Communication is used around the world by variety of groups, nations and cultures. Each of these cultures view communication in different ways. None are better that the others, they are just different. However, when comes to the study communication some argue that there some better than others and this has affects. Penman (2000) writes, “The way in which we conceive of communication sets the constraints on what we study and what we don’t; on what ways we use communication to act in our world and what ways we don’t; and on how we communicate and how we don’t” (pp. 2-3). These affects causes the lack of completeness in the understanding of communication as a whole. There are solutions to these affects and they will help build a stronger understanding
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The theories used to study communication creates limitations for cultures outside of the culture where the theory was developed. Communication theory created in American culture is unfair because it doesn’t address race as a practical part of communication (Allen, 2007). The failure to include race as part of communication theory alienates the potential to understand communication completely. In the same point, communication theory must recognize the problems created when not considering all cultures. As Kim (2002) stated, “One would not expect much challenge to the assertion that communication theories today are imbued with the ideologies associated with North American culture” (as cited in Kim, 2007, p. 279). When communication theories are created through the study of one or more of similar cultures those outside can’t not be evaluated accurately from such theory. Thus the problem communication theory has is dealing with the problem of meanings through language and culture (Peters, 1989). There are ways to potentially avoid this types of problem in communication theory by looking into …show more content…
266). Opening up the context in study of communication allows the scholar to examine the cultural beliefs and practices in a more comprehensive way. Consequently, opening up the understanding of communication study by including previously excluded groups. Another alternative to consider viewing communication through an entirely different lens. Miike (2007) talks about viewing communication through an “Asiacentric vantage point… communication theorizing in the local community and the global society ought to move beyond the dualistic think of provincial specificity versus applicability” (p.277). This dialogic approach is shift from the paradigm of either/or to the both/and paradigm (Baxter & Montgomery, 1996, as cited in Allen, Orbe, and Olivas, 1999). The shift in paradigm allow the scholar to study communication with a different understand and has the potential to provide different results. As stated above, the communication theories have the potential to create restrictions in theorizing but it doesn’t stop
The theories used to study communication creates limitations for cultures outside of the culture where the theory was developed. Communication theory created in American culture is unfair because it doesn’t address race as a practical part of communication (Allen, 2007). The failure to include race as part of communication theory alienates the potential to understand communication completely. In the same point, communication theory must recognize the problems created when not considering all cultures. As Kim (2002) stated, “One would not expect much challenge to the assertion that communication theories today are imbued with the ideologies associated with North American culture” (as cited in Kim, 2007, p. 279). When communication theories are created through the study of one or more of similar cultures those outside can’t not be evaluated accurately from such theory. Thus the problem communication theory has is dealing with the problem of meanings through language and culture (Peters, 1989). There are ways to potentially avoid this types of problem in communication theory by looking into …show more content…
266). Opening up the context in study of communication allows the scholar to examine the cultural beliefs and practices in a more comprehensive way. Consequently, opening up the understanding of communication study by including previously excluded groups. Another alternative to consider viewing communication through an entirely different lens. Miike (2007) talks about viewing communication through an “Asiacentric vantage point… communication theorizing in the local community and the global society ought to move beyond the dualistic think of provincial specificity versus applicability” (p.277). This dialogic approach is shift from the paradigm of either/or to the both/and paradigm (Baxter & Montgomery, 1996, as cited in Allen, Orbe, and Olivas, 1999). The shift in paradigm allow the scholar to study communication with a different understand and has the potential to provide different results. As stated above, the communication theories have the potential to create restrictions in theorizing but it doesn’t stop