General Words To Remember Flashcards
Discourse
Practical use of language. (Just speaking)
Meta discourse
Discourse about discourse
Reflexive talk
Form of meta discourse that comes after conversation (ex- “we need to talk more often”)
Frame
Your interpretation of discourse (ex- is it an argument? Lecture?)
Problem framing
How a particular problem is exposed through a frame (ex- sex Ed = addresses teen pregnancy)
Meta-theory
Theory of theory (how different theorists study communications).
How can framing be controversial?
Opposing sides in a controversy: people can talk past each other (ex- gay marriage is right vs. gay marriage is a biblical sin)
What it mean to live in a communication culture?
A culture that is particularly self conscious and reflexive about communication, and that generates large quantities of meta discourse about it.
What are three problem frames?
- Biotechnology - (drugs or talk therapy)
- Economic rationalism - (free market, renewable energy)
- Moral absolutism- (abortion is absolutely wrong.)
What is our goal in this course?
To use theories to frame problems in new ways - and to enrich ordinary discourse.
How is “communication culture” and “frames” connected?
Our current culture tends to “frame” problems as “communication problems” (ex - bad communication is why this is like this!)
Linear model
Meaning is initiated by the sender
What is the timeline of a linear model?
Transmitter - channel - receiver - destination
Systems model
Create meaning with an interaction - it’s not really clear
Ritual model
Meaning already exists within the community.
Historically, what model is most popular?
Linear model
Constitutive model of communication
Meaning is constituted in the communication process (ex - used in the system model)
Meta communication
Is tone and body language, that co cars a deeper meaning. (Ex- if someone punches you in the arm you would know if it’s friendly or not right away)
What is the difference between system and ritual model?
- system is based on metaphors of negotiation and meaning is built over time
- ritual is about meaning reproduction , the meaning of the community, system model isn’t community.
What are two different models of theory
- Scientific model
2. Practical model
What is practice?
Coherent set of activities that are commonly engaged in, and meaningful in particular ways, among people familiar with a certain culture.
(Ex- education, lecturing)
What are NOT practices?
Breathing, losing keys.
Normative discourse
(Ought to) - evaluative talk about practices (example- Beliefs of what ought to be done. Or a football announcer telling you how the game should be.
Is communication considered a practice?
In some cultures communication is a practice (ex - we like to talk about feelings that are MEANINGFUL here in the U.S.)
Communication theory
Developed within NORMATIVE DISCOURSE. Instead of “ought to.” It’s “why is” this a common assumption? ( to describe and analyze the common vocabularies of the public meta discourse, critique assumptions about communication embedded in that public meta discourse. And contribute useful new ways of talking about talk in the public interest.
Scientific model
(Based on (hypothetical-deductive method)Theory explains cause and effect, improves over outcomes.
Practical model
How theorists would say it (ought to be) Comm theorists look at practice of communication. (Connect practical/theoretical metadiscourse)
What is theory?
Broad conceptual representation or expiation of phenomenon.
Two generalizations of theory?
- Abstractions
2. Constructions
What do abstractions do to theory?
Partial, leaves things out, focuses only of certain aspects of a process.
What do constructions do to theory?
Created by somebody. Reflects a particular way of looking at facts.
What are two basic elements of theory?
Concept/ explanation
What is the hypothetical-deductive method (four fold approach)?
- Developing questions
- Forming hypothesis
- Testing hypothesis
- Formulating theory
How does communication theory as an identifiable field of study not yet exist?
Theorists don’t really mention each other except within narrow ways, and different text books present different theories.
What did the term “communication theory” first appear?
First appeared in 1940 in electrical engineering (linear model)
What is communication as a practice?
It’s meaningful in particular ways, the act of communicating is meaningful to the participants.
Dialogical-dialectical coherence
A common awareness of certain complimentaries and tensions among different types of communication theory, so it is commonly understood.
Dialogical
Openness of all views, dialogue
Dialectical
Clash of views, debate.
Two principles of dialectical - dialogical coherence?
Principle 1- constitutive model
Principle 2- theory as metamodel
What is the constitutive model of communication?
Meaning is constructed in the communication process.
Constitutive metamodel
Theories of communication constitute the reality of communication, in different ways.
What are three levels of communication
- Practical metadiscourse- talk about talk
- Theoretical metadiscourse - first order model, (same as comm theory) theoretical talk about talk
- Metatheory - second order model - actual act of theorizing about theories, theorizing how we come up with theories
Metamodel - the 7 traditions. (Craig)
Metamodel
(Is the 7 traditions is the meta model) Way of thinking about models of theories of communication in general Analysis, constructed and development of the frames, rules, constraints, useful for modeling and predefined class of problems.
Practical metadiscourse
Ordinary discourse about communication
Theoretical communication
Discourse of communication theory, more formal and systematic
What two things make something relevant?
- Plausibility - conforms to common Beliefs about communication
- Interesting - challenges common Beliefs about communication.
What are the seven traditions of comm theory?
- Rhetorical - practical use of discourse
- Semiotic - sharing of meaning via signs and symbols
- Phenomilogical - experience of otherness, putting yourself in someone else’s shoes.
- Cybernetic - information processing. (Ex- let’s look at your history to understand why you are the way you are.
- Socio-phycological - expression, interaction, and influence.
- Socio-cultural - participation in culture and society.
- Critical - discursive reflection (ex- hegemonic- power to enforce something as normal.
Hegemonic?
Power to enforce something as normal
Relativistic
Provides no absolute truth
What did (Myers) argue about metamodel
Said it was scientifically invalid and relativistic
How did (Craig) reply to (Myers) argument about the metamodel?
You can’t know that.
What are the five major concepts of hypothetical-deductive method?
- Hypothesis - well formed guess, must be testable
- Operationism - must have validity and reliability
- Control & manipulation - experiments to isolate specific causes
- Covering laws - theoretical statements of cause-effect relations
- Prediction - use of covering laws to predict, increase power to control outcomes.
Two assumptions of traditional social science theory?
- Reality is singular and static, to be discovered and represented by theory.
- Human behavior can be broken down into a set of variables thy are determined by causal forces.
Alternative paradigm
Theorists that don’t agree with/ or question the “traditional social science theory”
The word PRACTICAL means what in the is class?
Ordinary
What is the theoretical matrix?
The seven theoretical traditions
Concepts
Grouping things and events into categories labeling the categories
Explanation
Answering the question. “This is why this happens”
How might transmission and ritual model influence the way we read newspaper?
Transmission- uses the medium as an instrument that can make questions arise
Ritual- reading newspaper is less about sending and receiving information, where particular view of the world is portrayed and confirmed
Three different interpretations of the importance of communication for our particular culture?
- Problems
- Breakdowns
- remedies
Theoretical metadiscourse
Intellectually communicating about communication.
Causal necessity (little john)
Explains terms of cause effect, where behavior is seen as an outcome of causal forces
Practical necessity (little john)
Explains interns of act-consequence, where behavior is seen as intentional action designed to achieve some goal or future state.
What model is about information exchange at the purpose of communication?
Linear model
Transmission model in history
When it was word of mouth, to print, to radio.
What are two examples of ritual model?
Newspaper/Facebook
Three principles of practical knowledge
- Theory is a practice - how we think differently about comm
- Theory provides ways of interpreting practical knowledge
- Theory is fundamentally normative
