Department of Communication

This course examines a large collection of communication theories and seeks to make clear the connection between theory and research. Theories offer various lenses with which to examine communication events and create research questions in communication and media studies. This course ties together other communication courses, all of which operate under the assumptions of various theories. I hope you will better understand the field, your major, and the scholarship in communication.

In communication, as in all disciplines, we construct theories in an effort to see communication events and patterns in new ways. We seek to explain motivations for communication behaviors, identify large scale patterns of communication which escape the individual view, to some extent predict communication behavior, and ultimately to create communication environments to produce certain results.

Theoretical thinking begins with facts (observations). For example, the older people are, the more likely they are to read a newspaper regularly. That is an observation made by newspaper publishers. As you begin to consider why this may be, you are beginning to theorize. What you are creating is an explanation (the lowest level of theory). You can easily move to the next level: prediction. That is, by knowing a person’s age, you can predict whether or not he or she reads a newspaper. Of course, this won’t apply to every individual. It would be more accurately state as, in a group of people over 65 years old, more than 70% of them will read a newspaper one weekday this week. In a group of 18-24 year olds, a little less than 40% will read a daily this week. (If you’re interested, Journalism.org has a review of media use.) Observations of newspaper use over time allow us make many predictions: age, gender, and the content of the news itself. We can predict, for example, that when a dire national situation develops (like the onset of war) readership will increase for all groups temporarily. The highest level of theory is control. Publishers test theories of readership to see if they can increase (i.e., control) circulation.

Informally, you create theories all the time, about your friends, jobs, classes, professors, police officers, politicians, etc. We all form theories about what our behaviors will produce, although in day-to-day life it would more appropriately be called "guesswork" and "assumptions." Some are supported by the evidence of our lives, some are not (notice I did not say "proved," just "supported." This is an important distinction). In this course, we will look at some communication theories which have been shown to be highly supported.

OBJECTIVES

To understand a collection of theories about relational and mass communication.

To be able to apply theories of research questions.

To understanding the kind of research questions each theory may answer.

TEXT

Stone, G., Singletary, M., & Richmond, V. (1999) Clarifying Communication Theories: A Hands-On Approach. Ames: Blackwell.

 

REQUIREMENTS

Exams on class material and reading. (40%)

Comprehensive final exam (20%)

Writing assignments (homework and in-class) 40%

Attendance & Punctuality (bonus points)

 

CLASS POLICIES

If this is not your first semester here, it is probably obvious to you that each professor has his or her own policies. It is your responsibility to understand what my policies are, how they differ from other professor’s policies, and act accordingly. My policies may be different from other professors you have had, even in the Communication Department. Please read this syllabus carefully and keep it for reference during the semester.

Attendance: I take attendance at the beginning of class and give bonus points on the final grade for people who are present at the beginning of class. You do not get bonus points if you are late to class. I find people who enter class late distracting and offensive. You do not get bonus points if you miss class. If you cannot come to class on time, reconsider taking this course. If you see considerable conflicts in your schedule with employment or other activities, reconsider taking this course. I make no distinctions for between types of absences, therefore I do not want any notification of any kind from doctors, coaches, or university officials.

In-class assignments: Although attendance itself is not a requirement, in-class assignments are a percentage of your grade. Therefore, missing class means missing credit for these assignments. There are no make ups for missed exams. I will drop the lowest exam grade, which means if you miss more than one exam, that grade (of "0") will factor in your average.

If you miss a class, it is your responsibility to e-mail me (no phone calls). I will then e-mail you back the assignment for the next class, if any.

Homework assignments: There are written assignments based on class material or reading for that class. They must be typewritten, never handwritten. They must be handed in during the class they are due to get credit. They may be e-mailed to me, for example if you are not going to make class that day or you printer is not working, but I must receive them before the class. Never later. There is no make-ups for missed assignments.

Reading assignments: You are expected to read assigned material before the class discussion.

Plagiarism: Since the development of the Internet, there has been a drastic increase in the number of cases of plagiarism. When I detect a plagiarized paper, it is my policy to give a student an "F" for the course and report the case to the Dean of Student Affairs. I have done this in all cases, without exception. I will explain what constitutes plagiarism in class. (The excuse that "I didn't know this was plagiarism" will not be acceptable).

Class demeanor and etiquette: No eating in class. You are expected to take care of meals and snacks at some other time. Beverages are permitted; those containing caffeine are encouraged. Cell phones are not permitted to be on or out during class (except for some special circumstances).

I shouldn’t have to mention this, but I do … let’s just say that you are expected to have an adult level of bladder control and tolerance for sitting still. I bring this up because leaving class has increased dramatically in the last two years, (even in 50 minute classes). I find it distracting and disrespectful and hope you will keep this in mind.

Bonus points: If you are late or absent less than three times, you will get bonus points up to the equivalent of a full letter grade. (10 points for perfect attendance; 8 for one l/a; 6 for two l/a; 4 for 3 l/a).

Schedule, Spring 2005

Section 01

Final exam: Please note that I do not schedule the final exam period. If you have any conflicts with other activities, please direct them to the registrar’s office.

COM 290 O1 (MWF 11:00 am) final exam: Monday, May 26; 8:00am

Schedule, Spring 2005

Section 71

Final exam: May 16