A Typology of Theories

• Theories differ in their views of human experience and motivation.

Motives

Motives

• Strategic instrumental:

Motives

• Strategic instrumental: motivated by a desire “to control the other—to have them know what we know, to think what we think, to do what we would like for them to do.”

Motives

• Strategic instrumental: motivated by a desire “to control the other—to have them know what we know, to think what we think, to do what we would like for them to do.”

• Collaborative:

Motives

• Strategic instrumental: motivated by a desire “to control the other—to have them know what we know, to think what we think, to do what we would like for them to do.”

• Collaborative: motivated by a desire to “participate with the other—to learn from them, to make mutual decisions with them”

Meaning

Meaning

• Person-centered:

Meaning

• Person-centered: presumes that communication serves to express inner states, thoughts, feelings, and ideas

Meaning

• Person-centered: presumes that communication serves to express inner states, thoughts, feelings, and ideas

• Social-centered:

Meaning

• Person-centered: presumes that communication serves to express inner states, thoughts, feelings, and ideas

• Social-centered: presumes that our thoughts, feelings, identities, ideas are the outcomes of social practices

Meaning

In Social-centered theories of meaning, we ask why and how we came to think and feel as we do…

Meaning

In Social-centered theories of meaning, we ask why and how we came to think and feel as we do… and see communication as a force that shapes identity (rather than just a tool for expressing what is innately inside of us)

The Four Models

The Four ModelsMotive

Meaning Strategic Control Collaboration

Person Centered Strategic communication: Concerned with information distribution, persuasion, compliance(e.g. Campaigning, PR, Advertising

Liberal Democracy: Concerned with free speech, deliberation, representation (e.g. legislative meetings, voting assemblies)

Social Centered Cultural Management: Concerned with managing hearts and minds; surveillance and data mining; scripted organizational cultures(e.g. Filter bubbles, corporate culture-training)

Participatory Democracy: Concerned with collaborative theory building; innovation; diversity(e.g. win/win conflict process and collaboration)

Cultural Management

Cultural Management

• Where do we see the attempts to control social-centered experience?

Cultural Management

• Where do we see the attempts to control social-centered experience?

• Where do we see consent scripting behavior (i.e. “that’s the way we do things around here”)

Deetz’s Critique of Liberal Democracy

Deetz’s Critique of Liberal Democracy

• The limits of persuasion and advocacy as a means of decision-making

Deetz’s Critique of Liberal Democracy

• The limits of persuasion and advocacy as a means of decision-making

• The limits of free speech as a means of decision-making

Deetz’s Critique of Liberal Democracy

• The limits of persuasion and advocacy as a means of decision-making

• The limits of free speech as a means of decision-making

• The limits of a person-centered view of meaning