Discuss relationship between theory and personal experience
select five of these questions and respond to them with essay-length answers. You will also answer the final question, for a total of six questions. Each answer should be between 3 – 5 paragraphs with about five sentences per paragraph. I will evaluate your answers based on the accuracy and completeness of your response. I also evaluate on your clarity of expression (spelling, grammar, syntax, etc.). Your task is to show me that you understand the concepts or the theories discussed in the questions. The test is open-notes and open-book. I expect you to do your own work and not seek assistance from classmates, other online sources, etc.
Select two of these five questions (1, 2, 3, 4, 5):
1. In the Symbolic Interaction theory, Mead suggests that meaning, language, and thought work tightly together to help us understand the concept of self. Discuss the two aspects that Mead calls “I” and “me.” Give examples of the differences
2. Identify and define the five canons of rhetoric. Give an example to illustrate each one.
3. Describe and analyze the four primary strategies that have been used to manage dialectical tensions. Which do you perceive to be the most effective? Why? Which do you perceive to be the least effective? Why?
4. Apply Uses and Gratifications to New Media such as Instagram, texting, blogging, or instant messages. What concepts and principles of the theory relate? Which are not relevant?
5. Distinguish between the following: convergence, divergence, and overaccommodation. Provide an example of a situation in which you have experienced or engaged in each of these forms of accommodation. Looking at how conversations pervade our lives, examine how the principles and concepts of Communication Accommodation Theory relate to our dialogues with our physicians, teachers, and/or family members. Be sure to provide an example of a conversation to analyze (it can be fictional or real).
Select one of these four questions (6, 7, 8, 9):
6. Describe the various goals of a theory. Discuss the relationship between theory and personal experience.
7. Differentiate between the positivistic, interpretive, and critical approaches to conducting research. Identify the paradigm that you think best describes your favorite approach to research. Explain why you chose this approach.
8. After listing the seven criteria for evaluating theories, select the three criteria that you deem most important. For each one, provide a definition, an explanation of what that criterion entails, and an argument as to why you believe it is among the most important criteria for evaluating communication theory.
9. Which communication research tradition do you think offers the most valuable information and insights? Pick one of the traditions and explain what kinds of theories fall within its territory. What have you learned about that tradition over the semester?
Select two of these four questions (10, 11, 12, 13, 14):
10. Describe five of the nine axioms developed to explain Uncertainty Reduction Theory. Be sure to discuss the relationship between the variables identified in each of the axioms. How do these variables and axioms relate to the four stages in the process of Social Penetration Theory. Provide an example of a relationship (real or fictional) that evolved through the social penetration process. Describe the communication changes that took place during these four stages.
11. Both Feminist Standpoint Theory and Muted Group Theory deal with groups on the margins that are silenced. How do the two theories differ in their conceptualizations of marginalized group and in what ways are they similar? What does it mean to refer to Muted Group Theory and Standpoint Theory as critical theories.
12. Different media theories examine different aspects of the media. Cultivation Analysis concentrates on media effects that also involve an investigation of media messages (primarily messages representing violence). How does this compare with the focus in McLuhan’s Media Ecology Theory? Is McLuhan interested in effects and media content? Can these two theories inform one another?
13. Both Organizational Culture and Dramatism view common communication activities as performances. Discuss these two theories’ views of communication as performance, highlighting how they are alike as well as how they differ. Do these differences suggest different applications, or could Dramatism be applied to organizational life as effectively as Organizational Culture Theory?
14. The Spiral of Silence Theory applies to media effects while the Groupthink Theory focuses on small groups. What similarities exist between these two theories and which theory seems to have more influence over the other? Use specifics and give examples of how the two are related.
YOU MUST DO THIS QUESTION!
15. Discuss five significant ways in which you believe your training in communication theory may help you in your professional life. Consider how such training may set you apart from someone who has not had any exposure to communication studies.
