HISTORY
Society for Phenomenology and Media
The Society for Phenomenology and Media (SPM) was formed in 1998 and held its first conference in San Diego, February, 1999. The idea for the creation of the Society came from Paul Majkut. Though not a strict phenomenologist, he was friendly to the approach after studying Husserl under V. J. McGill. McGill, along with Dorion Cairns and Marvin Farber, studied with Husserl in the 1920s; although McGill, a former President of the American Philosophical Association, did not consider himself a phenomenologist. Majkut 's interests were confined to transcendental phenomenology and the naturalist and dialectical materialism of his teacher.
Although Majkut believed that Husserl's work would remain the central theoretical lens of the society, this was
not to be the case. The first SPM conference was decidedly catholic, with papers inspired not only by Husserl, but Merleau-Ponty, Ingarden, Heidegger, and others. Philosophical diversity was encouraged and came from a wide variety of perspectives: analytic and linguistic analysis, feminist, Marxism, pragmatism, post-colonial theory, semiotic, and other contemporary approaches, as well as the range of phenomenological opinion. Only questions of media theory and practice remained constant. The Society thanks Society founder Paul Majkut for his vision.
The society has two publications: Glimpse, at first a publication of conference proceedings, but since 2009 a peer-reviewed journal, and Outis, a conference proceedings of the SPM Project on Deception. At its inception, the society was helped by Professor Lester Embree and the Center for Advanced Research in Phenomenology (CARP).
SPM has a democratic organizational structure that encourages open-mindedness and toleration of divergent philosophical approaches with a standard set of Society Bylaws, a Board of Directors and a Board of Advisors.
In its early years, SPM formed a close relationship with the Circulo Latinoamericano Fenomenologia (CLAFEN), especially in the persons of Prof. Rosemary Rizo-Patron of the Pontifical University of Peru and Antonio Zirion of Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, and continued with the invitation of Julia Iribarne of National Academy of Sciences, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
In 2003, SPM became a founding member of the Organization of Phenomenological Organizations (OPO) at its first conference in Prague, the Czech Republic, and was represented by Prof. Majkut, who also represented SPM at the second meeting in Lima, Peru.
At its inception, the directors of the Society decided that a number of papers accepted for presentation at its conferences would be reserved for those working towards a doctorate. It was also decided that as an international organization annual conferences would be held in rotation in the European Union, North America (Canada and the United States), and Latin America. SPM is particularly interested in bringing the work of Latin American phenomenologists to the attention of North American and European thinkers.
PAST CONFERENCES
2026
Twenty-seven Annual
International Conference
Hosts: Shoji Nagataki
Chukyo University, Nagoya, Japan
2025
Twenty-six Annual
International Conference
Hosts: Jacques Ibanez
Université Savoie Mont Blanc, France
2023
Twenty-four Annual
International Conference
Hosts: Stacey Irwin, Millersville University of Pennsylvania
Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA
2022
Twenty-three Virtual Annual
International Conference
2021
Twenty-second Virtual Annual
International Conference
2020. Hosts: Alberto Carrillo Canán, Dean Sheng-li Chilián.
2020
Cancelled because of corona virus. Twenty-second International Conference.
Tallinn University, Tallinn, Estonia. Host: Tonu Viik. To be replaced by virtual, online conference, directed by Marleni Reyes.
2019
Twenty-first International Conference.
Universdidad Autonoma de Puebla, Puebla, Mexico. Host: Marleni Reyes. Keynoter: Rosemary Rizo Patron de Lerner, "Evidence and Truth in the Digital Age: A Husserlian Perspective."
2019 (September)
Media Studies Week: Speaking Pictures
Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (BUAP), Puebla. Mexico.
2019 (March)
Color Studies Week
Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (BUAP), Puebla. Mexico.
2018
Twentieth International Conference
University of Akureyri (Háskólinn á Akureyri)
Host: Lars Lundsten. Keynoter: Nyasha Mboti, "Apartheid Studies."
2018 (September)
Image Study Week: Media Analysis, Theory and Practice
Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (BUAP), Puebla, Mexico.
2017
Nineteenth International Conference
Vrije Universiteit Brussel. Host: Yoni van den Eede. Keynoters: Langdon Winner "Media Politicized"; Michel Puech, "Media Epistemology."
2016
Eighteenth International Conference
Universdidad Autonoma de Puebla, Mexico Co-Hosts: Alberto Canan Carrillo, May Zindel. Seminar Conference: "Finding Common Media Ground."
2015
Seventeenth International Conference
National University, San Diego, California Host: Melinda Campbell. Keynoters: Kelly Gates, "Digital Surveillance"; Carl Boggs, "Corporate Media."
2014
Sixteenth International Conference
University of Freiburg, Germany Host: Miguel A. García. Keynoter: Andreas Ströhl, "Flusser and Media."
2013
Fifteenth International Conference
Universdidad Autonoma de Puebla, Puebla, Mexico Co-Hosts: Alberto Canan Carrillo, May Zindel . Keynoter: Allan Casebier, "Phenomenology and Film."
2012
Fourteenth International Conference
National University, San Diego, California Host: Paul Majkut. Keynoter: Marc van der Bossche, "The (Im-)possibility of Virtual Bodies."
2011
Thirteenth International Conference
University of Freiburg, Germany. Host: Miguel A. García. Keynoter: Friedrich Uehlein, "Lord Shaftesbury and Edmund Husserl."
2010
Twelfth International Conference
niversdidad Autonoma de Puebla, Puebla, Mexico Co-Hosts: Alberto Canan Carrillo, May Zindel. Seminar Conference": "Philosophical Implications of Media Studies."
2009
Eleventh International Conference
Arlington, Virginia Host: Dennis Skocz. Seminar Conference: "The Role of Phenomenology in Media Studies"
2008
Tenth International Conference
Universdidad Autonoma de Puebla, Puebla, Mexico Host: Alberto Canan Carrillo. Seminar Conference: "McLuhan and Beyond."
2007
Ninth International Conference
National University, San Diego, California Host: Paul Majkut. Seminar Conference: "New and Old Concepts on New and Old Media."
2006
Eighth International Conference
National University, San Diego, California Host: Paul Majkut. Keynote: Julia Iribarne, National Academy of Sciences, Buenos Aires, Argentina: "We are Subhuman: Responsibility and Media through Sartre’s Nausea."
2005
4th Annual Outis Conference on Deception
The Outis Project on Deception. National University, San Diego. Keynote, Paul Majkut: "The First Casualty of War."
2005
3rd Annual Outis Conference on Deception.The Outis Project on Deception.
Universdidad Autonoma de Puebla, Puebla, Mexico. Keynote, Alberto Canan Carrillo: "Deception and Mediation."
2005
Seventh SPM Conference
Western Oregon University, Cannon Beach, OR, May 12-14, 2005
2004
Seventeenth International Conference
National University, San Diego, California Host: Melinda Campbell. Keynoters: Kelly Gates, "Digital Surveillance"; Carl Boggs, "Corporate Media."
2004
Sixth International Conference
Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah Host: Kay Egan. Keynote: John Durham Peters, University of Iowa: "The Voice and Modern Media."
2003
Fifth International Conference
Arcata Polytechnical Institute, Helsinki, Finland Host: Lars Lundsten. Keynote: Barry Smith, University of Buffalo: "Medicine and Phenomenology."
2003, October
2nd Annual Outis Conference of Deception
Buenos Aires, Argentina. Keynote: Julia Iribarne. “Deceptive Mimicry."
2002,September
1st Annual Outis Conference on Deception.The Outis Project on Deception.
Jagiellonian University. Krakow, Poland. Keynote: Paul Majkut. “The Odyssean Complex, Preemptive Deception, and Deceptive Mimicry,”
2002
Fourth International Conference
Universdidad Autonoma de Puebla, Puebla, Mexico Host: Alberto Canan Carrillo. Keynoter: Maricio Beauchot, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico: "Verdad y Otredad en Emmanuel Levinas como Raices de la Communicacion"; Report: Antonio Zirion, Instituto de El Instituto de Investigaciones Filosóficas, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico: "The Status of Phenomenology in Contemporary Latin America."
2001
Third International Conference
National University, San Diego, California. Host: Paul Majkut. Keynoters: J. N. Mohanty: "Notes of Husserl"; Bina Gupta, University of Missouri-Columbia: "If Journalists were Vedantins."
2000
Second International Conference
National University, San Diego, California
Host: Paul Majkut. Keynote: Vivian Sobchack, University of California, Los Angeles: “Nostalgia for a Digital Object: Regrets on the Quickening of QuickTime" Report: Lester Embree: "The Mother of all Phenomenological Websites: Development of the Center for Advanced Research in Phenomenology."
1999
First International Conference
National University, San Diego, California, and Universidad Iberoamericana, Tijuana, Mexico. Host: Paul Majkut. Keynote: Anna-Teresa-Tymienieska, The World Phenomenology Institute: "Reality and Its Simile"