Theorizing Communication
Readings Across Traditions
Robert T. Craig
- University of Colorado at Boulder, USA
Heidi L. Muller
- University of Northern Colorado, USA
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Go to College Publishing WebsiteDescription
Theorizing Communication: Readings Across Traditions is the first collection of primary-source readings built around seven traditions of communication theory— rhetorical, semiotic, phenomenological, cybernetic, sociopsychological, sociocultural, and critical.. The selected readings illustrate the history of each tradition and current trends. Enhancing the readings are introductory essays and sets of projects for theorizing through which the editors highlight contemporary interpretations, new directions, and/or hybrid approaches to studying communication theory.
Key Features:
- Includes key primary source readings that have helped to define the field of Communication Theory: This collection of readings is not available elsewhere and frees instructors from having to design their own course packs.
- Offers a comprehensive view of communication theory by not limiting content to a single approach: This book is the first collection of readings on communication theory based on Robert T. Craig's seven traditions of communication theory.
- Provides much more than just readings: Original introductions help to explain, locate, and explore complexities surrounding each of the readings. The concluding chapter suggests future directions for the field.
- Allows students to engage and interact with each tradition: Each unit ends with suggested future readings as well as projects to help students apply and extend the unit's key ideas.
Intended Audience:
This volume is designed for advanced undergraduate and graduate courses in Communication Theory. It can be used as a stand-alone text or in conjunction with other books.
Contents
Introduction
Introduction
Unit I. Historical and Cultural Sources of Communication Theory
- Introduction to Unit I
- 1. Metaphors Concerning Speech in Homer
- 2. The Spiritualist Tradition
- 3. The Invention of Communication
- 4. A Cultural Approach to Communication
- Projects for Theorizing the Historical and Cultural Sources of Communication Theory
Unit II. Metatheory: Communication Theory as a Field
- Introduction to Unit II
- 5. Communication Theory as a Field
- Projects for Metatheorizing
Unit III. The Rhetorical Tradition
Unit III. The Rhetorical Tradition
Introduction to Unit III
- 6. Gorgias
- 7. Rhetoric
- 8. A Rhetoric of Motives
- 9. Beyond Persuasion: A Proposal for an Invitational Rhetoric
- Projects for Rhetorical Theorizing
Unit IV. The Semiotic Tradition
- Introduction to Unit IV
- 10. The Abuse of Words
- 11. What Is a Sign?
- 12. The Object of Linguistics
- 13. The Photographic Message
- 14. Communication With Aliens
- Projects for Semiotic Theorizing
Unit V. The Phenomenological Tradition
- Introduction to Unit V
- 15. The Problem of Experiencing Someone Else
- 16. Dialogue
- 17. The Hermeneutical Experience
- 18. Deconstructing Communication
- Projects for Phenomenological Theorizing
Unit VI. The Cybernetic Tradition
- Introduction to Unit VI
- 19. Cybernetics in History
- 20. Some Tentative Axioms of Communication
- 21. The Limited Capacity Model of Mediated Message Processing
- 22. What Is Communication?
- Projects for Cybernetic Theorizing
Unit VII. The Sociopsychological Tradition
- Introduction to Unit VII
- 23. Social Communication
- 24. Some Explorations in Initial Interaction and Beyond
- 25. Social Cognitive Theory of Mass Communication
- 26. The Small Group Should Be the Fundamental Unit of Communication Research
- Projects for Sociopsychological Theorizing
Unit VIII. The Sociocultural Tradition
- Introduction to Unit VIII
- 27. The Social Foundations and Functions of Thought and Communication
- 28. The Mode of Information and Postmodernity
- 29. Communication as the Modality of Structuration
- 30. Good to Talk?
- Projects for Sociocultural Theorizing
Unit IX. The Critical Tradition
- Introduction to Unit IX
- 31. The German Ideology
- 32. The Culture Industry: Enlightenment as Mass Deception
- 33. Truth and Society: The Discursive Redemption of Factual Claims to Validity
- 34. Systematically Distorted Communication and Discursive Closure
- 35. Paris Iis Always More Than Paris
- Projects for Critical Theorizing
- Concluding Reflections
Index
Index
Description
Theorizing Communication: Readings Across Traditions is the first collection of primary-source readings built around seven traditions of communication theory— rhetorical, semiotic, phenomenological, cybernetic, sociopsychological, sociocultural, and critical.. The selected readings illustrate the history of each tradition and current trends. Enhancing the readings are introductory essays and sets of projects for theorizing through which the editors highlight contemporary interpretations, new directions, and/or hybrid approaches to studying communication theory.
Key Features:
- Includes key primary source readings that have helped to define the field of Communication Theory: This collection of readings is not available elsewhere and frees instructors from having to design their own course packs.
- Offers a comprehensive view of communication theory by not limiting content to a single approach: This book is the first collection of readings on communication theory based on Robert T. Craig's seven traditions of communication theory.
- Provides much more than just readings: Original introductions help to explain, locate, and explore complexities surrounding each of the readings. The concluding chapter suggests future directions for the field.
- Allows students to engage and interact with each tradition: Each unit ends with suggested future readings as well as projects to help students apply and extend the unit's key ideas.
Intended Audience:
This volume is designed for advanced undergraduate and graduate courses in Communication Theory. It can be used as a stand-alone text or in conjunction with other books.
Contents
Introduction
Introduction
Unit I. Historical and Cultural Sources of Communication Theory
- Introduction to Unit I
- 1. Metaphors Concerning Speech in Homer
- 2. The Spiritualist Tradition
- 3. The Invention of Communication
- 4. A Cultural Approach to Communication
- Projects for Theorizing the Historical and Cultural Sources of Communication Theory
Unit II. Metatheory: Communication Theory as a Field
- Introduction to Unit II
- 5. Communication Theory as a Field
- Projects for Metatheorizing
Unit III. The Rhetorical Tradition
Unit III. The Rhetorical Tradition
Introduction to Unit III
- 6. Gorgias
- 7. Rhetoric
- 8. A Rhetoric of Motives
- 9. Beyond Persuasion: A Proposal for an Invitational Rhetoric
- Projects for Rhetorical Theorizing
Unit IV. The Semiotic Tradition
- Introduction to Unit IV
- 10. The Abuse of Words
- 11. What Is a Sign?
- 12. The Object of Linguistics
- 13. The Photographic Message
- 14. Communication With Aliens
- Projects for Semiotic Theorizing
Unit V. The Phenomenological Tradition
- Introduction to Unit V
- 15. The Problem of Experiencing Someone Else
- 16. Dialogue
- 17. The Hermeneutical Experience
- 18. Deconstructing Communication
- Projects for Phenomenological Theorizing
Unit VI. The Cybernetic Tradition
- Introduction to Unit VI
- 19. Cybernetics in History
- 20. Some Tentative Axioms of Communication
- 21. The Limited Capacity Model of Mediated Message Processing
- 22. What Is Communication?
- Projects for Cybernetic Theorizing
Unit VII. The Sociopsychological Tradition
- Introduction to Unit VII
- 23. Social Communication
- 24. Some Explorations in Initial Interaction and Beyond
- 25. Social Cognitive Theory of Mass Communication
- 26. The Small Group Should Be the Fundamental Unit of Communication Research
- Projects for Sociopsychological Theorizing
Unit VIII. The Sociocultural Tradition
- Introduction to Unit VIII
- 27. The Social Foundations and Functions of Thought and Communication
- 28. The Mode of Information and Postmodernity
- 29. Communication as the Modality of Structuration
- 30. Good to Talk?
- Projects for Sociocultural Theorizing
Unit IX. The Critical Tradition
- Introduction to Unit IX
- 31. The German Ideology
- 32. The Culture Industry: Enlightenment as Mass Deception
- 33. Truth and Society: The Discursive Redemption of Factual Claims to Validity
- 34. Systematically Distorted Communication and Discursive Closure
- 35. Paris Iis Always More Than Paris
- Projects for Critical Theorizing
- Concluding Reflections
Index
Index
Reviews
April 2007 | 544 pages | Sage US
| Format | Published Date | ISBN | Price |
|---|
Theorizing Communication: Readings Across Traditions is the first collection of primary-source readings built around seven traditions of communication theory— rhetorical, semiotic, phenomenological, cybernetic, sociopsychological, sociocultural, and critical.. The selected readings illustrate the history of each tradition and current trends. Enhancing the readings are introductory essays and sets of projects for theorizing through which the editors highlight contemporary interpretations, new directions, and/or hybrid approaches to studying communication theory.
Key Features:
- Includes key primary source readings that have helped to define the field of Communication Theory: This collection of readings is not available elsewhere and frees instructors from having to design their own course packs.
- Offers a comprehensive view of communication theory by not limiting content to a single approach: This book is the first collection of readings on communication theory based on Robert T. Craig's seven traditions of communication theory.
- Provides much more than just readings: Original introductions help to explain, locate, and explore complexities surrounding each of the readings. The concluding chapter suggests future directions for the field.
- Allows students to engage and interact with each tradition: Each unit ends with suggested future readings as well as projects to help students apply and extend the unit's key ideas.
Intended Audience:
This volume is designed for advanced undergraduate and graduate courses in Communication Theory. It can be used as a stand-alone text or in conjunction with other books.
Table Of Contents:
- Introduction
- Unit I. Historical and Cultural Sources of Communication Theory
- Introduction to Unit I
- 1. Metaphors Concerning Speech in Homer
- 2. The Spiritualist Tradition
- 3. The Invention of Communication
- 4. A Cultural Approach to Communication
- Projects for Theorizing the Historical and Cultural Sources of Communication Theory
- Unit II. Metatheory: Communication Theory as a Field
- Introduction to Unit II
- 5. Communication Theory as a Field
- Projects for Metatheorizing
- Unit III. The Rhetorical Tradition
- Introduction to Unit III
- 6. Gorgias
- 7. Rhetoric
- 8. A Rhetoric of Motives
- 9. Beyond Persuasion: A Proposal for an Invitational Rhetoric
- Projects for Rhetorical Theorizing
- Unit IV. The Semiotic Tradition
- Introduction to Unit IV
- 10. The Abuse of Words
- 11. What Is a Sign?
- 12. The Object of Linguistics
- 13. The Photographic Message
- 14. Communication With Aliens
- Projects for Semiotic Theorizing
- Unit V. The Phenomenological Tradition
- Introduction to Unit V
- 15. The Problem of Experiencing Someone Else
- 16. Dialogue
- 17. The Hermeneutical Experience
- 18. Deconstructing Communication
- Projects for Phenomenological Theorizing
- Unit VI. The Cybernetic Tradition
- Introduction to Unit VI
- 19. Cybernetics in History
- 20. Some Tentative Axioms of Communication
- 21. The Limited Capacity Model of Mediated Message Processing
- 22. What Is Communication?
- Projects for Cybernetic Theorizing
- Unit VII. The Sociopsychological Tradition
- Introduction to Unit VII
- 23. Social Communication
- 24. Some Explorations in Initial Interaction and Beyond
- 25. Social Cognitive Theory of Mass Communication
- 26. The Small Group Should Be the Fundamental Unit of Communication Research
- Projects for Sociopsychological Theorizing
- Unit VIII. The Sociocultural Tradition
- Introduction to Unit VIII
- 27. The Social Foundations and Functions of Thought and Communication
- 28. The Mode of Information and Postmodernity
- 29. Communication as the Modality of Structuration
- 30. Good to Talk?
- Projects for Sociocultural Theorizing
- Unit IX. The Critical Tradition
- Introduction to Unit IX
- 31. The German Ideology
- 32. The Culture Industry: Enlightenment as Mass Deception
- 33. Truth and Society: The Discursive Redemption of Factual Claims to Validity
- 34. Systematically Distorted Communication and Discursive Closure
- 35. Paris Iis Always More Than Paris
- Projects for Critical Theorizing
- Concluding Reflections
- Index
Recent Product Reviews:
This book is a must for communication theory students. Not only are the traditions well explained, but also supplemented by applicable examples and relevant projects which enable students to grasp practical implications and applications of the theory traditions.
Dr Magdalena Krige, Communications , University of O F S
Robert Craig's Theorizing Communication is essential reading for scholars and students alike. The "traditions" approach enables one to single out and distil the core tenets of a theory without losing sight of its shifting embeddedness within an ever-changing field. "
Dr Neil O'Boyle, School of Communications, DCU
Great resource
Dr Carolyn Cunningham, Communication Arts Dept, Gonzaga University
"The editors’ questions invite readers to connect to the theoretical arguments and assumptions within and across units and move toward connecting communication theory with lived experiences. The connection of communication to lived experiences and the ability of these experiences to inform communication theory are at the heart of Craig and Muller’s text."
David R. Novak, Clemson University
Too basic for a graduate level course. Using a course packet instead.
Graham Bodie, Communication Studies Dept, Louisiana State University