COMM 2 11 13 Axiology 02 11 2013 Branch of philosophy studying values Place of values in the research process Should the researcher impart values into their theories QUESTSIONS o Is research value free o Does the practice of inquiry influence that which is studied o Should research attempt to achieve social change o Is it a value free theory or a value latent theory ALL THEORIES ARE GUIDED BY THE THEORISTS META THEORETICAL ASSUMPTION It s the theorists ideas of whats the best way to learn about communication how its used in the real world and its their values Knowledge based on observation Phenomenon are waiting to be discovered Reality is distinct from the scientist scientist discovers reality Structured stepts to discovery EPISTEMOLOGY knowing parts vs whole Collectively scientist understand the world whole Behavior is shaped by forces beyond our control o Oncology communication is a matter of choice Seek universal laws Goal of research is explanation PREDICTION and sometimes control Test theoretical explanations using quantitative research methods World View 1 Empirical Scientists World View 2 Humanst Knowledge is created by the researcher Knower can not be separated from the known Theories research explore the web of meaning constituting human Multiple meanings are acceptable multiple interpretations Good interpretations are those that convince Human behavior is voluntary as free choice increases predictability experience decreases Goal of research is better understanding of the phenonmena being studied Sometimes social change critcal theorists attempting social change Qualitative research methods Theorietical Continum Scientific Side of Scholarship HARD CORE social scientists all the way left o Objective knowledge o Search for regularity in communication behavior o Systematic observation of communication behaviors o Knowledge gained through empirical means o Goals of explanation prediction and control Humanistic Side all the way right o Some knowledge is subjective o Focus on individuals and how they create meaning o Non standardized methods o Knowledge gained through introspecition and interpretations o Goals of understanding and social science A SPECTRUM BETWEEN THE TWO Paradigms in Commuication Field sets of assumptions that guide scholarship Covering Laws Approach o No choice o Believe people communicate the way they do because some prior condition caused them to respond in a certain way o Ontological o Communication is governed by forces that are preditable and Based on relationship between phenomenon if x occurs generalizable o Universal y happens o Positivistics Laws Deterministic If x then def y o Probabilitic Laws If x then probably y under certain conditions z Law like Don t always work o Law Theorists want to discover the conditions that will cause people to communicate in com way Explain and predict Rules Approach Systems Approach Rhetoricians Rules Approach Choice proactive not reactive People make purposeful choices about their actions to achieve goals Goals achieved by following social rules for decisions Rules as goal action linkages Rules are context specific Rules Theorists want to Understand Why people chose to follow or not follow rules The effect of following not following the rules How people create or negotiate rules What are the meta theoretical assumptions of the Rules Theorists Matter of choice Social endeavor Contexts matters Systems Approach o Law like o Rules Properties of Systems Human behavior part of system o Need to understand system Free will constrained by system in which they operate Interdependence Wholeness Heirarchy Boundaries and Openness Calibration and Feedback Equifinality many different ways to achieve the same goals Rheotiricians Critical approach Interpretive or hermeneutic approach Theoretical Continuum of Scientific Vs Humanistic Approaches to the Study of Communication Scientific o Laws Humanistic o Rhetoricians o Interpretive o Critical INBETWEEN o Systems closer to scientific o Rules closer to humanistic 02 11 2013 02 11 2013
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