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CIS 701
COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION THEORIES
Interdisciplinary Doctoral Program in Communication and Information Sciences
University of Hawaii at Manoa
Spring 2004
Instructor: Majid Tehranian
Email & Webpage:;
Course Listserv:
Course Website:
Office:Crawford Hall 309
Tel.: 808-956-3353
Office Hours:TTh 1:30:2:30 pm, or by appointment
Class Meetings:Mondays 3:00-5:30 pm, BUSAD D203
DESCRIPTION
This course reviews the evolution of communication and information theories in the historical transitions from pre-modern to modern and postmodern societies.
APPROACH
Communication and information theories cover a broad spectrum of social science theories. Theories can be best understood if they are historically and culturally situated. This course is therefore taking a historical and cross-cultural approach. More than those in the natural sciences, social science theories are culturally and historically bound. However, certain perennial social problems seem to have remained constant throughout human history. The course is organized around the role of communication in the perennial problems of personal development, cultural signification, social regulation, political legitimation, and economic accumulation.
As Thomas Kuhn has argued, natural science theories evolve in paradigmatic shifts from revolutionary to normal sciences. Because social sciences are also normative sciences, the moral paradigms are often in contestation. They fluctuate between, for example, conflict and consensus, individualism and collectivism, freedom and determinism, egalitarian and hierarchical norms, fragmentation and solidarity, etc. Class discussions will be useful in punctuating the normative aspects of the social scientific discourse.
REQUIREMENTS
A single textbook effectively cannot cover the topic of this course. The required readings (Ong, Littlejohn, Fisk, and Mattleart) together come close to covering the subject from different theoretical perspectives. The optional readings invite you to select 8 books that interest you for review essays of about 5 pages each. You are expected to present your reviews orally on the topics of the day. The suggested books in the appended bibliography have been selected for their relevance. You can find some of the books in the UH Bookstore. For others, you need to go to the library or the online booksellers (e.g. amazon.com). It is critical that you do not fall behind in your reading. Please make your choices as soon as possible
GRADING
Your grade will be based on (1) 40 per cent for the 8 weekly reports, (2) 40 percent for a take-home exam,and (3)20 percent for your class participation (including electronic contributions). Oral and written presentations will be evaluated on the basis of their originality (20%), cogency (20%), organization (20%), style (20%), and scholarship (20%). Your numeric grade corresponds to letter grades as follows: 90-100, A to A+; 80-89, B to B+; 70-79, C to C+; 60-69, D to D+; below 60, F. Attendance is required. Each unexcused absence will result in a reduction of one point in your course grade.
LISTSERV
To communicate with your instructor and fellow students, please sign up for membership in the world’s most exclusive electronic club, namely the Academy for Global Communication and Education (ACE), by sending the following PLAIN TEXT, no “electronic signature” message:
To:
Message Text:SUBSCRIBE ACE-L <First and Last Name
Example: SUBSCRIBE ACE-L John Doe
WEBSITE
WebCT will be used as another communication gateway besides ACE-L to post the syllabus and articles. The attached guide outlines the steps necessary to access the WebCT course web site.
REQUIRED TEXTS
Fiske, John. Introduction to Communication Studies. London: Methuen, 1982. ISBN: 0-416-74570-9
Littlejohn, Stephen W. Theories of Human Communication, latest edition. Wadsworth/Thomson Learning: Belmont, CA. ISBN: 0-534-54957-8.
Mattleart, Michele and Armand. Theories of Communication: A Short Introduction.Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 1998.
Ong, Walter J. Orality and Literacy: The Technologizing of the Word. London and New York: Routledge, 1982. ISBN: 0-415-02796-9
SCHEDULE
DATES / TOPICS / SUGGESTDREADINGSVIDEOS
1. Introduction
January 12 / Communications: Queen of Sciences? / Film: Rashamon
Required:
Littlejohn, Chapters 1 – 11
Tehranian & Arno, on webct
January 19 / Holiday: Martin Luther King Jr. Day /Required:
Littlejohn, Chapters 12 – 16
January 26 / Structure and Process in Communications / Required: Fiske 1982Optional: Kuhn , Shannon-Weaver
2. Communication in Premodern Societies
February 2 / Theories of Orality /Required: Ong 1982, chapters 1-3
February 9 / Theories of Literacy /Required: Ong 1982, chapter 4-7
February 16 /Holiday: Presidents’ Day
/ Optional: Tehranian, ms. on webct3. Communication in Modern Societies
February 23 /Theories of Human Development:
Interpersonal Communication /Optional: Tao Te Ching, Freud, Jung, Erikson, Bateson, Laing, Lewin, Goffman, Crain
March 1 / Theories of Socialization:Symbolic Interactionism / Optional: Lemert, Mead, Blumer
Mar. 8 / Theories of Signification:
Mass Media Effects / Video: McLuhan
Optional: Lemert, McQuail, Innis, McLuhan, Katz & Blumler
Mar. 15 / Theories of Legitimation:
Ideology & Public Opinion / Optional: Lemert, Lippmann, Gouldner, Noel-Neuman
March 22-26 / Holiday: Spring Recess
Mar. 29 / Theories of Accumulation:
Diffusion and Modernization / Video: Asian Tigers
Optional: Frey et al., , Lerner, Rogers, Freire, Tehranian, 1999, etc.
4. Communication in Postmodern Societies
April 5 / Theories of Postmodernity:
Modes of Information and Accumulation / Video: Stuart Hall
Optional: Bell, Hall, Harvey, Poster, Foucault, Derrida
April 12 / Communication and Democratization:
Freedom, Security, and Panoptican Society / Optional: Habermas, Tehranian 1990,
April 19 / Communication and Globalization:Global Village or Pillage? / Video: Edward Said
Optional: Negroponte, Mattleart 2003, Tehranian 1999, Esref &Camilleri
April 26 / Conclusion / Required: Mattleart
May 3
TAKE-HOME EXAM DUE: Compare and contrast the different approaches taken by Ong, Littlejohn, Fiske, Mattleart, and Tehranian to communications theory. Which approach(es) do you prefer and why? Maximum: 10 pages.
REFERENCES
Guides to Writing
W. Strunk, & E,B. White, Elements of Style, 4th ed. New York: Allyn & Bacon, 2000. ISBN: 020530902X
William Zinsser, On Writing Well. New York: Harper Resources, 1999.
Turabian, K. L. A manual for writers of term papers, theses & dissertations. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1996
McGuire, Mary et al. The Internet Handbook for Writers, Researchers, and Journalists. New York: The Guilford Press, 1997.
Scholarly Journals
Communication Theory; Journal of International Communication; InterMedia; Telecommunications Policy; Journal of Communication; Media Asia; Third World Quarterly; Alternatives; Media Development; Third Channel; Asian Journal of Communication; European Journal of Communication; Culture, Media and Society; Communication Theory; Broadcasting and Electronic Media, The Information Society; Journal of Communication Inquiry; Prometheus, etc.
USEFUL WEBSITES
UN, ITU, UNESCO, WIPO, INTELSAT, ASEAN, NAFTA, APEC, INMARSAT
DRAFT: 12/20/2003
COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION THEORIES:
A Bibliography
General Histories
Chase-Dunn, Christopher and Thomas D. Hall, Rise and Demise: Comparing World Systems
Crowley, David and Paul Heyer, Communication in History: Technology, Culture, and Society
Dicken, Peter. Global Shift: Transforming the Global Economy, 3r ed. New York: The Guilford Press, 1998.
Fang, Irving. A History of Mass Communication: Six Information Revolutions. Boston: Focal Press, 1997. ISBN: 0-240-80254-3
Galtung, Johan & Sohail Inayatullah, eds., Macrohistory and Macrohistorians: Perspectives on Individual, Social, and Civilizational Change. Westport, CT: Praeger, 1997. ISBN: 0-275-95755-1
Hardt, Michael & Michael & Antonio Negri, Empire. Cambridge, MA: HarvardUniversity Press, 2000.
Heyer, Paul. Communication and History: Theories of Media, Knowledge, and Civilization. New York: Greenwood Press, 1988. ISBN: 0-313-26157-1
Lechner, Frank J. and John Bol., Eds. The Globalization Reader. Oxford: Balckwell, 2000
Turner, Jonathan H. The Structure of Sociological Theory. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing Co., 1991
Mattleart, Armand. The Information Society: An Introduction. London: Sage, 2003
Mattleart, Armand. Networking the World. 2000
Tehranian, Majid. Civilization: A Global Journey, ms.
General Theories
Littlejohn, S. W. Theories of Human Communication, 4th Ed. Columbus: Wadsworth Publishing Co., 1992
Mattleart, Michele and Armand. Theories of Communication: A Short Introduction.Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 1998.
Innis, Harold 1950a. Empires and Communication.Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
Innis, Harold 1950b. The Bias of Communication.Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
Crowley, David & Mitchell, David, Eds. Communication Theory Today. Cambridge, UK: Polity Press, 1994
Collins, Randall, ed. Three Sociological Traditions. New York: OxfordUniversity Press, 1985
Dissanayake, Wimal, Ed. Communication Theory: Asian Perspectives. Singapore: AMIC, 1988
Fiske, John. Introduction to Communication Studies. London: Methuen, 1982
Griffin, Em. A First Look at Communication Theory, 2nd ed. New York McGraw Hill, 1994
Crowley, David & Mitchell, David, eds. Communication Theory Today. Cambridge, UK:
Polity Press, 1994
Goody, Jack. Domestication of the Savage Mind
Goody, Jack. The Logic of Writing and the Organization of Society
Goody, Jack. The Interface between the Written and the Oral
Griffin, Em. A First Look at Communication Theory, 2nd Ed. New York McGraw Hill, 1994
Hall, Edward T. Beyond Culture. New York: Anchor Books, 1977
Turner, Jonathan H. The Structure of Sociological Theory, 5th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth,
1991.
Martindale, Don. The Nature and Types of Sociological Theory. Boston: Houghton Mifflin,
1981
Gerbner, George et al. "Ferment in the Field," Special Issue of Journal of Communication,
33:3, 1983
Levy, Mark R. et al., "The Future of the Field I & II," Journal of Communication, Summer and
Fall 1993
Dervin, Brenda et al., eds. Paradigm Dialogue. NewburyPark: Sage, 19
Castells, Manuel. The Information Age: Economy, Society and Culture, Vols. 1-3. Malden, MA: Blackwells Publishers, 2000. ISBN: 1-55786-874-3.
Collins, Richard et al. Media, Culture and Society: A Critical Reader. BeverleyHills: Sage, 1986
Collins, Randall. Four Sociological Traditions. New York: Oxford University Press, latest edition. ISBN: 0-19-508208-7.
Fiske, John. Introduction to Communication Studies. London: Methuen, 1982. ISBN: 0-416-74570-9
Gouldner, Alvin W. The Dialectic of Ideology and Technology: The Origins, Grammar, and Future ofIdeology. New York: Macmillan Press, 1976. ISBN: 333-19757-7.
Harvey, David. The Conditions of Post-Modernity: An Inquiry into the Origins of Cultural Change. Cambridge, MAOxford, UK: Blackwell, 1990.
Kuhn, Thomas S. 1962. The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, 2nd ed. Chicago: ChicagoUniversity Press. ISBN: 0-26-45804-0
Lemert, Charles, Ed. Social Theory: The Multicultural & Classical Readings. Boulder, Westview Press, 1999. ISBN: 0-8133-3472-1
Martindale, Don. The Nature and Types of Sociological Theory. Boston: Houghton Mifflin,
1981
Littlejohn, S. W. Theories of Human Communication, 8thEd. Columbus: Wadsworth Publishing Co. 2004 (March).
Turner, Jonathan H. The Structure of Sociological Theory. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing Co., 1991
Thompson, John B. The Media and Modernity: A Social Theory of the Media. Stanford, StanfordUniversity Press, 1996. ISBN: 0804726795
Collins, Randall. Four Sociological Traditions. New York: Oxford University Press, latest edition. ISBN: 0-19-508208-7.
Majid Tehranian and David W. Chappell, Eds. Dialogue of Civilizations: A New Peace Agenda for a New Millennium. London: I. B. Tauris, 2002. ISBN: 1-86064 712 X
Tehranian, Majid and David W. Chappell, Eds. Dialogue of Civilizations: A New Peace Agenda for a New Millennium. London: I. B. Tauris, 2002. ISBN: 1-86064 712 X
Tehranian, Majid. Civilization: A Global Journey, manuscript posted on the course webct.
Kuhn, Thomas S. 1962. The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, 2nd ed. Chicago: ChicagoUniversity Press. ISBN: 0-26-45804-0.
Thomas D. Hall, A World Systems Reader: New Perspectives on Gender, Urbanism, Cultures, Indigenous Peoples, and Ecology. Lanham: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, 2000. ISBN: 0-8476-9184-5
Hartley, John and Roberta E. Pearson, Eds. American Cultural Studies: A Reader. New York: OxfordUniversity Press, 2000. ISBN: 0-19-874254-1
Particular Theories
Mahdi, Muhsen. The Philosophy of Ibn Khaldun.
McQuail, Dennis. Mass Communication Theory: An Introduction. BeverleyHills: Sage, 1984
Rogers, Everett. Diffusion of Innovations.New York: The Free Press, 1962.
Rogers, Everett M., Ed. Communication and Development: Critical Perspectives.Beverly Hills: Sage, 1976.
Thompson, John B. Studies in the Theory of Ideology. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1984
Harvey, David. The Conditions of Postmodernity: An Inquiry into the Conditions of Cultural Change. Cambridge, MA: Blackwell, 1990. ISBN: 0-631-16294-1
Havelock, E. The Muse Learns to Write: Reflections on Orality and Literacy from Antiquity to the Present
Ong, Walter J. Orality and Literacy: The Technologizing of the Word. London and New York: Routledge, 1982. ISBN: 0-415-02796-9
Thompson, John B. The Media and Modernity: A Social Theory of the Media. Stanford, StanfordUniversity Press, 1996. ISBN: 0804726795
McQuail, Denis. Mass Communication Theory, 4th Ed.London: Sage Publications, 2000. ISBN: 0-7619-6547-5.
Rogers, Everett. Diffusion of Innovations.New York: The Free Press, latest edition.
Rogers, Everett and Larry Kincaid. Network Analysis.
Castells, Manuel. The Information Age: Economy, Society and Culture, Vol. 1. Malden, MA: Blackwells Publishers, 2000, Volume II. ISBN: 1-55786-874-3.
Harvey, David. 1990. The Conditions of Post-Modernity: An Inquiry into the Origins of Cultural Change. Cambridge, MAOxford, UK: Blackwell.
Havelock, Eric. A. The Muse Learns to Write: Reflections on Orality and Literacy from Antiquity to the Present. New Haven: YaleUniversity Press, 1986.
Goody, Jack. The Interface Between the Written and the Oral. Cambridge, UK: CambridgeUniversity Press, 1987.
Noelle-Neumann, E. The Spiral of Silence: Public Opinion—Our Social Skin. Chicago: University Chicago Press, 1984.
McLuhan, Marshall. Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man.New York: Signet, 1964.
McLuhan, Marshall. The Guttenberg Galaxy: The Making of the Typographic Man. Toronto: The University of Toronto Press, 1992.
Smythe, Dallas 1981. Dependency Road: Communication, Capitalism, Consciousness, and Canada. Norwood, NJ: Ablex
Gandy, Oscar H., Jr. 1998. Communication and Race: A Structural Perspective. London: Arnold.
Anderson, Benedict. 1983. Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origins and Spread of Nationalism. London: Verso.
Innis, Harold 1950a. Empires and Communication.Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
Innis, Harold 1950b. The Bias of Communication.Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
Habermas, Jurgen. 1983. A Theory of Communicative Action, 3 vols. Boston: Beacon Press.
Dahl, Robert. How Democratic Is the American Constitution? New Haven, CT: YaleUniversity Press, 2002.
Foucault, Michel. 1979. Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison. New York: Pantheon Books.
Giddens, Anthony. 1984. The Constitution of Society: Outline of the Theory of Structuration.BerkeleyLos Angeles: University of California Press.
Hall, Stuart. Cultural Studies.
Hall, Edward. The Silent Language.
Hall, Edward. The Hidden Culture.
Poster, Mark. The Mode of Information: Poststructuralism and Social Context.Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1990. ISBN: 0-226-67596-3.
Tehranian, Majid. Technologies of Power: Information Machines and Democratic Prospects. Norwood: Ablex, 1990. ISBN: 0-89391-634-X
Tehranian, Majid. Global Communication and World Politics: Domination, Development, and Discourse. Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 1999. ISBN: 1-55587-708-7
Thompson, John B. The Media and Modernity: A Social Theory of the Media. Stanford, StanfordUniversity Press, 1996. ISBN: 0804726795
Classical Foundations
Plato. The Republic & Phadreus
Aristotle. Rhetorics.
Indian Philosopher. The White Umbrella.
Machiavelli, N. The Prince
Sun Tzu, The Art of War
Lao Tzu,Tao Te Ching
Symbolic Interactionalism
George Herbert Mead. Mind, Self, and Society
Blumer, Herbert (see biography:
Information and Systems Theory
Shannon, Claude & Weaver, Warren. The Mathematical Theory of Communication.
Urbana: U of IL Press, 1959
Boulding, Kenneth B. "General Systems Theory: The Skeleton of Science,"
Wiener, Norbret. The Human Use of Human Beings.
Bertalanffy, Ludwig vonGeneral Systems Theory
Interpersonal & Group Communication
Allport, Gordon. Theories of Personality
Lewin, Kurt. A Dynamic Theory of Personality. NW York: McGraw Hill, 1935
Hall, Edward T. The Silent Language. New York: Anchors Books, 19
Goffman, Ervin. The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life.
Laing, R. D. The Divided Self.
Erikson, Erik. Childhood and Society
Roger, Carl. et al. Person to Person: The Problem of Being Human
Freire, Paulo. Pedagogy of the Oppressed. New York: Herder & Herder, 1972
Giddens, Anthony. Modernity and Self-Identity: Self and Society in the Late Modern Age.
Stanford: StanfordUniversity Press, 1991
Krishnamurti. The Flight of the Eagle. New York: Harper & Row, 1972
Tannen, Deborah. You Just Don't Understand: Women and Men in Conversation. New York: Ballantine, 1990
Organizational Communication
Taylor, Frederick W. Principles of Scientific Management. New York, 1911
Greenbaum, Howard H. Falcione, Raymond L. and Hellweg, Susan, eds. Organizational
Communication: Abstracts, Analysis, and Overview, vol. 9. Beverly Hills: Sage, 1984.
Putnam, Linda & Pacanowsky, Michael E. Communication and Organizations: An Interpretive
Approach. Beverly Hills, Sage, 1983.
Thayer, Lee. Communication and Communication Systems. New YorkLondon, 1981
Rogers, Everett & Recha Agarwalla. Organizational Communication.
Rogers, Everett M. & Kinkaid, Lawrence. Communication Networks. New YorkLondon, 1981.
Advertising
Packard, Vance. The Hidden Persuaders.
Ewen,, Stuart. Captains of Consciousness: Advertising and the Social Roots of the Consumer
Culture. New York, 1976.
Ewen,, Stuart. Channels of Desire: Mass Images and the Shaping of American Consciousness.
New York, 1982
Communication and Development
Frye, Frederick. "Communication and Development," in Handbook of Communication, ed. By
Ithiel de Sola Pool. New York: Rand McNally, 1973
Lerner, Daniel. The Passing of Traditional Society: Modernizing the Middle East. New York:
The Free Press, 1958
Schramm, Wilbur. Mass Media and National Development. Stanford: StanfordUniversity Press,
1964
Rogers, Everett M. Communication of Innovations. New York: The Free Press, 1983
Pye, Lucian. Aspects of Political Development.
Pye, Lucian., ed. Communication and Political Development.
Hamelink, Cees. Cultural Autonomy in Global Communication. New York: Longman, 1983.
Hedebro, G. Communication and Social Change in Developing Nations: A Critical View.
Ames: IowaStateUniversity Press, 1982.
Hornick, Robert C. Information, Communication Technology and Development.
New York: Longman, 1987.
Jayaweera, Neville & Amunugama, Sarath, eds. Rethinking Development Communication.
Singapore: AMIC, 1988
Tehranian. Majid et al., eds. Communication Policy for National Development: A Comparative Perspective. London: Routledge, Paul, and Kegan, 1977
Tehranian, Majid. "Development and Communication Policy: The Changing Paradigms,"
Progress in Communication Sciences, ed. by M. Voigt & J. Hanneman. Norwood, NJ:
Ablex, 1979
Tehranian, Majid. "Communication and Development," Communication Theory Today,
edited by D. Corwley & D. Mitchell. Cambridge, UK: Polity Press, 1994
______. "Is Comparative Communication Theory Possible/Desirable?" Communication Theory, 1:1,
1990.
______."Communication and Revolution in the Islamic World: An Essay in Interpretation," Asian