HCOM 420: HCOM 420: Communication Communication

TheoryTheory

Welcome!Welcome!

AgendaAgenda

The CourseThe Course The Study of CommunicationThe Study of Communication Our Rhetorical TraditionOur Rhetorical Tradition

Purposes:Purposes:

1.1. To equip you with a To equip you with a general knowledge of general knowledge of communication theory;communication theory;

2.2. To prepare you to select To prepare you to select and use research to and use research to explain communication explain communication phenomena;phenomena;

3.3. To prepare you to To prepare you to evaluate existing evaluate existing communication theories communication theories and meta theories;and meta theories;

4. To enhance your ability 4. To enhance your ability to develop persuasive to develop persuasive scholarly arguments scholarly arguments about theoryabout theory

Purposes:Purposes:

1.1. To equip you with a To equip you with a general knowledge of general knowledge of communication theory;communication theory;

2.2. To prepare you to select To prepare you to select and use research to and use research to explain communication explain communication phenomena;phenomena;

3.3. To prepare you to To prepare you to evaluate existing evaluate existing communication theories communication theories and meta theories;and meta theories;

4. To enhance your ability 4. To enhance your ability to develop persuasive to develop persuasive scholarly arguments scholarly arguments about theoryabout theory

Translation

1. To teach you theories I think you need to know

Purposes:Purposes:

1.1. To equip you with a To equip you with a general knowledge of general knowledge of communication theory;communication theory;

2.2. To prepare you to select To prepare you to select and use research to and use research to explain communication explain communication phenomena;phenomena;

3.3. To prepare you to To prepare you to evaluate existing evaluate existing communication theories communication theories and meta theories;and meta theories;

4. To enhance your ability 4. To enhance your ability to develop persuasive to develop persuasive scholarly arguments scholarly arguments about theoryabout theory

Translation

1. To teach you theories I think you need to know2. To let you know how to link communication research to communication theory

Purposes:Purposes:

1.1. To equip you with a To equip you with a general knowledge of general knowledge of communication theory;communication theory;

2.2. To prepare you to select To prepare you to select and use research to and use research to explain communication explain communication phenomena;phenomena;

3.3. To prepare you to To prepare you to evaluate existing evaluate existing communication theories communication theories and meta theories;and meta theories;

4. To enhance your ability 4. To enhance your ability to develop persuasive to develop persuasive scholarly arguments scholarly arguments about theoryabout theory

Translation

1. To teach you theories I think you need to know2. To let you know how to link communication research to communication theory3. To teach you how to judge which theories are valuable and which are B.S.

Purposes:Purposes:

1.1. To equip you with a To equip you with a general knowledge of general knowledge of communication theory;communication theory;

2.2. To prepare you to select To prepare you to select and use research to and use research to explain communication explain communication phenomena;phenomena;

3.3. To prepare you to To prepare you to evaluate existing evaluate existing communication theories communication theories and meta theories;and meta theories;

4. To enhance your ability 4. To enhance your ability to develop persuasive to develop persuasive scholarly arguments scholarly arguments about theoryabout theory

Translation

1. To teach you theories I think you need to know2. To let you know how to link communication research to communication theory3. To teach you how to judge which theories are valuable and which are B.S.4. To help you select theories to explain specific communication encounters and to be able to justify your choices

AgendaAgenda

The CourseThe Course

The Study of The Study of CommunicationCommunication

Our Rhetorical TraditionOur Rhetorical Tradition

The Communication The Communication FieldField

defined: the study of the defined: the study of the process by which people process by which people exchange and assign meaning to exchange and assign meaning to messagesmessages

message-related behaviormessage-related behavior message sciencemessage science

General CommunicationGeneral Communication

EducationLawMinistryBusinessTraining and

developmentSalesCommunity relationsManagement

A Model of CommunicationA Model of Communication

A Model of CommunicationA Model of Communication

S

A Model of CommunicationA Model of Communication

S M

A Model of CommunicationA Model of Communication

S M C

A Model of CommunicationA Model of Communication

S M C R

A Model of CommunicationA Model of Communication

S M C RFeedback

Ways of Looking at Ways of Looking at CommunicationCommunication

one-wayone-way interactioninteraction transactiontransaction

AgendaAgenda

The CourseThe Course The Study of CommunicationThe Study of Communication

Our Rhetorical TraditionOur Rhetorical Tradition

Overview of Our Overview of Our Rhetorical Rhetorical TraditionTradition

History of our fieldHistory of our field–GreeceGreece–RomeRome–Rise of Christianity and the Rise of Christianity and the Middle AgesMiddle Ages–The Renaissance to ModernThe Renaissance to Modern–Contemporary timesContemporary times

Early StirringsEarly Stirrings

3000 B.C.E. Auctor ad 3000 B.C.E. Auctor ad KagemniKagemni

2675 Ptah Hotep2675 Ptah Hotep

Greece Tries Greece Tries DemocracyDemocracy

Rule by the governed Rule by the governed tried in 500 BCEtried in 500 BCE

Trial by JuryTrial by Jury

Early Teachers Early Teachers Called SophistsCalled Sophists

Travelled AroundTravelled Around Charged TuitionCharged Tuition

Early SophistsEarly Sophists

Corax (470 BCE)Corax (470 BCE)

Rhetorike TechneRhetorike Techne

The argument from probabilityThe argument from probability Protagoras: The father of Protagoras: The father of debatedebate

and others . . . .and others . . . .

The Fab FourThe Fab Four

SocratesSocrates his student, Platohis student, Plato his student, Aristotlehis student, Aristotle his student, Alexander the his student, Alexander the GreatGreat

Aristotle and the study Aristotle and the study of communicationof communication

““Faculty of discovering in the Faculty of discovering in the particular case what are the particular case what are the available means of available means of persuasion”persuasion”

a branch of ethicsa branch of ethics

the counterpart of dialecticthe counterpart of dialectic

Aristotle’s Responses to Aristotle’s Responses to Plato’s Attacks on Plato’s Attacks on Communication StudiesCommunication Studies

Not an artNot an art

is a study, not just the is a study, not just the practice ofpractice of persuasionpersuasion

No subject matter of its ownNo subject matter of its own

the available means of the available means of persuasionpersuasion

No concern for the truthNo concern for the truth

is the counterpart of is the counterpart of dialectic (bydialectic (by which truth is which truth is discovered)discovered)

Aristotle’s Responses to Aristotle’s Responses to Plato’s Attacks on Plato’s Attacks on Communication StudiesCommunication Studies

Not confer powerNot confer power

if it is disgrace for a man to not be able if it is disgrace for a man to not be able

to defend himself physically, it is a to defend himself physically, it is a worse disgrace not to be able to defend worse disgrace not to be able to defend himself through argument since himself through argument since argument is more characteristic of argument is more characteristic of humans humans

Not prevent suffering to innocentNot prevent suffering to innocent If it could prevent suffering of innocent, it If it could prevent suffering of innocent, it

could be used to help the guilty avoid justicecould be used to help the guilty avoid justice

those things that are true and just arethose things that are true and just are stronger than their opposites; failure of stronger than their opposites; failure of justice is caused by unequal advocacy justice is caused by unequal advocacy

Canons of RhetoricCanons of Rhetoric

InventionInvention ethosethos

pathospathos

logoslogos

ArrangementArrangement StyleStyle DeliveryDelivery MemoryMemory

The Roman TraditionThe Roman Tradition

World’s first World’s first newspaper, Acta newspaper, Acta DiurnaDiurna

CiceroCicero QuintilianQuintilian

Cicero’s Teachings in Cicero’s Teachings in CommunicationCommunication

Cicero’s exciting life (106-43 BCE)Cicero’s exciting life (106-43 BCE) Communicators must develop Communicators must develop

vast knowledgevast knowledge Types of styleTypes of style

PlainPlain

MiddleMiddle

GrandGrand Artful DiffidenceArtful Diffidence

QuintilianQuintilian

First public school teacher: First public school teacher: the Institute of Oratory the Institute of Oratory (70-73)(70-73)

Vir bonusVir bonus concern for stock issues concern for stock issues and organization very and organization very greatgreat

end of the classical periodend of the classical period

Rise of Christianity Rise of Christianity

Many different Christian sects:Many different Christian sects:

MarcionsMarcions

DocetistsDocetists

ThedotiansThedotians

PatripassionsPatripassions

MartynusMartynus

GnosticsGnostics

ValentiniansValentinians

ManichaeiansManichaeians

Constantine and the Rise Constantine and the Rise of the Dark Agesof the Dark Ages

313 Constantine and 313 Constantine and Licinius issue the Licinius issue the Edict of MilanEdict of Milan

The Church outlaws The Church outlaws and “pagan” and “pagan” writingswritings

The “Dark Ages” The “Dark Ages” begin begin

Augustine “Christianizes” Communication, Saves the Field,

and (probably) the Roman Catholic Church

Augustine “Christianizes” Communication, Saves the Field,

and (probably) the Roman Catholic Church

Content and Invention: Gospels Style: Letters of Apostles

The Church Starts The Church Starts UniversitiesUniversities The Church adopts the philosophy of The Church adopts the philosophy of

scholasticismscholasticism Students study matters of church Students study matters of church

doctrine on all subjectsdoctrine on all subjects In 1210 and 1215 the Church In 1210 and 1215 the Church

confronts teachings of Aristotle, confronts teachings of Aristotle, Cicero and the classicsCicero and the classics

Communication as a Communication as a Core Subject among the Core Subject among the Liberal ArtsLiberal Arts Trivium:Trivium:

LogicLogic

GrammarGrammar

RhetoricRhetoric Quadrivium:Quadrivium:

ArithmeticArithmetic

GeometryGeometry

AstronomyAstronomy

MusicMusic

Communication as a Core Study in the Early

Universities

Communication as a Core Study in the Early

Universities

Tradition of Tassel Color

Silver

Students Study with Students Study with Syllogistic DispuationSyllogistic Dispuation

Disputation on matters of Church Disputation on matters of Church doctrinedoctrine

syllogism e.g.,syllogism e.g.,

MP: All God’s actions are credible.MP: All God’s actions are credible.

mp: Miracles are God’s actions.mp: Miracles are God’s actions.

C: Therefore, miracles are credible.C: Therefore, miracles are credible. All disputaiton in LatinAll disputaiton in Latin

The Development of Cheap The Development of Cheap Paper and the Paper and the RenaissanceRenaissance

A Use for the printing pressA Use for the printing press Publications in local languagesPublications in local languages Replacement of disputation Replacement of disputation

with the term paperwith the term paper

Ramus and the Ramus and the Emasculation of Emasculation of Communication StudiesCommunication Studies

Peter Ramus Peter Ramus (1550 + )(1550 + )

Invention and Invention and Arrangement Arrangement go to Logicgo to Logic

Style and Style and Delivery go to Delivery go to CommunicatioCommunicationn

Elocutionists and Elocutionists and Speech and Hearing Speech and Hearing ScienceScience

Elocutionists: Richard Sherry Elocutionists: Richard Sherry (1550)(1550)

John Bulwer’s John Bulwer’s Chirologia . . . Chirologia . . . and Chironomiaand Chironomia (1644) (1644)

Speech and Hearing ScienceSpeech and Hearing Science

Thomas Braidwood founds Thomas Braidwood founds institute (1760)institute (1760)

de l’Epee founds sign language de l’Epee founds sign language school school

Bacon and the Rise of Faculty Psychology in CommunicationBacon and the Rise of Faculty Psychology in Communication

reason --

--imagination

will --

Colonial InfluencesColonial

InfluencesCampbell (1776): Philosophy of Rhetoric

– purposes: enlighten understanding, please imagination, move passions, influence will

– perspicuity

Blair (1783): Lectures on Rhetoric and

Belles LettresWhately (1828): Elements of Rhetoric

argumentation, presumptions

Academic Debate Pushes Academic Debate Pushes Emergence of thge FieldEmergence of thge Field

Harvard’s ”Spy Club” founded Harvard’s ”Spy Club” founded before the American before the American RevolutionRevolution

First intercollegiate debate: First intercollegiate debate: November 29, 1872 between November 29, 1872 between Northwestern University and Northwestern University and Chicago UniversityChicago University

First debate tournament in First debate tournament in Winfield, Kansas, on March Winfield, Kansas, on March 14-16, 1923 14-16, 1923

Rise of Rise of Communication Communication DepartmentsDepartments

First Master’s thesis First Master’s thesis completed by H. S. completed by H. S. Buffum at the University Buffum at the University of Iowa (1902)of Iowa (1902)

First Ph.d. awared to First Ph.d. awared to Sara Stinchfield-Hawke at Sara Stinchfield-Hawke at University of Wisconsin University of Wisconsin (1922)(1922)

Kenneth Burke’s Kenneth Burke’s Dramatistic PentadDramatistic Pentad

Assumption: all people are Assumption: all people are pretty much the samepretty much the same

where there is identification, where there is identification, there is communicationthere is communication

where there is where there is communication, there is communication, there is persuasionpersuasion

The Dramatistic The Dramatistic PentadPentad

SceneScene ActAct AgentAgent AgencyAgency PurposePurpose

AGENDAAGENDA

Development of the Field Development of the Field HistoricallyHistorically

Applications todayApplications today Development of the Field Development of the Field TodayToday

Take a Take a Break!Break!