Member Engagement

Task Forces

Throughout the organization's history, members of IALSP have undertaken several Task Forces. The aim of a Task Force is to identify an important issue in language and social psychology research and bring together a group of scholars to highlight the current strengths, gaps and limitations in that area through a language and social psychological lens. Scholars may focus on a new or underdeveloped research domain, or select a topic that has in the past received a great deal of attention. The IALSP Task Force forum provides an opportunity for scholars to tackle difficult language and social psychology (LSP) issues and meet new communication challenges. The Task Force usually puts together five or more papers on the chosen topic.

Process

A Task Force is chosen through a competitive selection process. Submissions of a Task Force proposal should be no longer than two pages in length and should clearly identify the Task Force topic, along with a rationale, and should include clear aims and goals. Once the submission has been approved by an IALSP Working Committee, the successful Task Force proposal author(s) invite communication scholars to write the papers outlined in the submission (either personally or through a more general Call for Papers). There are normally five papers (but sometimes more) per Task Force and each paper should focus on a different aspect of the topic. Completion date for papers is May of the year of the biannual IALSP conference (ICLASP).

Task Force Outcomes

Authors of the chosen set of papers will be invited to present their research in a special symposium at International Conference on Language and Social Psychology. Members of the Task Force will also have an opportunity to present their findings in the IALSP symposium at International Communication Association conference the same year. There is a small amount of financial support provided to the Task Force Chair(s) to assist with conference costs.

In the past, the Journal of Language and Social Psychology has published a number of outputs arising from the Task Force as a special issue. This is not officially part of the Task Force proceedings or responsibilities for those involved, but is a possibility for Task Forces, if convenor(s) have a coherent package after selecting papers from the abstracts submitted.

Previous Task Forces

The following are previous Task Force topics:

  • The Language and Social Psychology of Adolescence

  • Language and Computer Technology

  • Language and Discrimination

  • Language in Health Communication

  • Endangered Languages

  • Language and Tourism

  • Science Communication