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COMMISSION ON FAMILY COMMUNICATION NEWSLETTER
Volume 3	Spring-Summer 1993	Number 1

With Summer approaching, our next SCA conference can't be far behind. Congratulations to all who will be presenting their work at the upcoming convention and thanks to everyone who submitted papers and proposals. It looks like we are having a banner year so far with paper submissions and publications by our members. Keep up the good work!

Teresa Chandler Sabourin
Chair

I'd like to thank all of you who submitted papers and panel proposals to the CFC for the upcoming SCA conference;. We received 51 papers and 16 panel proposals-double the number of submission we have received in previous years. The CFC will be represented by 15 programs in Miami, including a wide range of issues and research methodologies. Several people who assisted with the 1993 SCA program planning deserve special recognition. Fran Dickson, Kathleen Galvin, Robert Harrison, Doug Kelley, and Robert Martin did a monumental job of reviewing submissions and manage to maintain their good humor in the process. Fran Dickson, our Curriculum Committee Chair assembled a superb pedagogy panel and Bob Harrison, Chair of the Liaison Committee has been working diligently to secure Dr. David Olson from the University of Minnesota as a guest speaker. Finally, I'd like to thank Teresa Sabourin, Lynn Turner, Raed Mohsen, Alan Winegarden, John Monsma, and Seri Block who were instrumental in putting together some great programs. Bruce Gronbeck says that Miami Beach will be one of the largest and best SCA conventions in recent years, It will certainly be a great convention for the CFC. I look forward to seeing all of you in Miami!

Charlene A. Berquist
Vice-Chair

As scholars interested in the subject of family communication, we are undoubtedly aware of many traditional sources of information on family relations and family related issues (e.g., professional journals, government documents, mass media). However, one source of which many of us may not be aware is academic computer networks such as BITNET and INTERNET. Through these networks, we can gain access to an ever increasing array of computerized "file servers" which can also provide useful information, original perspectives, and stimulating ideas and insights about family relations.

A server is a userid much like yours. The people who set up this userid have it running a computer program that will respond to your commands. Thus, it is called a "server." You can send your commands to servers via one of two major international computer networks, BITNET and INTERNET, and in one of two formats: MAIL or MESSAGE. Nearly all servers can be accessed via BITNET and/or INTERNET but not all servers accept commands via MAIL and MESSAGE. For each of the servers listed below, specific communication instructions are provided.

Like the computer system represented by your userid, a server has the ability to store files. The program that a file server runs enables it to also send you files from its directory via BITNET or INTERNET. With most file servers, you can send it a command that will place your name in its mailing list so that certain files will be sent to you automatically without you having to request them. A server that performs this function is called a "list server."

Mailing lists for list servers are essentially just like those for magazines, bills, or mass mailings from advertisers or politicians. However, in BITNET, mailing lists are used mainly to keep people with similar interests in contact with each other.

Forums are the most basic type of list server. Let's say that you have subscribed to a forum for people interested in CHILDREN'S RIGHTS. Anyone on the mailing list can send mail to the server where the list is kept and then the server forwar

ds the mail to all of the people on the mailing list. People in turn will reply to your mail, and thus you have a forum.

Forums which may be of general interest to family communication scholars include:

• FAMCOMM--For a discussion of issues relating to communication/interaction in the marital and family context. To subscribe to this forum via BITNET send the following one line message: Join FAMCOMM FirstName_LastName to COMSERVE@RPICICGE

• FAMLYSCI--For scholars whose work focuses on family science, marriage and family therapy, family sociology, and the behavioral science aspects of family medicine. Provided by the Department of Family Studies at the University of Kentucky. To subscribe via BITNET or INTERNET, send a mail message to that effect to: GWBROCK%UKCC.BITNET@VM1.NODAK.EDU

• LIFESCI-- The Life Sciences Research Server. For people in the life sciences and related fields (medicine, physiology, psychology, social work, etc.). Sponsored by the Rappaport Family Institute, the Technion, Isreal. To subscribe via BITNET, send the one line message: SUB LIFESCI YourName to RPRLSCI@TECHNION

A representative sample of other family related forums includes:

• ADDICT-L--For individuals interested in researching, educating, or recovering from addictions of all types (not just alcohol or drugs). To subscribe via BITNET, send the message, SUB ADDICT-L YourFirstName YourLastName to LISTSERV@KENTVM. Internet users send e-mail to, LISTSERV@KENTVM.KENT.EDU with the subscription command as the text of your message.

• ENVBEH-L--Discussion concerning the relations of people and their physical environments, including architectural and interior design and human behavior, environmental stress and behavior, human response to built in natural settings, etc. To subscribe via BITNET, send a one line message such as, SUB ENVBEH-L to ENVBEH-L@POLYGRAF

• MAIL-MEN--A discussion about men's issues. Women are welcome also. To subscribe, send mail or message to: MAIL-MEN-REQUEST@ATTUNIX.ATT.COM.

• SENIOR--For discussion of all issues relating to the health and lives of senior citizens. To subscribe via BITNET send mail to LISTSERV@INDYCMS with the body of your message containing SUB SENIOR yourfirstname yourlastname. To subscribe via INTERNET, send the same mail message to LISTSERV@INDYCMS.IUPUI.EDU.

• Y-RIGHTS--For discussion of the rights of children and youth. To subscribe via BITNET, send the message SUB Y-RIGHTS FirstName LastName to LISTSERV@SJUVM. For INTERNET users, send the same message in mail format.

Keep in mind that one of the real drawbacks to being a forum subscriber is the volume of electronic mail you can receive. In a very active forum, you can get 50 or more pieces of mail in a single day. When discussing a controversial or emotional topic, expect more. But keep in mind that speed and immediacy of electronic mail makes it very easy to whip out a quick, emotional, response, to which there will be similar replies. BITNET regulars call this "flaming." I advise you to take some time and think out your responses to forum postings before inadvertently starting a "flame war."

Robert Martin is an Assistant Professor of Communication at Purdue University, Fort Wayne.

Kudos: Honors, Awards, and Publications

Laurie Arliss and Deborah Borisoff published a book entitled Women & Men Communicating (1993, Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich).

Marianne Dainton published a piece in Family Relations (1993, pp. 93-98) on "The myths and misconceptions of the stepmother identity."

Bill Eadie reports that there will be two articles on family communication in the July issue of Journal of Applied Communication Research.

Chris Segrin and Mary Anne Fitzpatrick published a piece entitled, "Depression and verbal aggressiveness in different marital types" in Communication Studies (1993, pp. 79-91).

Mark Knapp and Eric Taylor have a chapter on "Commitment and its communication in romantic relationships" in Ann Weber and John Harvey's upcoming book, Perspectives on Close Relationships (in press, Allyn & Bacon).

Judy Pearson's 2nd edition of Communication in the Family (1993, Harper Collins) is available.

Sandra Petronio and Dawn Braithwaite published an article entitled, "The contributions and challenges of family communication to the field of communication" in the Journal of Applied Communication Research (1993, pp. 103-110).

Anita Vangelisti and Mary Banski have an article on "Couple's Debriefing Conversations" in Family Relations (1993, pp. 149-157).

Gail Whitchurch is publishing a piece in Communication Education (1993) entitled, "Designing a course on family communication."

Gail Whitchurch and Lynne Webb will be editing a symposium of competitively selected articles on applied family communication for the February, 1995 issue of Journal of Applied Communication Research. Get your papers ready!!

The Commission on Family Communication will sponsor a program of activities to use in the teaching of the family communication course. The Program, "Teaching the Family Communication Course: Favorite Activities and Assignments" will feature presentations by panelists and interaction with the audience. All panelists will distribute copies of their favorite activity to those attending. Interested persons who would also like to distribute a favorite activity are asked to send a copy of the activity to: John Monsma; School of Communication; Box 5619; Northern Arizona University; Flagstaff, AZ 86011-5619. Please send materials on or before October 1st, 1993 so that they may be included in the publication with those of the panelists. Or, if you wish, you may bring copies to the program.

The nominating committee seeks suggestions for nominations for Vice-Chair-Elect and for Secretary. Both of these positions require a substantial commitment to the CFC. Please contact Anita Vungelisti and/or other members of the Executive Committee with your ideas!

SCA is seeking book proposals to be used by faculty for pedagogical purposes. At last year's business meeting in Chicago, members of the Commission on Family Communication agreed to submit such a proposal. Teresa Sabourin has volunteered to coordinate this effort and subsequently to edit the book. If you have an approach for teaching family communication (e.g., TOPICAL) or an approach for teaching family communication-related issues (e.g., FAMILIES IN CRISIS), please submit your proposals for book chapters to: Teresa Sabourin; Department of Communication, ML 184; University of Cincinnati; Cincinnati, OH 45221. Phone: (513) 556-4440; FAX: (513) 556-0899.

The Commission on Family Communication encourages innovative approaches to the study of communication in marriages and families, soliciting submission of completed papers or program proposals from members of all SCA sections and divisions. Theoretical, empirical, methodological, and pedagogical approaches are all welcome. Papers and proposals will be submitted to blind review. Papers must include a separate cover page containing authors' names and affiliation(s); student or debut papers should be so labeled in the upper right corner. Proposals must include: (1) title, (2) rationale, (3) names and affiliations of each participant, and (4) an abstract for each paper. Five copies of the paper or proposal must be postmarked by February 15, 1994 and sent to: Kathleen M. Galvin; School of Speech; Northwestern University; Evanston, IL 60201. When possible, please include e-mail addresses.

Effective July 1, 1991, SCA has gone to a checkoff system on its membership forms. When your renewal notice comes due, you will be asked to specify the unit(s) with which you want to affiliate. Please be sure to check us off on your membership form, and ask colleagues and students interested in family communication to do the same. We need your continued support!