Description
Book SynopsisThe 11th edition of
A First Look at Communication Theory encourages students who are encountering the field for the first time to tackle theories without fear. The authors' conversational style and relevant examples keep complex theories within the grasp of first-time theory students. They introduce over 30 diverse theories that are a mix of foundational and recent scholarship and, with the benefit of numerous examples and connections to pop culture, help students apply them to their own lives.
The discrete presentation of the theories ensures a well-rounded understanding of each while promoting integrative thinking and facilitating the ability of instructors to skip or rearrange their presentation. The broad selection of theories-from the classics to the cutting edge-ensures that students have a solid foundation with which to begin understanding the relationships between theories.
Table of ContentsDivision One: OverviewCh. 1: Launching Your Study
Ch. 2: Talk About Theory
Ch. 3: Weighing the Words
Ch. 4: Mapping the Territory
Division Two: Interpersonal CommunicationInterpersonal Messages
Ch. 5: Symbolic Interactionism
Ch. 6: Expectancy Violations Theory
Ch. 7: Family Communication Patterns Theory
Relationship Development
Ch. 8: Social Penetration Theory
Ch. 9: Uncertainty Reduction Theory
Ch. 10: Social Information Processing Theory
Relationship Maintenance
Ch. 11: Relational Dialectics Theory
Ch. 12: Communication Privacy Management Theory
Ch. 13: Media Multiplexity Theory
Division Three: Social Influence Persuasion
Ch. 14: Social Judgment Theory
Ch. 15: Elaboration Likelihood Model
Ch. 16: Cognitive Dissonance Theory
Public Rhetoric
Ch. 17: The Rhetoric
Ch. 18: Dramatism
Ch. 19: Narrative Paradigm
Division Four: Group and Organizational CommunicationGroup Communication
Ch. 20: Functional Perspective on Group Decision-Making
Ch. 21: Symbolic Convergence Theory
Organizational Communication
Ch. 22: Cultural Approach to Organizations
Ch. 23: Communicative Constitution of Organizations
Ch. 24: Critical Theory of Communication in Organizations
Division Five: Cultural ContextIntercultural Communication
Ch. 25: Communication Accommodation Theory
Ch. 26: Face-Negotiation Theory
Ch. 27: Co-Cultural Theory
Ch. 28: Afrocentricity
Gender and Communication
Ch. 29: Feminist Standpoint Theory
Ch. 30: Muted Group Theory
Division Six: Mass CommunicationMedia and Culture
Ch. 31: Media Ecology
Ch. 32: Context Collapse
Ch. 33: Semiotics
Ch. 34: Cultural Studies
Media Effects
Ch. 35: Uses and Gratifications
Ch. 36: Cultivation Theory
Ch. 37: Agenda-Setting Theory
Division Seven: IntegrationCh. 38: Common Threads in Comm Theories
