Olivia Wolf Lecture Notes Test 2 10 8 12 Objectives Symbolic Interaction Theory SIT SIT s concepts and explanations Goal purpose of SIT Research generated from SIT How SIT defines communication What are SIT s Metatheoretical assumptions Evaluation SIT Symbolic Interaction Theory SIT George Herbert Mead Mead fascinated by human s ability to use symbols o Mind Self and society 1934 o Herbert Blumer Symbolic Interaction Goal of SIT To EXPLAIN how humans through interaction with one another create symbolic worlds and how these worlds affect behavior Communication is a social endeavor ontological Must there be correspondence Symbolic actions Assumption Regarding Meanings and Behavior People act based on symbolic meanings created between them o Meaning is created through interaction between people o Meaning is modified through an interpretive process o Created meaning affects behavior SIT s Key Concepts Mind ability to use symbols that have common social meanings must have common meaning socially constructed o Explanation we cannot interact with others until we learn language Shared system of verbal and nonverbal symbols organized in patterns to express thoughts and feelings Language uses significant symbols symbols with shared meaning o Mind constructs peoples ability to use language o Through language we share meanings and anticipate responses of o Mind reflects and created society use language to learn norms of society and to change those norms o Mind allows thought inner conversation without social interaction others we can t think o Thought allows role taking taking the perspective of others o Role taking leads to empathy see the world through someone s lens and the development of self Self ability to reflect on ourselves from the perspective of others o Explanation Self develops from role taking taking the perspective of others o Looking glass Self Cooley 1912 look in the mirror and ask what do other people think of me o Pygmalion Effect living up to other people s expectations Society the web of social relationships humans create o Explanation exists prior to individuals born into society created by individuals interaction create individual selfs particular others significant others and generalized others society as a whole Research Related to SIT Mind Self and Society 1934 Chicago School University of Chicago Mead and Blumer Iowa School University of Iowa Manford Kuhn 20 statements test New Iowa School Carl Couch 10 10 12 Evaluation of SIT Scope too broad Precision ignores important concepts o Emotions o Self esteem evaluation of self How does SIT define communication Sociologist Intrapersonal humans Symbolic actions and correspondence Metatheoretical Assumptions Ontological o Real choices YES o Social vs Individual YES o Contextual YES Epistemological o Knowledge can change o Qualitative testing Axiological o Values can do play a big part o HUMANIST The Coordinated Management of Meaning CMM Cronen Pearce and Harris 1992 Chapter The coordinated management of meaning A theory of communication Goal to EXPLAIN how people co create meaning in conversation Similar to Meade how we create communication with other people different approaches CMM is a Rules Theory Explains what happens in conversation as a result of the following rules What happens when different meanings meet People use rules to create and interpret meaning Use different rules get different meaning Meaning is constantly coordinated Explanation Assumption People create systems of meaning not a systems theory Organize meaning hierarchically Temporarily need to start at some place People co create reality Behavior is not interpretable except in context of a larger system Personal and interpersonal meaning Factors going into figuring out meaning of words Six Levels hierarchy of meaning Content knowing meaning of words Speech acts intent behind out words insult praise compliment Contract relationship two people interaction have if you understand relationships then you can understand intent Episodes decide where event starts gives event meaning to us different meaning based on where we punctuate Life script own experiences take with us every other communication interaction Cultural patterns different cultures have different experiences Coordination of Meaning Exists when people attempt to make sense of messages in conversation Three possible outcomes o Coordinate meaning o Don t coordinate meaning o Partially create meaning keep up interaction until we coordinate meaning Coordination Depends on Sense of morality ethics because of different rules we have different rights and responsibilities different cultures traditions etc Available resources cancer patient meet doctor for person don t know what to expect doctor has many resources so he might lead the conversation After a few years the patient might lead the conversation will be a different one Following rules come to a common meaning descriptions of how to process information provide common symbolic framework for communication provide opportunity for choice 10 15 12 Objectives The coordinated management of meaning CMM Goal purpose of CMM Explanation in CMM Assumptions guiding CMM Hierarchy of meaning Coordination of meaning The use of rules in the CMM CMM s meta theoretical assumptions Types of Rules Constitutive definition o What a message should mean within a given context ex I love you to a romantic partner vs friend vs parents Regulative Behavior o Guidelines for behavior based on the given meaning of the words ex I love you to a romantic partner have expectations of behavior to follow this phrase calling dinner hang out with friends meet family etc Research Intercultural communication Interpersonal relationships Families Organizations Applied in therapeutic situations Evaluation of CMM CMM says we create unique language systems but we share a language system The good o It s a communication theory o Valid The bad o Too broad scope o Inconsistent Issues in defining Communication Intentional Correspondence YES Successful Ethical Honest Cognition thought perception YES Human to Human YES Symbolic Actions Acknowledge actions CMM S Metatheoretical Assumptions Ontological o Make real choices yes o Individual or social social o Contextualized yes Epistemological o Learn through observation o Tested mostly in qualitative ways Axiological o Value free just trying to describe and explain what is going on Where does CMM fall on the Continuum Closer to humanist ontological
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