contemporary communication and culture, not only because of its importance  but also because of its definition of the contemporary identities (which are in the center of  any social system).  The world “frame news” (which are diffused by some major press agencies of the world), seem to characterize the contemporary society. Among them, figure the geopolitical problems and war (in other words the “others” elsewhere: western audience is asked to recognize them, be aware of the “problem” and be happy as far as “those people” stay “where they belong”: in the war area or in a refugee camp at the “borders” of the “civilized world"); postmodern identities are thus shaped between “us” leaving our life according to the civil standards and the “others”. During the Cold War, the World was divided in two blocs (where everybody was supposed to be part of this division). Nowadays, there’s a new geographical distribution: the world is divided into “citadels” well barricaded and impossible to touch, conceived to be “security zones” (such as European North, United States or Canada). Around these citadels, we can find vague territories as “no man’s land” which are interpreted as potential threats to the citadels’ peace and tranquility (these threats are immigration or economic crisis). This session, invites analyses of the media narratives on the refugee problem all over the world.