2015 spring sem Prof. Jaewon Joo. Mass Communication Theory

Transcription

1 Mass Communication Theory 2015 spring sem Prof. Jaewon Joo

2 04 Evaluating theory

3 04 Evaluating theory All theories have strengths and weaknesses : they reveal certain aspects of reality and conceal others. An important task that students and scholars face is to evaluate the theories available to them.

4 05 Two traditional styles to approach communication theory VS Professor Glenn Sparks Objective approach Professor Marty Medhurst Interpretive approach

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6 Glenn Scientist Marty Rhetorical Critic Theory is an essential tool in the scientific effort to predict and explain. What s important to notice is that a symbolic transformation has taken place. Objective approach The assumption that truth is singular and is accessible through unbiased sensory observation; committed to uncovering cause-andeffect relationships. Interpretive approach The linguistic work of assigning meaning or value to communicative texts; assumes that multiple meanings or truths are possible.

7 Glenn Scientist Marty Rhetorical Critic How do we know what we know, if we know it at all? Scientists assume that Truth is singular. Interpretive scholars regard that truth as socially constructed through communication. They believe language creates social realities Scientists consider good theories to be those that are faithful representations of an underlying reality mirrors of nature. truth is largely subjective

8 05 Research Methods: Quantitative or Qualitative? Quantitative Research scientists tend to appeal to numbers as they gather evidence to support their theories. 1) Experiments A research method that manipulates a variable in a tightly controlled situation in order to find out if it has the predicted effect. Fitting questions for experimental research - What is the relationship between perceived similarly and interpersonal attraction? - What conditions are necessary for small groups to make high-quality decisions? - When does a violation of another person s nonverbal expectations cause a favorable response?

9 05 Research Methods: Quantitative or Qualitative? Quantitative Research scientists tend to appeal to numbers as they gather evidence to support their theories. 2) Surveys A research method that uses questionnaires and structured interviews to collect self-reported data that reflects what respondents think, feel, or intend to do. Fitting questions for survey research - How much do people differ in their need for cognitive clarity? - Do people who watch a high amount of dramatic violence on TV hold an exaggerated belief in a mean and scary world? - To what extent does media news coverage set the agenda for what people think about and believe?

10 05 Research Methods: Quantitative or Qualitative? Qualitative Research Interpretive scholars use words. 1) Textual Analysis A research method that describes and interprets the characteristics of any text. Fitting questions for textual analysis - What does the speaker s choice of language reveal about his/her strategic intent? - How did the metaphors that Martin Luther King Jr. used in his I have a dream speech reflect the historical context of that time and place? - In what way is this text an example of the ideology of corporately controlled media?

11 05 Research Methods: Quantitative or Qualitative? Qualitative Research Interpretive scholars use words. 2) Ethnography Not an experimental science in search of law, but an interpretive [approach] in search of meaning. Fitting questions for ethnographic research - What significance does the CEO s open door have for middle managers within the company? - How does the standpoint of women affect the value they place on caregiving? - When a teenager and an elderly person interact, how do they typically alter their communication behavior to accommodate the style of the other?

12 05 Research Methods: Quantitative or Qualitative?

13 06 Seven Traditions in the Field of Communication Theory 1. THE SOCIO-PSYCHOLOGICAL TRADITION: Communication as Interpersonal Interaction and Influence 2. THE CYBERNETIC TRADITION: Communication as a System of Information Processing 3. THE RHETORICAL TRADITION: Communication as Artful Public Address 4. THE SEMIOTIC TRADITION: Communication as the Process of Sharing Meaning Through Signs

14 06 Seven Traditions in the Field of Communication Theory 5. THE SOCIO-CULTURAL TRADITION: Communication as the Creation and Enactment of Social Reality 6. THE CRITICAL TRADITION: Communication as a Reflective Challenge of Unjust Discourse 7. THE PHENOMENOLOGICAL TRADITION: Communication as the Experience of Self and Others Through Dialogue

15 Q&A

16 THANK YOU