Chapter 12 Relational Dialetic Theories Goal To understand dialectical tensions within relationships o Relationships are always in process and relational life is characterized by ongoing tensions between contradictory impulses Assumptions Relationships are not linear Relational life is characterized by change Contradictions are fundamental to relational life Communication is central to negotiating relational contradictions Approaches to contradictions o Monologic contradictions are either or o Dualistic contradictions are separate and somewhat unrelated o Dialectic multiple points of view Concepts o Totality People in relationships are interdependent Social and cultural influences on relationships o Contradictions Dialectics are the result of oppositions o Motion o Praxis Relationships are processes and change over time People are choice makers Choice limits choices Basic Interactional Dialects Autonomy and Connection o independence vs Intimacy Openness and Protection o Vulnerable vs Guarded Novelty and Predictability o Excitement vs Stability Contextual Dialectics o Public vs Private o Real vs Ideal Methods of Dealing with Dialectal Tension o Cyclic Alternation o Segmentation o Selection o Integration Neutralizing Reframing Disqualifying Evaluation o Heuristic Romantic Relationships Marriages Erbert 2000 Long Distance Relationships Sahlstein 2006 Friendships Rawlins 1992 Workplace Relationships Baxter Bridge 1992 o ValidToo Parsimonious Scholars disagree over of dialectics Friendships Rawlins 1992 Workplace Apker Propp Ford 2005 Community Theater Kramer 2004 Television Show Dawson s Creek Meyer 2003 o Does not predict well Issues in defining communication Metatheoretical Assumptions Chapter 14 Groupthink Irving Janis Goal To understand the nature of decision making in small groups o Boundary Conditions Decision making or task oriented groups Groups under pressure to make decisions Defined The inability of a group to realistically appraise alternative courses of action due to o High Cohesiveness o Desire for Unanimity Assumptions of Groupthink Conditions in group promote high cohesiveness Group problem solving is a unified process o Affiliated constraints Groups and group decision making are complex Conditions that MIGHT promote Groupthink o High Cohesiveness o Structural Faults of the Organization Group Insulation No Impartial Leadership Homogeneity of Group Members No Decision Making Procedures o High Stress Symptoms of Groupthink Overestimation of the Group o Illusions of Invulnerability o Belief in the Inherent Morality of the Group Closed Mindedness o Out Group Stereotypes o Collective Rationalizations Pressures Toward Uniformity o Self Censorship o Illusion of Unanimity o Self Appointed Mindguards o Pressures on Dissenters Groupthink explanation Preventing Gorupthink o Require Oversight and Control of Group Decision Making o Embrace Whistle Blowing within the Group o Allow for Objections i e Conscientious Objectors o Balance Consensus and Majority Rule Evaluation of Groupthink Pros Heurisitic Adequate Scope Janis meant his theory to apply ONLY to decision making groups under high stress Cons Underdeveloped Poorly conceptualized and Lacks empirical backing How does it define communication Methatheoretical assumptions Chapter 17 Organizational Information Theory OIT Karl Weick Goal To describe how organizations collect manage and use the information that they receive Theoretical Influences of OIT o General Systems Theory Bertalanffy 1968 The interrelationship among organizational units Feedback Feedback Cycles o Theory of Socio cultural Evolution Darwin 1948 Survival of the fittest Adaptable organizations will survive Ability to process information to meet goals Assumptions of OIT o Organizations exist in an information environment o The information an organization receives differs in its equivocality o Information processing reduces equivocality o The process organizational members go through to understand the information they receive every day o Communication is essential to organizational success are instrumental in the creation and maintenance of message Focus of OIT People meaning Key Concepts Information Environment Equivocality Rules o Guidelines an organization has for dealing with information o 4 Types of Rules Duration Personnel Success Effort Cycles o A series of communication behaviors used by members of an organization to reduce the ambiguity of information o Three stages to a cycle Act Response Adjustment o Double interact loops Principals of Equivocality Reduction of equivocality depends on o amount of equivocality o number rules in place o number of cycles needed New rules in place more cycles will be needed to reduce equivocality The more cycles used the less equivocality remains Reducing Equivocality o Enactment o Selection o Retention Evaluation Utility Heurism o The focus on communication process resonates with communication scholars o Four Models of Public Relations J Grunig Hunt 1984 The Press Agentry Model The Public Information Model The 2 way Asymmetrical Model The 2 way Symmetrical Model o 4 Models of PR serves as a concrete application of OIT How organizations manage and use information according to particular purposes Logical Consistency o Do people really follow the rules Define communication Intentional Correspondence Chapter 18 Classical Rhetorical Theory CRT Aristotles Rhetoric Classical Rhetorical Theory is Humanistic Part of humanist tradition of theory building testing o Hermeneutic Interpretive Theories Differs from social scientific approaches o humanists deny objective truth o builds knowledge through human reasoning and social construction Definitions of Rheotric Aristotle 384 BC 322 BC the ability to determine in any particular case all the available means of persuasion The Rhetoric o Falls under the Public Communication Context One to Many Oral Communication George Kennedy contemporary rhetorical theorist a system of language intentionally used to persuade others decisions or actions o Oral and Written Communication Goals of Public Communication To inform Communication designed to explain concepts relate ideas describe processes outline thoughts To persuade Communication designed to affect social or attitude change alter another s opinions values ideas and worldviews convince others of problems solutions and policy plans and to sell pitch win over etc To entertain all other one to many communication such as laughter drama praise
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