Watershed Research Traditions in Human Communication Theory

Edited by Donald P. Cushman & Branislav Kovacic

Subjects: Communication
Series: SUNY series, Human Communication Processes
Paperback : 9780791425985, 312 pages, August 1995
Hardcover : 9780791425978, 312 pages, August 1995

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Table of contents

Preface

1. Human Communication Theory: Its Nature, Function, and Scope

Donald P. Cushman

Part I. Theories of the Human Communication Process

Branislav Kovacic

2. The Coordinated Management of Meaning Theory of Pearce, Cronen, and Associates

Gerry Philipsen

3. The Constructivist Theory of Delia, Clark, and Associates

Anne Maydan Nicotera

4. The Uncertainty Reduction and Anxiety-Uncertainty Reduction Theories of Berger, Gudykunst, and Associates

William Gudykunst

5. The Sequential Inferential Theories of Sanders and Gottman

Robert Sanders

Part II. Interpersonal Theories of Communication

Branislav Kovacic

6. The Rules Theory of Interpersonal Relationships by Cushman, Nicotera, and Associates

Andrew Moemeka and Branislav Kovacic

Part III. Organizational Communication Theories

Branislav Kovacic

7. The High-Speed Management and Organizational Communication: Cushman, King, and Associates

Sarah Sanderson King and Donald P. Cushman

8. The Democracy and Organizational Communication Theories of Deetz, Mumby, and Associates

Branislav Kovacic

Part IV. Mass Communication Paradigms

Branislav Kovacic

9. Illuminating the Black Box: The Psychological Tradition in Media Studies

Roger Desmond and Rod Carveth

Part V. Cultural Communication Theories

Branislav Kovacic

10. The Ethnographic Communication Theory of Philipsen and Associates

Donal Carbaugh

11. The Movement and Watershed Research Traditions in Human Communication

Branislav Kovacic

Contributors

Index

Focuses on and presents watershed research traditions in human communication (interpersonal, organizational, and mass communication).

Description

This sampling of watershed research traditions in interpersonal, organizational, and mass communication manifests how communication theory is developed, defended and extended at a philosophical, theoretical and practical level of inquiry from a plurality of research perspectives.

The book includes the foundational works of Pearce, Cronen, and Associates on the coordinated management of meaning; Berger, Gudykunst, and Associates on uncertainty and anxiety reduction theory; Cushman, Nicotera and Associates on the communication rules involved in establishing and maintaining interpersonal relationships; Delia, Clark, and Associates on constructivism; Deetz, Mumby, and Associates on critical theory; Desmond and Associates on mass communication theory; Sanders and Gottman on communication sequences; Cushman, King, and Associates on high-speed management; and Philipsen and Associates on the ethnography of communication.

Donald P. Cushman is Professor of Communication at State University of New York at Albany, and coeditor of the SUNY series, Human Communication Processes. He is the author of many books including Communication and High-Speed Management with Sarah Sanderson King; and Winning: Continuous Improvement Theory in High Performance Organizations with Krzysztof Obloj and Andrzej K. Kozminski also published by SUNY Press. Branislav Kovacic is Assistant Professor of Communication at the University of Hartford. He is the editor of New Approaches to Organizational Communication also published by SUNY Press.

Reviews

"This book's unique contribution is that each communication theory presented for discussion is examined at three levels--philosophical, theoretical, and practical. The approach has made it possible for the authors to reveal some of the hidden dimensions of each theory examined. It's going to be a very useful and appealing book due to this unique approach."— Yanan Ju, Central Connecticut State University