Grade 200/ Examination #1 SPCM 5810: Theories of Communication Name: _________________________________________ Please answer the following question as completely as you can. You are a project manager for Simico Industries. While digging the foundation for the world's tallest building, one of Simico’s construction crews unearthed what appears to be artifacts from a previous culture. A public outcry ensued. As the picket lines, representing various “natural earth” and “cultural preservation” societies, continues to grow, regulatory agencies begin to put pressure on Simico to “do the right thing.” Fearing the destruction of the historical site, and therefore, the loss of its secrets, the state finally mandates that Simico hire a team of researchers to investigate. Management wants to know if these artifacts are truly evidence of a lost civilization; and if so, what the impacts might be. Your boss informs you that not only are you in charge of “getting this issue cleared up,” but that Simico will only hire one researcher to do the job. The applicant’s list is made up of Dr. Hard F. Acts, a scientist, Dr. Arts N. Crafts, a humanist, and Dr. Middle Ground, a social scientist. Each researcher has a unique perspective on how to conduct the investigation of the historical site, but you can only hire one for the job. Please write an essay that identifies the researcher you will hire and be sure to justify your choice. In this case, it would be helpful for you to discuss the “world view,” “bottomline” and “approach” that each of the candidates would pursue in conducting this research. Which approach seems most justified given the specifics of this project? It would also be helpful if you could identify and discuss the various tests that we would use to “test” the validity of the candidate’s work. How are these tests appropriate given the specifics of this project? A word of caution: Be unbiased in your choice. Don’t get “hung up” or “concerned” with what Simico might want or how the candidate might best fit Simico’s agenda. Given the research task at hand, focus on the candidate that you think is best fitted to the research task. Your task is to identify the researcher with the ability to best answer the question “Is this evidence of a lost civilization?” The Foundations of Theory Chapters 1 & 2 The Nature of Theory • What is theory? • Any organized set of concepts and explanations about a phenomenon – Chaffee • All theories are abstractions – we focus on some things and ignore others; therefore all theories are inadequate. • Theories are constructions created by people not ordained by God. • Serves as a “lens” – a way of seeing and thinking about the world. Basic Elements of Theory Concepts Things are grouped into conceptual categories according to observed qualities or traits. We classify and label phenomenon based upon perceived patterns. We observe new phenomenon and create conceptual understanding, by grouping our observations into categories based upon their qualities or traits and then classify and label them based upon perceived patterns: creating conceptual “truth” or “realities.” Basic Elements of Theory Explanations Seek to identify regularities or patterns in the relationships between and among variables. We seek to create “logical force” or “flow” that connects the variables in a way that explains and/or validates our “perceptual truth.” • Causal (causation) one variable is seen as an outcome or result of another. • Correlation variables occur together by may have limited or no effect upon one another. • Practical actions are goal related to achieve a future state. Types of Scholarship (World Views) Scientist Objective – truth exists independent of human interpretation Humanist Subjective – truth exists in our unique interpretation Social Scientist Objectively interpret – we must “know” truth to interpret unique perceptions of individual truths. Scientist Social Scientist Humanist How to Evaluate Theory •Scientific • Must explain the data • Replication • Testable hypothesis • Parsimony – relative simplicity • Practical Utility – Predict and Control How to Evaluate Theory •Humanist • New Understanding of Human Behavior • Clarification of Values • Community of Agreement • Aesthetic Appeal • Reform of Society How to Evaluate Theory • Social Scientist • Scope – • Comprehensiveness or inclusiveness. Must be sufficiently general to cover a range of events beyond a single observation. • Appropriateness – • Are the theory’s underlying assumptions (epistemological, ontological, and axiological) appropriate for the theoretical questions it seeks to answer. • Heuristic Value – • Does it generate new research, new ideas, or does it die on the “academic shelf?” How to Evaluate Theory • Social Scientist • Validity – • The “truth value” of a theory. • Does it have practical utility? • Can it be applied to a broad range of situations? • Does it present a good “fit” between concepts and observations? • Parsimony – logical simplicity • Openness – Open to other possibilities or explanations; tentative, contextual and qualified. How to Evaluate Communication Theory • Appropriateness - is the method used appropriate given the question(s) asked? • Accuracy - Has research supported that the theory works the way it says it does? • Practicality (practical utility) – have real-world applications been found for the theory? • Succinctness (parsimony) – has the theory been constructed with the appropriate number (fewest possible) of concepts or steps? • Consistency – Does the theory demonstrate coherence within its own premises (internal) and with other theories (external)? • Acuity - To what extent does the theory make clear an otherwise complex process? • Scope – Is the theory sufficiently broad to cover a range of observations (generalizable) while being specific enough to be discrete? Methods of conducting research ME T HO D K E E P I N MI ND • Experiments – Cause & Effect • Cannot determine whether the causeeffect relationship holds true in less controlled environments. • Surveys – Respondents thoughts, feelings and intentions • Cannot establish causality; cannot determine what people actually do. • Textual analysis – the content, nature, and structure of messages • Cannot determine the effect of the message on the receiver • Ethnography – Rules and meanings of communication in a culture or context • May provide a highly subjective (and therefore biased) view of culture and context. Differences between Social Scientific and Humanistic Approaches to Communication Issue Social Scientist Humanistic Belief about human nature Determinism Pragmatism Goal of theory Understand and Predict Understand only Process of theory development Deductive Inductive Focus of research Particularism Holism Research methods Experiments, quantitative surveys, textual analysis Ethnography, qualitative survey and textual analysis 7 Traditional Theoretical Perspectives Rhetorical Tradition Need / Problem Target Audience Carefully Crafted Message Perfect Performance of the Text Desired Outcome Semiotic Tradition • Focuses on the use of signs & symbols • Communication is the bridge between the private realities of individuals who use signs and symbols to elicit meanings • Need for a common language • Subjectivity is a barrier to effectiveness • Multiple meanings of signs Phenomenological Tradition • Concentrates on personal experiences • Communication is a sharing of personal experiences; a discourse of self, a dialogue of human contact, respect, acknowledgement of difference and common ground. Cybernetic Tradition • Communication is information processing • Noise, overload, and malfunction. Man and machine are blurred. Communication can be seen as a series of inputs and outputs. Sociopsychological Tradition • Concentrates primarily on those aspects of communication that include expression, interaction, and influence. • Accents behavior, personalities, traits, perceptions, attitudes, and beliefs. • People are most often not rational, don’t know what they think or want, and their perceptions are not a clear route to seeing what is “real.” Sociocultural Tradition • Social order needs communication as its “glue.” • Focuses on social control, conflict, mediation. • Rituals, rules and culture. • Social structure rules individuals. Individual power and responsibility are ‘myths of the mind.’ Critical Tradition • Communication is a social arrangement of power and oppression. • Problems of power, ideology and dominance. • Finding a voice for those who have none. Types of Scholarship (World Views) Scientist Objective - truth exists independent of human interpretation Humanist Subjective – truth exists in our unique interpretation Social Scientist Objectively interpret - we must "know" truth to interpret unique perceptions of individual truths. Scientist Social Scientist Humanist
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