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

Part One. Setting the Stage 1. Thinking about Communication: Definitions, Models, and Ethics 2. Thinking about the Field: Traditions and Contexts 3. Thinking about Theory and Research 4. Before We Begin... Part Two. Understanding the Dialogue 5. Symbolic Interaction Theory 6. Coordinated Management of Meaning 7. Cognitive Dissonance Theory 8. Expectancy Violations Theory 9. Uncertainty Reduction Theory 10. Social Penetration Theory 11. Social Exchange Theory 12. Relational Dialectics Theory 13. Communication Privacy Management Theory 14. Groupthink 15. Structuration Theory 16. Organizational Culture Theory 17. Organizational Information Theory 18. The Rhetoric 19. Dramatism 20. The Narrative Paradigm 21. Cultural Studies 22. Cultivation Analysis 23. Uses and Gratifications Theory 24. Spiral of Silence Theory 25. Media Ecology Theory 26. Face-Negotiation Theory 27. Communication Accommodation Theory 28. Muted Group Theory 29. Standpoint Theory Part Three: On the Horizon... 30. Moving in New Directions

Author Biography

Richard West is a professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Southern Maine in Portland. He received his B.A. and M.A. from Illinois State University, and his Ph.D. from Ohio University. Lynn H. Turner is a professor in Communication Studies at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She received her B.A. from the University of Illinois--Chicago, her M.A. from the University of Iowa, and her Ph.D. from Northwestern University.