Coordinated Management of Meaning (Message) Flashcards
Who created the theory?
Barnett Pearce and Vernon Cronen
Briefly explain the main concepts of the theory.
CMM refers to how individuals co-create meaning in a conversation.
How individuals establish rules for creating and establish rules fore creating and interpreting meaning.
What do Pearce and Cronen mean by life being a theater?
The individual as an actor.
No grand directors, but rather a number of self-appointed directors who manage to keep chaos in check.
Conversational flow = a theater production
You direct your own dramas
How people perceive the play is their reality
What core communication model would you apply to this theory?
The interaction model or The transaction model, leaning more towards the transaction model
Explain what is meant by “personal meaning”?
Meaning is achieved when a person interacts with another. The individual brings his or her unique experiences into the interaction.
Explain what is meant by “Social Constructionism”?
What are we making together?
How are we making it?
How can we make better social worlds?
Explain what is meant by “social reality”?
A persons belief about how meaning and action fit within his/her interpersonal encounters. Come with past experiences. People arrive from different vantage points.
Two people co-create new social reality
Explain what is meant with “interpersonal meaning”?
Two people agree on each other’s interpretation.
Achieving interpersonal meaning may take some time.
Relationships are complex and deal with multiple communication issues
Explain what the Hierarchy of Organised Meaning is/does?
It organises meanings in a hierarchical manner.
- evaluate how much weight to give a particular message.
- a way to manage meaning
There are six levels of meaning
- Content
- Speech Act
- Episodes
- Relationship
- Life Scripts
- Cultural Patterns
Name the six levels of meaning in the Hiararchy of Organised meaning and explain the six levels briefly.
There are six levels of meaning
- Content: Converting raw data into some meaning
- Speech Acts: actions we perform by speaking
- Episodes: Interpret speech acts
- Relationship: When two people recognise their potential and limitations
- Life Scripts: Clusters of past and present episodes
- Cultural Patterns: Identifying with particular groups
Elaborate on the first level of meaning: Content.
Converting raw data into some meaning
Content of words.
Elaborate on the second level of meaning: Speech acts.
actions we perform by speaking
put the things that are set into familiar box. primises, threats, insults, speculations, guesses, compliments.
their need to be two people to co-create the meaning of the speech act.
Defined both by the sender and receiver.
“You cannot be a victim unless there is a victimiser”
Elaborate on the third level of meaning: Episodes.
Interpret speech acts. Communication routines.
The beginning, middle and end.
Describes the context in which people act.
Can be both small and large.
Elaborate in the fourth level of meaning: Relationship
When two people recognise their potential and limitations.
Can include: corporations, cities, religion, a tennis club
Things related: language, genes
Relational boundaries: How partners should speak to each other, what topics are considered taboo.
Distinguish the “we” and the “they”
Enmeshment: the extent to which people identity themselves as part of the relational system.
Elaborate on the fifth level of meaning: Life scripts
Clusters of past and present episodes.
Who you are because of the life scripts in which you have engaged.
How you view yourself over your lifetime affects how you communicate with others.
