COM midterm Chapter 1-5

emancipatory knowledge

the epistemology of critical research and theory; knowledge is advanced when it serves to free people and communities from the influence of the powerful

specification of ignorance

the idea that in science, every answer produces new questions

transmissional view

the linear model of communication falls under the __________ _____: the perspective that communication is the process of sending and receiving info from one communicator to another.

face-wants

the need to feel appreciated and be protected

syntax

the occurrence and ordering of words and sounds to convey an intended meaning

constitutive view

the perspective that communication creates something that did not previously exist. Produces and reproduces a new reality-shared meaning resulting in new experiences for the communicators, who are now themselves changed

ritual view

the perspective that communication is directed not toward the extension of messages in space but toward the maintenance of society in time and the representation of shared beliefs.

communication

the process of mutual creation of meaning

nonverbal communication

the process of relaying messages and meanings without the use of words

face

the public image people try to claim

receiver

the recipient of a message

territory

the space people consider theirs

ethnography

the study of human social interaction from the inside

interpretive research

the study of understanding, especially though the systematic interpretation of social actions or texts

euphemism

the substitution of vague or less emotionally charged words for more direct options

critical theory

theory that challenges existing ways of organizing the social world and the people and institutions exercising power in it

encoding

transforming a message into a an understandable sign and symbol system

metaphor

unstated comparisons between things or events that share some feature

imaginative function

using language to bring pleasure

persuasive function

using language to change the attitudes or thinking of those around us

regulatory function

using language to control the behavior of others

relational function

using language to establish, define, and maintain relationships. Helps to connect with others.

instrumental function

using language to get what is wanted or needed

ritualistic function

using language to meet an important social convention or expectation

informative function

using language to provide and get information

expressive function

using language to state personal feelings, thoughts, and attitudes

syntactic ambiguity

when a sentence can reasonably be interpreted in more than one way

causality

when one event precedes a second event and that second event is deemed to be a consequence of the first

intentionality

whether what we communicate verbally and nonverbally is intended

perception

being aware of and making meaning from the world around us

postpositivism

communication scholarship that recognizes that humans living in a social world are not as constant or predictable as the measurable elements of the physical world

facework

communication strategies designed to protect out and others' face.

bounded culture/co-culture

cultural identities existing within the larger culture

lying

delivering information believed to be untrue with the intention to deceive

representational communication

describing or conveying some fact or information

nonverbal coding systems

groups or clusters of behaviors that convey meaning (facial expressions, body movements, gesticulations). These systems share several properties: they are analogic rather than digital (continuous rather than discrete); they can be iconic; many possess universal meaning; they permit the simultaneous transmission of many messages; they can generate or evoke an automatic response; they are often spontaneous

source

in a linear model, the originator of a message

agency

in critical theory, how humans behave and interact in the social world

dialectic

in critical theory, the ongoing struggle or debate between agency and structure

structure

in critical theory, the social world's rules, norms, and beliefs

upshift

in frame analysis framing a situation as less serious, more open to person expression

downshift

in frame analysis, framing a situation as more serious, less open to expressions of personal identity

social cues

in frame analysis, information in an interaction, allowing the fine-tuning of presentation of self

hyper-ritualized representation

in frame analysis, media portrayals that cannot represent all the nuances of a phenomenon

frames

in frame analysis, specific sets of expectations that people use to make sense of specific social situations

social objects

in symbolic interaction, any objects to which people can refer to make meaning

Looking glass self

in symbolic interaction, the idea that the self is accomplished by seeing ourselves as others see us. "I am what I think that you think I am."

quantitative research

inquiry relying on the collection and analysis of numerical data

qualitative research

inquiry relying on the collection and analysis of symbolic data such as language and other cultural products

experiment

research method involving the manipulation of one variable to measure its influence on another variable

survey

research method relying on questionnaires and interviews to solicit self-reported data from respondents

feedback

response to a message

grammar

rules describing the proper construction of phrases and sentences

small talk

scripted and superficial conversations based on social convention

intimate space

0-18 inches; distance zone that implies an extremely personal connection

personal space

18 in-4 ft; distance zone that implies a close, but not intimate relationship

social space

4-12 ft; distance zone suggesting little, if any, intimacy

language

a communication system made up of formal units (words and sounds) combined in systematic ways to cooperatively make meaning

stereotype

a form of schema is a _________: a generalization about people, places, or things that may or not be accurate

schema

a mental structure built from past experiences that we use to process new info and organize new experiences

linear model

a representation of communication as a linear process, with messages traveling from a source, through a medium, to a receiver

source-dominated model

a representation of communication efforts as primarily within a source's control

transactional model

a representation of the elements of communication as interdependent and the process of communication as ongoing and dynamic

fact

a theory is not a ______

frame analysis

a theory that explains that we present ourselves in various situations based on our experiences of those situations, both real-world and mass mediated

theory

a unified, coherent, and organized set of explanations, concepts, and principles decribing some aspect of the world

ladder of abstraction

a visual representation of using various levels of abstraction to make different types of meaning. Moving form the bottom up on the ladder, language becomes more abstract. As it does so, it becomes richer in connotation and more open to interpretation, and as a result, more likely to be misinterpreted.

triangle of meaning

a way of understanding the relationship between an object (referent), our sign&symbol for it, and the meaning we give it (reference).

symbolic interaction, interaction, significant others, cues

a way to understand how people's sense of self develops from their ongoing, interlinked conversations in and with a culture. We develop out sense of self through _________. We look to _________ __________ to see how they behave in various roles, and then we use these social ______ to guide our own behavior. How successful we are is determined by how wells others see us doing.

denotative meaning

a word's explicit meaning when used by a specific speech community

connotative meaning

a word's implicit meaning, usually emotionally or evaluatively enriched meaning

symbol

an arbitrary (random) indicator of something else; relatively subjective and abstract, more open to negotiation and dependent on the context.

presentational communication

an individual person's version of facts or information

text

any product of social interaction

noise

anything that interferes with the process of communication

theory of metaphor

asserts that cultural reality is expressed in a language's metaphors. Our conceptual systems (the way we view the world) are central to defining our everyday realities, and they are largely metaphorical. The ways we think, what we experience, and what we do every day are thus shaped by metaphors. Metaphors not only highlight similarities between things or events, they mask differences.

Linguistic Relatively Hypothesis

asserts that the language a speaker uses influences the way he or she thinks. Different languages lead to different ways of thinking. It is impossible to understand society without understanding language, as society depends on, is shaped by, and itself shapes language. The language we use influences how we think, and vice versa.

face-threatening acts

interactions or requests that might threaten listeners' face-wants

decoding

interpreting signs and symbols

abstract learning

language signifying concepts, qualities, or ideas

cultural meaning

meaning based on shared experience

social meaning

meaning made by choice of word and sound alternatives when speaking with a specific group of people

situational meaning

meaning made through specific forms of language that occur or are excluded in various contexts

public space

more than 12 ft apart; distance zone implying little intimacy and indicating a more formal language environment

proxemics

our use of space and distance to make meaning

politeness theory

people use polite language to protect face., everyone has face-wants. people may respond to face-threatening acts either directly or indirectly. We protect ourselves and others from loss of face through facework.

speech network

people who regularly interact and speak with one another

speech community

people who speak the same language and agree of the proper and improper use of language

content analysis

quantitative textual analysis that relies on objective categorization and accurate measurement

epistemology

questions of how to best create and expand knowledge

ontology

questions of the nature of reality and what is knowable

axiology

questions of the proper role of values in research and theory building

sign

something that signals the presence of something specific; relatively objective

framing

structuring the meaning of verbal communication through the use of nonverbal cues

scientific inquiry

the active, systematic process of discovery that leads scientists from observation to knowledge, and eventually, theory.

cultural presupposition

the assumption that htose who share a culture share knowledge of word's meaning

culture

the background, the set of experiences and expectations that we each carry around with us wherever we go; it is the world made meaningful.

medium

the carrier of a message

dominant culture/mainstream culture

the collective cultural experience held and shared by the large majority of people

textual analysis

the deep reading of an individual message or group of messages