Read the text: Communication Theory as a Field (Part I)

Communication theory is a field of information and mathematics that studies the technical process of information and the human process of human communication. According to communication theorist Robert T. Craig in his essay 'Communication Theory as a Field' (1999), "despite the ancient roots and growing profusion of theories about communication," there is not a field of study that can be identified as 'communication theory'.

In 1999 Robert T. Craig wrote a landmark article, "Communication Theory as a Field", which attempts to unify the academic field of communication theory. Craig argues that communication theorists can become unified in dialogue by charting what he calls the "dialogical dialectical tension," or the similarities and differences in their understanding of "communication" and demonstrating how those elements create tension within the field. Craig mapped these similarities and differences into seven suggested traditions of communication theory and showed how each of these traditions understand communication, as well as how each traditions understanding creates tension with the other traditions. This article has received multiple awards, has become the foundation for many communication textbooks, and has been translated into several different languages. Communication theory as a field has created two main dialogues between Craig and other theorists. Myers argued that Craig misrepresented the theoretical assumptions of his theory, and that the theory itself does not distinguish between good and bad theories. Craig responded that Myers misunderstood not only the basic argument of the article, but also misrepresented his own case study. Russill proposed pragmatism as an eighth tradition of communication theory, Craig responded by expanding this idea and placing Russill's proposition in conversation with the other seven traditions.

"Communication Theory as a Field" expanded the conversation regarding disciplinary identity in the field of communication. At that time, communication theory textbooks had little to no agreement on how to present the field or what theories to include in their textbooks. This article has since become the foundational framework for four different textbooks to introduce the field of communication. In this article Craig "proposes a vision for communication theory that takes a huge step toward unifying this rather disparate field and addressing its complexities." To move toward this unifying vision Craig focused on communication theory as a practical discipline and shows how "various traditions of communication theory can be engaged in dialogue on the practice of communication." In this deliberative process theorists would engage in dialog about the "practical implications of communication theories." In the end Craig proposes seven different traditions of communication theory and outlines how each one of them would engage the others in dialogue.

Craig argues that while the study of communication and communication theory has become a rich and flourishing field "Communication theory as an identifiable field of study does not yet exist" and the field of communication theory has become fragmented into separate domains which simply ignore each other. This inability to engage in dialog with one another causes theorists to view communication from isolated viewpoints, and denies them the richness that is available when engaging different perspectives. Craig argues that communication theorists are all engaging in the study of practical communication. By doing so different traditions are able to have a common ground from which a dialog can form, albeit each taking a different perspective of communication. Through this process of forming a dialog between theorists with different viewpoints on communication “communication theory can fully engage with the ongoing practical discourse (or metadiscourse) about communication in society."

The communication discipline began not as a single discipline, but through many different disciplines independently researching communication. This interdisciplinary beginning has separated theorists through their different conceptions of communication, rather than unifying them in the common topic of communication. Craig argues that the solution to this incoherence in the field of communication is not a unified theory of communication, but to create a dialogue between these theorists which engages these differences with one another to create new understandings of communication.

To achieve this dialog Craig proposes what he calls “Dialogical-Dialectical coherence,” or a “common awareness of certain complementaries and tensions among different types of communication theory." Craig believes that the different theories cannot develop in total isolation from one another, therefore this dialogical-dialectical coherence will provide a set of background assumptions from which different theories can engage each other in productive argumentation. Craig argues for a metatheory, or "second level" theory which deals with "first level" theories about communication. This second level metamodel of communication theory would help to understand the differences between first level communication traditions. With this thesis in place, Craig proposes seven suggested traditions of communication that have emerged and each of which have their own way of understanding communication.

1. Rhetorical: views communication as the practical art of discourse.

2. Semiotic: views communication as the mediation by signs.

3. Phenomenological: communication is the experience of dialogue with others.

4. Cybernetic: communication is the flow of information.

5. Socio-psychological: communication is the interaction of individuals.

6. Socio-cultural: communication is the production and reproduction of the social order.

7. Critical: communication is the process in which all assumptions can be challenged.

These proposed seven traditions of communication theory are then placed on two separate tables first to show how each traditions different interpretation of communication defines the tradition's vocabulary, communication problems, and commonplaces, and next to show what argumentation between the traditions would look like. Craig then outlines the specifics of each tradition.

Conclusion

Craig concluded with an open invitation to explore how the differences in these theories might shed light on key issues, show where new traditions could be created, and engaging communication theory with communication problems through metadiscourse. Craig further proposes several future traditions that could possibly be fit into the metamodel. A feminist tradition where communication is theorized as "connectedness to others", an aesthetic tradition theorizing communication as "embodied performance", an economic tradition theorizing communication as "exchange", and a spiritual tradition theorizing communication on a "nonmaterial or mystical plane of existence."

I. Answer the questions:

1.What does Communication theory study?

2.What did Craig write about Communication theory in his work "Communication Theory as a Field"?

3.Why did "Communication Theory as a Field" expand the conversation regarding

4.disciplinary identity in the field of communication?

5.What traditions of communication did Craig propose?

6. How many traditions of communication were proposed by Craig?