This text introduces the field of communication to students who may have little or no background in communication
theory. Its three overriding goals are to help students understand the pervasiveness of theory in their lives,
to demystify the theoretical process, and to help students become more systematic and critical in their thinking
about theory.
Table of Contents
Preface Part One. Setting the Stage Chapter 1. Thinking about Communication: Definitions, Models, and Ethics Chapter 2. Thinking about the Field: Traditions and Contexts Chapter 3. Thinking About Theory and Research Chapter 4. Before We Begin... Part Two. Understanding the Dialogue THE SELF AND MESSAGES Chapter 5. Symbolic Interaction Theory Chapter 6. Coordinated Management of Meaning Chapter 7. Cognitive Dissonance Theory Chapter 8. Expectancy Violations Theory RELATIONSHIP DEVELOPMENT Chapter 9. Uncertainty Reduction Theory Chapter 10. Social Penetration Theory Chapter 11. Social Exchange Theory Chapter 12. Relational Dialectics Theory Chapter 13. Communication Privacy Management Theory GROUPS AND ORGANIZATIONS Chapter 14. Groupthink Chapter 15. Structuration Theory Chapter 16. Organizational Culture Theory Chapter 17. Organizational Information Theory THE PUBLIC Chapter 18. TheRhetoric Chapter 19. Dramatism Chapter 20. The Narrative Paradigm THE MEDIA Chapter 21. Cultural Studies Chapter 22. Cultivation Analysis Chapter 23. Uses and Gratifications Theory Chapter 24. Spiral of Silence Theory Chapter 25. Media Ecology Theory CULTURE AND DIVERSITY Chapter 26. Face-Negotiation Theory Chapter 27. Communication Accommodation Theory Chapter 28. Muted Group Theory Chapter 29. Standpoint Theory Part Three: On the Horizon... Chapter 30. Moving in New Directions
