Lecture 4

25/11/2010
COMMUNICATION THEORY

-'Who says what to whom in what channel with what effect?' -Lasswell's Maxim
-Traditions of communication theory
-Multiple theories/ 7 traditions
-Transmissional (informational)
-Cybernetic/information theory
-Constitutive (process of production/reproduction of shared meaning)
-Semiotics
-Phenomenological tradition
-Rhetorical
-Socio-psychological
-Socio-cultural
-Critical theory
-Cybernetic/Information theory-Shannon& weaver bell labortories 1949
-Potential communication problems:
-level 1-technical (systems, accuracy)
-level 2- semantic (presision of language)
-level 3- effectiveness (does message affect behavior)
-Systems theory
-BARB (broadcasters' audience research board)
-Semiotics- semantics, syntactics, pragmatics
-Semiotics examine signs as if they are a language
-Culturally shared codes
-Semiotics- how we make meaning in any given situation/how art/design is read within that situation
-Phenomenological Tradition- process of knowing through direct experience
-Embodied minds- communication seen as extention of nervous system
-Process of interpretation is central
-Rhetoric- hyperbole, irony, personification
-Rhetoric can be used to change the way we ‘read’ things. It persuades us to see or read things differently. Because most of the information we receive is ambiguous we can easily be persuaded to read it as others do. Rhetoric relies on communication as a social activity and is a device that is designed to help individuals exert the power of their ideas and views over others