Interpersonal Communication and Social Interaction 2023: Day Three
On Thursday, October 26th, 2023, the seventh biannual ECREA Interpersonal Communication and Social Interaction Section meeting or the ICSI23 conference concluded with its second conference day: ‘Looking Forward!’.
The second day of the conference began with a keynote address delivered by Dr Rudi Palmieri, who holds the position of Senior Lecturer in Strategic Communication at the University of Liverpool, United Kingdom. During his keynote presentation, entitled ‘Argumentation, strategic communication and sustainable trust’, Dr Palmieri said that communication and trust are closely interconnected. He discussed how trust is essential for effective, cooperative, and respectful communication, and how communication, particularly in situations of corporate or institutional wrongdoing and crisis, plays a crucial role in both building and repairing trust. The keynote speaker also highlighted the argumentative dimension of trust-oriented strategies, and introduced the concept of sustainable trust, which is trust based on sound argumentative support. Dr Palmieri explored the connections between argumentation, persuasion, and crisis response strategies and their relevance to trust. This exploration underscores the importance of analysing and evaluating reasons for trust repair using argumentation theory.
Subsequently, the conference day included two sessions, each discussing different aspects. The first session, chaired by Anişoara Pavelea from Babeș-Bolyai University, Romania, focused on ‘Building and maintaining relationships in turbulent times’. The second session, chaired by Anastassia Zabrodskaja from Tallinn University, Estonia, centered on ‘Becoming me: Perspectives on identity and empowerment through communication’.
During the closing discussion, ICSI23 participants engaged in a thought-provoking general conversation, focusing on a hopeful view of the future despite the recent and ongoing challenges in Europe and worldwide. Like the rest of the world, the continent has faced extraordinary difficulties, but Europe's history shows it emerging stronger after crises, giving us reason to believe this time will be no different. Let us ‘Look Forward!’
To obtain further information, please do not hesitate to contact Professor Anastassia Zabrodskaja, ICSI23 conference chair. You can contact her at anastassia.zabrodskaja@tlu.ee.
