COMM250 Exam 2 Notes Hubbard Intrapersonal Theories SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM 10 8 2012 Questions to Ask About Theories of Communication Presented in Class How does the theory define communication What is are the goal s of the theory What are the theory s concepts and explanations How has the theory been tested What are the theorist s Metatheoretical assumptions Is it a good theory of communication i e evaluate the theory We should be able to answer all these for all future theories presented Symbolic Interaction Theory SIT George Herbert Mead Credited in creating SIT aka Symbolic Interactionism Published in Mind Self and Society 1934 Fascinated by human s ability to use symbols verbal nonverbal symbols Herbert Blumer Student of Mead Credited with Symbolic interaction Goal of SIT To explain how humans through interaction with one another create symbolic worlds and how these worlds affect behavior Theory came out of sociology 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 Self Society Mind Concept Ability to use symbols that have common social meanings We cannot interact with others until we learn language o Language shared system of verbal and nonverbal symbols organized in patterns to express thoughts and feelings Language used significant symbols symbols with shared meaning Through language we o Share meanings o Anticipate responses of others Mind reflects and creates society HOW o Use language to learn norms of society o Change norms if we don t like norms we can use language to change them o Mind allows thought inner conversation Without social interaction we can t think o WHY Language develops through interaction COMM250 Exam 2 Notes Hubbard Thought allows role taking taking the perspective of others We use language to think Thought allows role taking o Role taking leads to Empathy The development of self Self Concept Ability to reflect on ourselves from the perspective of others According to Mead we do not have a sense of self in isolation Explanation Self developed from role taking o We do this by how we come across to other people What do others think of me o Looking glass Self Cooley 1912 refers to a mirror Meade believes when we look into a mirror we say to selves how do other people perceive me It has nothing to do with how you feel about yourself it s how we feel other people think about us o Pygmalion Effect it s the labels that other people give us Ex oh you are so cute PE says we internalize those labels and feel the way we were taught or told to feel Self fulfilling prophecy of sorts Society Concept the web of social relationships that humans create Views communication as a social endeavor Explanation exists prior to individuals o Created by individuals interacting o Creates individual selfs Particular others significant others the people we are usually close to or the people that are important to us or people in near proximity Generalized others society as a whole Research Related to SIT First evidence was book Mind Self and Society 1934 Chicago School University of Chicago Mead and Blumer Studied symbolic interaction using qualitative research Looked at people in conversation with each other people talking in relation to one another Looked at case studies Around until about the 1950s Iowa School University of Iowa Manford Kuhn 20 statements test characteristics Emerged in the 60s and 70s o Discovered the discovery of self o People started answering with role terms and then got down to personal COMM250 Exam 2 Notes Hubbard They decided that quantitative methods should be used numbers and survey instruments New Iowa School Carl Couch Felt that quantitative tests did not make sense because there weren t any cause effect relationships and that it should be qualitative Went back to qualitative with advancing technology tapes etc Irving Goffman 1967 1974 Popular in field of social psychology and dealt with symbolic interaction theory Interaction Rituals Sat in hotel lobbies watching the presentation of self in an everyday life o Second book o Has to do with how we represent ourselves Grandfathers the Face Negotiation Theory but not credited Work all the way up to 2000s and keep going heuristic value Trevino Lengel Draft 1987 LaRossa Reitzes 1993 Main Criticisms Scope Too Broad Trying to explain too much to describe all interaction between people Precision Ignored important concepts Emotions didn t get as close as it needed to get Self Esteem evaluation of self and role we play How Does SIT Define Communication Is it Intentional YES Symbolic Actions YES Cognition thought perception YES Human to human YES Metatheoretical Assumptions Ontological Choice YES Contextualized YES Context matters Individual or Social SOCIAL Epistemological Axiological NO values Overall Much more humanistic theory Knowledge arises by social constructivism Knowledge NOT certain because context matters and we negotiate meaning 10 15 2012 THE COORDINATED MANAGEMENT OF MEANING CMM COMM250 Exam 2 Notes Hubbard Objectives goal purpose explanation assumptions guiding CMM Hierarchy of Meaning use of rules Metatheoretical assumptions The Coordinated Management of Meaning Cronen Pearce Harris 1982 Chapter The Coordinated Management of Meaning A Theory of Communication Harris was just a grad student so Cronen and Pearce get most credit Goal of CMM To explain how people co create meaning in conversation o Similar to goal of SIT trying to explain same thing but with different methods CMM is a Rules Theory b c it explains What happens in conversations as a result of following rules What happens when different rules meet Explanation o People use rules to create and interpret meaning o Use different rules get different meaning Knowledge certain No o Meaning is constantly coordinated and developing rules for interpreting meaning Assumptions Guiding CMM People create systems of meaning o Organize meaning hierarchically o Temporally People co create a social reality Behavior not interpretable except in context of larger system o TO understand behavior we must look at the context environment or type of relationship o Personal and interpersonal meaning Each person has own personal meaning and you come together to create interpersonal meaning Hierarchy of Meaning 6 Levels Content Level This is
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