Communication Theory Notes Communication and Theory What is communication The process by which people interactively create sustain and manage meaning pg 2 Communication reflects the world socially we were born into a world that was already created Communication simultaneously helps to create the world creates new understandings perspectives the way we understand everything Nature does not have funny humans have created it What is a theory any systematic summary about the nature of the communication process pg 3 Concepts or variables Clarify Predict Personal Social change Types of Theories Common sense Scholarly Working skills based professional experience Goal of Theory enable useful responses Theory practice praxis Example Scholarly Theory Two Approaches to Researching Theories Social Scientific and Humanistic Three Characteristics Human Nature Goal of Research Methods 1 Uncertainty reduction theory we don t like to be uncertain professional romantic intercultural Reduce uncertainty in dating by increasing information Social Scientific Human Nature Humanistic Human Nature Deterministic 1 Pragmatic People are reactive x causes a 2 People are dynamic 3 Example reaction Example Social Scientific Goal of Humanistic Goal of Research Research Goal understanding Goal understanding prediction Basic unit of analysis Basic unit of analysis numbers variables Research Process hypothesis and deduction Theory is particular Symbols Research Process Grounded and Inductive 4 Theory is holistic Methods Methods Researcher should be objective Researcher practices verstehn Etic the outsider s perspective understand trying to get into the Standardization and control mind of the audience Quantitative sample data statistics Emic the insider s view Experiments and surveys Context Qualitative content symbols and group Textual and Ethnography Combines both Focus Group 2 Introduction to Communication Theory Inter disciplinary Robert Craig s 7 Communication Traditions No canon or common texts No common goals Sever sets of concepts and assumption a Communication theorized as the practical art of discourse I Rhetorical Tradition 1 Single speaker 2 Functional politics court 3 art or skill 4 predominant until 1960 b Research Question 3 Greeks o 3 Theories of Communication o 3 Theories of Rhetoric Plato Religious Aristotle Social Scientific Gorgias Humanist How does a speaker address an exigency a problem 3 c Three Greek Theories o 1 Plato s Theory of Communication Proper Name Theory a Religious Perspective language is imperfect and people use language thoughtlessly b goal process for finding the proper name dialectic or written dialogues c Rhetoric is a problem rhetoric distorts language for human ends 1 Art becomes tricks anyone can learn 2 Cookery appeals to pleasure recipe anyone can follow a recipe o 2 Aristotle s Theory of Communication Logos logic reason a Scientist s perspective language is a natural expression of reason and can be observed and classified natural social ex trees mammals geography b Goal use logos to be consistent functional and practical c Rhetoric is not a problem It is natural neither good nor bad 1 Observed and categorized and used 2 Skill to be taught in On Rhetoric o 3 Gorgias Sophist Theory of Communication linguistic relativism language is relative 4 Sophist traveling teachers traveled all throughout north Africa middle east etc they encountered all kinds of people in different cultures which greatly influenced how they saw the world a humanist perspective language reflects your culture and experience so every meaning is ephemeral fleeting changes over time contextual b Goal embrace and exploit the ambiguity of meaning c Rhetoric is a necessity 1 If everything is relative and there is no Truth then everything is open to persuasion 2 Democracy voting law etc II Socio Cultural Tradition a Communication theorized as the symbolic processes that produce and reproduce shared socio cultural patterns o 1 We socially construct reality a There is not one reality b Realities are a product of social experience c Language creates represents those different realities o 2 Reification making something real or making something concrete forgetfulness you forget it s a social construct ex grades holidays o 3 Thomas Theorem Social Constructions have real consequences Ex grades national anthem sexism racism o 4 Garfinkeling or Breaching 5 a challenging social expectations to reveal the underlying accepted norms b subtle not extreme ex elevator face everyone in elevator ex college students go home and do what your parents ask you to do concerned parents started calling university ex proxemics space ex table etiquette b Research Questions o 1 How do we avoid conflicts between cultures o 2 How do we avoid individual alienation III Socio Psychological Tradition a Communication theorized as the process of influencing individuals and audiences o 1 broad research area individual influence mass media influence o 2 individuals have innate or learned predispositions Nature or Nurture o 3 Individuals have similar predispositions a research to discover these predispositions b aggregate data generalizable findings c then exploit these predispositions to influence aggregates b research question 6 o 1 How do we influence predispositions to produce a desired effect o 2 Practical Purpose How do we sell more of our beer Which messages will keep teens from drinking What types of ads do voters favor c Liner model of Influence Cause Effect Who Says What In Which Channel To Whom With What Effect By Harold Lasswell d Communication science will be on test o 1 Scientific Research Approach a Variables who what channel etc b Objective researchers use experiences and surveys to understand and predict outcomes o 2 Discover universal laws of communication e Five Variables o Who o What o Channel o Whom o What Effect IV Cybernetic Tradition 7 A Communication theorizes as information processing systems o 1 System independent parts working as a whole o 2 Information links the different parts of the system information creates the system ex telephone texting television family organizations PR o 3 Shannon and Weaver s Mechanical Model a Information source produces a message b Transmitter encodes the message into signals c Channel how message travels d Receiver decodes or reconstructs the message e Destination person who receives the message g Noise any interference f feedback response to message Source Thinks I love you Transmitter