COM2614 Class 2

Summary

In this second lecture of COM2614, presented by Sherpa Phumla, the focus is on extending critical perspectives from decolonial thinking to communication theories, paradigms, and approaches. The lecture explores diverse global perspectives on communication, such as the Akan concept of Sanova, Southern African Ubuntu, and Latin American Buen Vivir, emphasizing relational and community-centered communication methods. Students are encouraged to evaluate communication theories, considering the influence of cultural contexts and the need for transformative approaches in communication studies. The lecture invite students to analyze cultural communication practices and consider the application of diverse theoretical frameworks to enrich understanding.

Highlights

• The concept of paradigms and theories in communication studies is like viewing the world through an upside-down map. 🗺️
• African and Latin American perspectives offer valuable insights and frameworks for understanding communication differently. 🌎
• Theories and paradigms serve as lenses for researchers to study and understand phenomena in communication. 🔍
• Decolonial thinking and global South perspectives challenge traditional views, promoting a diverse understanding of communication. 📚
• Practical exercises encourage students to integrate theories with their lived cultural experiences. 🎓

Key Takeaways

• Communication theories reveal how paradigms shape our understanding of human interaction through diverse global perspectives. 🌍
• The lecture emphasizes using relational and community-centered communication methods like those from the Global South. 🤝
• Decolonial thinking challenges existing communication paradigms and encourages diverse, culturally sensitive approaches. 🧠
• Students are encouraged to engage with communication paradigms based on personal cultural experiences and reflections. ✍️
• The transformative paradigm aims to empower marginalized voices and enrich communication studies with diverse cultural insights. 🌟

Overview

In our second class, we dive into the world of communication theories and paradigms, enhancing the discussion with global perspectives from Africa and Latin America. From the Akan's Sanova concept, to the Southern African Ubuntu, and the Latin American Buen Vivir, we see how communication can be relational and holistic, challenging the views from the Global North, and encouraging a more inclusive understanding.

It is emphasized that paradigms are not static; they coexist and can complement each other, much like different views on a piece of art. Students are tasked with reflecting on how their cultural communication practices challenge these paradigms and contribute to broader communication theories, making theories not just an academic exercise but a lived experience.

This session aims to make communication studies more inclusive by integrating indigenous knowledge systems and transformative approaches, which are essential in empowering historically marginalized voices. Through a decolonial lens, we learn that the field of communication is not just a tool for conveying information but a powerful craft that shapes understanding and promotes equity.

Chapters

• 00:00 - 00:30: Introduction The chapter titled 'Introduction' starts with a welcome message to 2614 students, referencing the previous lecture's topic on decolonial thinking and its ability to challenge conventional worldviews, using an 'Upside Down' map as an example. The current chapter aims to continue this critical analysis by exploring various theories, paradigms, and approaches within the field of communication studies.
• 00:30 - 02:00: Theories and Paradigms in Communication This chapter explores how different paradigms shape our understanding of human communication. It draws a parallel between the 'upside-down map,' which challenges our assumptions about normal orientation, and the exploration of communication theories, which reveal underlying paradigms. The chapter emphasizes the importance of grounding understanding in both global and local contexts, highlighting that while Global North academic traditions have dominated theoretical discussions, there are valuable theoretical contributions from beyond these contexts.
• 03:00 - 04:30: Global South Perspectives and Theoretical Traditions The chapter titled 'Global South Perspectives and Theoretical Traditions' explores how different traditions from Africa and the Global South can enrich our understanding of communication. It introduces the Akan concept of 'Sanova' from Ghana, highlighting its teaching that looking back is essential for moving forward. This concept serves as a theoretical framework linking communication across time, connecting the past with the present. Additionally, it mentions the Southern African concept of 'Buntu', proposing it as another theoretical perspective, although details on 'Buntu' are not expanded upon within this excerpt.
• 05:30 - 06:30: Understanding Communication Paradigms The chapter explores communication as a fundamentally relational concept as opposed to a merely transactional one. It introduces the Latin American concept of 'buan vivier,' meaning good living in harmony with community and nature, as a paradigmatic framework that contrasts significantly with perspectives from the Global North. This framework serves to show how different theories provide the foundation for knowledge and influence how individuals approach and understand communication.
• 07:00 - 09:00: Communication Theory and Cultural Contexts In this chapter titled 'Communication Theory and Cultural Contexts', the text delves into understanding phenomena within the field of communication. It explains the different approaches to organizing and representing these phenomena. The chapter references theoretician Dennis Mill's definition of theories, which are described as a set of ideas with varying status and origin, aimed at explaining or interpreting phenomena. Furthermore, the concept of paradigms is touched upon, suggesting a comparison or distinction between theories and paradigms in the context of communication studies.
• 10:00 - 11:30: Evaluating Communication Theories Chapter Summary: This chapter delves into the concept of paradigms within communication studies, which serve as overarching frameworks that direct research and theory development in the field. Paradigms encompass a comprehensive set of beliefs, values, assumptions, and methodologies that shape researchers' perspectives and approaches to studying communication phenomena. They play a crucial role in influencing scholars' theoretical perspectives and methodological decisions. The chapter also contrasts different paradigms, such as positivism, highlighting their distinct approaches to communication studies.
• 12:30 - 17:00: Application of Communication Theories in Various Fields The chapter titled 'Application of Communication Theories in Various Fields' delves into how different paradigms like interpretivism and critical theory, including postmodernism, offer varied approaches to understand and study the social world. It discusses how these paradigms shape the way researchers interpret data, formulate research questions, select methods, and analyze data. The chapter highlights the impact these paradigms have on the direction of research, the types of questions asked, and the interpretation of findings.
• 53:00 - 56:00: Conclusion and Future Lectures The chapter discusses the concept of philosophical orientations that shape research approaches and perspectives within a discipline. It emphasizes that different paradigms can coexist, reflecting diverse perspectives and approaches to studying phenomena. The idea is that paradigms act as an overarching circle that encompasses theories and approaches, featuring different concentric circles for theories and methodologies within it. This reflects the diversity of perspectives in a discipline.

COM2614 Class 2 Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 [Music] welcome back 2614 students in our previous lecture we explored how decolonial thinking challenges us to see the world differently quite literally through our discussion of The Upside Down map today we will extend this critical perspective to examine theories paradigms and approaches in communication studies
• 00:30 - 01:00 just as the upside down map made visible our assumptions about normal orientation our exploration of communication theories will reveal how different paradigms shape our understanding of human communication before we delve into specific theories and paradigms let's ground our understanding in both Global and local context While most Global North academic Traditions have dominated theoretical discussions there are rich theoretical
• 01:00 - 01:30 Traditions from Africa and the global South which could offer valuable insights into how we understand communication for instance the akan concept of sanova from Ghana which teaches that we must look back to move forward provides a theoretical framework for understanding how communication connects past and present similarly as discussed in our last class the southern African concept of buntu offers a theoretical lens for
• 01:30 - 02:00 understanding communication as fundamentally relational rather than merely transactional similarly the Latin American buan vivier which means good living in harmony with community and nature offers a paradigmatic framework that differs considerably from Global North Pole views theories therefore serve as a foundation for knowledge in a given field sh in how individuals approach and
• 02:00 - 02:30 understand phenomena within that field there are way of looking at phenomena of organizing them and representing them in communication studies we tend to use theoretician Dennis Mill's definition which states that theories consist of a set of ideas of varying status and origin which seek to explain or interpret some phenomenon paradigms on the other hand
• 02:30 - 03:00 are overarching Frameworks or models that guide research and theory development within a specific discipline or field they andc Compass a set of beliefs values assumptions and methodologies that shape how researchers perceive and study phenomena in the context of communication studies paradigms influence the way Scholars approach and understand communication phenomena guiding their theoretical perspectives and methodological choices different parad igms such as in positivism
• 03:00 - 03:30 interpretivism and critical theory postmodernism offer distinct ways of conceptualizing and studying the social World paradigms therefore provides a lens through which researchers interpret data formulate research questions select methods and analyze data they influence the direction of research the types of questions asked and the interpretation of findings paradigms can include various
• 03:30 - 04:00 philosophical orientations that unform research approaches and perspective and different paradigms can coexist within a discipline reflecting diverse perspectives and approaches to studying phenomena in essence if we look at these three as uh concentric circles we will find that paradigms is the overarching circle that determines our theories and approaches within a
• 04:00 - 04:30 particular field of study let's try to unpack this a little bit further having established our basic understanding of theories and paradigms let's look at how they function specifically within the global self perspective we have mentioned earlier the idea of the sanova Ubuntu in bu VI
• 04:30 - 05:00 these perspective demonstrate our cultural World Views shape theoretical understanding so for example the theme for social work day 2024 was buan V shared future for transformative change which the document describes as an indigenous worldview rooted in Latin American beliefs that humans are integrally connected with natural and social environments core aspects thereof
• 05:00 - 05:30 include relationality which speaks to the interconnection between all elements of a whole reciprocity which speaks to the reciprocal relationship between human beings and nature that we are co- participating in life correspondence refers to the elements of reality that correspond to each other in a harmonious way and then complimentarity which suggest that opposites can be
• 05:30 - 06:00 complimentary and nothing is necessarily Superfluous paradigms influence the purpose perspective methodology and characteristics of theories within communication studies it shapes how researchers approach and understand phenomena they provide the foundational framework that guides theory development and influences researchers perspectives methodological choices and theoretical contributions
• 06:00 - 06:30 again we look at the concentric circles right so if we look at the way in which indigenous knowledge systems can impact upon our understanding of the research process we can see the aspects of respon reciprocity relationality responsibility uh coming into focus and how these connect to values within particular communities placing the researcher solidly within the
• 06:30 - 07:00 middle of um those processes alongside the community and alongside the projects that we are wishing to engage so it is necessary for us to therefore explore how communication paradigms connects Theory with our shared experience as people trying to understand each other across different cultural contexts when we study communication
• 07:00 - 07:30 paradigms we are really looking at different ways of how humans make meaning together within communication science we talk about a communication Paradigm as a broad overarching framework that defines the fundamental assumptions perspectives and methodologies used to study communication broadly speaking examples of communication paradigms
• 07:30 - 08:00 include positivist interpretive and critical paradigms as I said before they can coexist they do not necessarily have to be separate but they do each come with their own distinct um perspectives in terms of how they allow us to study human communication the POS positivist
• 08:00 - 08:30 Paradigm tends to treat communication like something we can measure precisely so for example uh we can ask you to imagine what it would look like to count exactly how many times people nod during a conversation and then to try to analyze what that might mean so while this approach has given us valuable insights a decal perspective reminds that reminds us that ation is deeply cultural for
• 08:30 - 09:00 many communities worldwide understanding communication might be more about feeling the rhythm of conversation or recognizing patterns passed down through generations in this respect the interpretive Paradigm gets closer to recognizing our different ways of making meaning however when we think about how families communicate across different cultures some value direct expression others emphasize indirect cues and context a IAL view helps us see that
• 09:00 - 09:30 what counts is good communication very significantly across Community Center editions the critical Paradigm examines how power functions in communication this is something that is particularly relevant when we think about whose ways of communication are considered standard or professional or normal uh or so-called normal a
• 09:30 - 10:00 decolonial end lens adds crucial depth by showing how Colonial histories continue to influence everything from academic writing styles to business communication Norms I want us to think back to the communication specific paradigms that we started to engage in our first lecture when we look at that then we can see that the transmission uh Paradigm sees communication is sending messages from point A to B but if we consider how
• 10:00 - 10:30 different this is from cultures where communication is more circular whose stories build upon each other and how meaning emerges from these uh Community interactions rather than individual exchanges we also looked last week at the ritual Paradigm that looked at how communication creates shared meaning and Community bonds through a decolonial perspective we said we can appreciate how communities maintain their communication Traditions despite historical disruptions adapting ancient practices to Modern contexts while
• 10:30 - 11:00 preserving their essential meaning the critical cultural Paradigm brings an additional aspect to the four in that it helps us to understand how communication reflects power relations when we addent a de Colonial View we see more clearly how Global communication systems often privilege certain languages and communication Styles While marginalizing others this analysis suggests that we need to question whether our usual ways of
• 11:00 - 11:30 studying communication truly reflect diverse human experiences whether it values different cultural approaches to communication equally we need to examine how historical power relations still influence modern communication we need to develop new ways of understanding communication that Embrace multiple cultural perspectives and we need to consider how we might make communication studies more inclusive
• 11:30 - 12:00 for those of you not in class with us in class this is where we pause to consider the following two questions we are asking you to consider what communication practices from your own culture might challenge existing paradigms and then how might these practices contribute to communication Theory it would be a good idea for you to stop here for a minute and to write down some of your responses so that you
• 12:00 - 12:30 can start to see how Theory and lived experience interact if you have done so you will realize that a particularly valuable aspect about bringing a deal perspective to communication studies is how it enriches our understanding of human interaction across cultures it reminds us that effective Comm communication isn't just about following one set of
• 12:30 - 13:00 rules but about understanding and respecting different ways of making meaning together so then we can move from broad paradigms to more specific approaches to do so we can consider how different cultural contexts shape methodological perspectives for instance the West African G uh tradition
• 13:00 - 13:30 offers a unique approach to understanding how knowledge and communication are preserved and transmitted across Generations the South American testimonial tradition provides a methodological framework for understanding how marginalized voices communicate their experiences a communication approach while more specific than a paradigm still reflects cultural and historical context consider these examples the South African lla
• 13:30 - 14:00 system demonstrates an approach to organizational communication that emphasizes Collective wisdom and consensus building the Pak kisama from Philippines shows how Harmony and smooth interpersonal relationships shape communication strategies the indigenous Australia yarning approach provides a
• 14:00 - 14:30 methodology for conducting research and sharing knowledge that respects cultural protocols and relationships we want to encourage you to go read the connected articles uh to these approaches in your study material as that will allow you to see how people from these different contexts are talking about and writing about
• 14:30 - 15:00 their particular context in relation to communication approaches so a communication approach can therefore be described as a more specific theoretical or methodological perspective within a paradigm approaches focus on particular aspects of communication and they offer distinct ways of analyzing communication from phenomena here we can think for example
• 15:00 - 15:30 about the structural approach discourse analysis feminist approaches postcolonial approaches Each of which operates within or across paradigms okay so if we look at what we have in front of us we can Now understand that communication paradigms are broad foundational World Views that shape how communic ation is understood and study they consist of
• 15:30 - 16:00 underlying assumptions about reality about knowledge and about methodology the positivist Paradigm for example sees communication as an objective process that can be measured while the critical Paradigm views communication is shaped by power and ideology communication theories on the other hand are specific explanations of how communication Works within a given Paradigm they help this describe predict
• 16:00 - 16:30 or analyze communication phenomena based on systematic observation and reasoning for example there agenda setting theory that operates primarily within the positivist Paradigm explains how media influence public perceptions by highlighting certain issues and then communication approaches we've just now explained our distinct perspectives or methods used to study communication they focus on particular aspects of communication and provide different analytical tools for example
• 16:30 - 17:00 the cultural studies approach from the critical Paradigm examines how meaning is created shared and contested through various forms of communication within specific cultural context okay that is quite a mouthful in order for you to break this down we're going to ask you to go to your course material and read the chapter on paradig theories and how they shape a researchers
• 17:00 - 17:30 approach in the online book thereafter you need to go to your discussion forum entitled paradigms and theories and respond to the three questions that are posted there now if you have done your reading you will know that a key task for Scholars is to
• 17:30 - 18:00 develop theories that Advance our knowledge of so social reality without flattening our understanding of the world right so this connects directly to our previous discussion in our last class about de Colonial thinking our paradigms and Associated Theory should broaden our understanding of the world it should limit it there's therefore a critical need to reconcil communication studies with its Colonial legacies this module the ideas to
• 18:00 - 18:30 Center our understanding that canonical knowledge should be treated with critical reflection the Canon as Walter MCN and edate reminds us invariably function along exclusionary AIS while demonstrating hegemonic power of Institutions to legitimize the reproduction of canonical knowledges often uncritically in Academia the Canon represent present the established body
• 18:30 - 19:00 of Works theories and methodologies that are widely accepted as authoritative and influential within a field we are currently again my apologies for using the United States as an example again but they are doing some disruption within the education space at present that allows us to use them as an example of how things may change across different understandings of how
• 19:00 - 19:30 the world operates we are seeing for example a concerted effort to remove things even words such as epistemic justice social justice and I've read the other day even women um just the word woman from um particular material be that teaching material educational material or material that defines how jobs should be allocated
• 19:30 - 20:00 within government spaces now if we look at this in terms of the Canon then we understand that there is a relationship between Canon Theory and Paradigm in academic discourse because the Canon influences the development and understanding of knowledge within a discipline therefore if we are leaving some aspects of who we are and how we understand reality and what our lived experiences had allowed us to
• 20:00 - 20:30 understand and contribute to meaning making if we leave some of this out or we marginalize it or we silence it then it means that the Canon cannot speak to all knowledges equally it is therefore important that our understanding of the Canon and the relationship between knowledge Canon paradigms and theories be based on a comprehensive understanding of the role of theories and paradigms in knowledge
• 20:30 - 21:00 production so this brings us to the reading that I've asked you to prepare for today that is the sandbur and Alverson reading now you will recall that they've cautioned that the tendency to only afford explanatory knowledge to the Epi Theory leads to significant epistemological and political practical problems in contemporary social sciences and the humanities including in the discipline of communication studies there is present widespread acknowledgement that multiple forms of
• 21:00 - 21:30 knowledge exist we spoke about this last week we refer to a pluriverse of knowledges so a detailed discussion of theories and paradigms fall outside the purview of this model such detail will be addressed in com 3714 for the purpose of this introduction to De Colonial communication studies it is worth noting that sandbur and Elverson presented apology of theory within management and organizational
• 21:30 - 22:00 studies in which they categorize theories into explaining comprehending ordering enacting and provoking types they emphasize the importance of understanding diverse theoretical contributions and they encourage pluralism in knowledge development their article offers a comprehensive collection of theories that shed light on organizational Dynamics yet they propos topology of five basic Theory
• 22:00 - 22:30 types can help to advance our understanding of social life in a pluriversal context let's look at this more deeply for us it is crucial to understand how different cultural contexts can contribute to theory development for instance the East African concept of harami which means pulling together provides a theoretical framework for understanding Collective action and and Community
• 22:30 - 23:00 communication the Malaysian gong which means Mutual cooperation offers similar insights into communal communication practices and patterns sandbu and Alverson's topology of theories therefore becomes even richer when we consider examples from diverse cultural contexts I would like us to examine each type of theory that they have identified and to consider how they contribute to a pluriversal understanding of communication starting with explaining
• 23:00 - 23:30 Theory explaining Theory focuses on understanding how organizations work by examining relationships between factors this theoretical approach looks at how various elements influ influence each other why these influences occur and under which conditions they happen importantly these relationships can be tested through research one familiar example is the leader member exchange theory which explores how leaders and followers interact by considering characteristics of both parties and
• 23:30 - 24:00 their context you will for example find a lot of the leader member exchange theory in action when you read current reports about for example authoritarian leadership globally when people are asking questions about why people are buying into particular forms of leadership and not others looking Beyond conventional examples and which is our understanding
• 24:00 - 24:30 the Ethiopian G system offers insights into how Society organizes itself through age-based roles and communication patters similarly the Yubba concept of IA which means character or Essence helps us understand the Deep connection between how people communicate and their moral Behavior which brings us to comprehending Theory comprehending Theory delves into how people make sense of organizational Life by exploring
• 24:30 - 25:00 meanings and interpretations this approach recognizes that organizations aren't just structures but spaces where people create shared understanding through their experiences and perspectives for instance symbolic interactionism examines how people develop and interpret meanings during their workplace interactions cultural practices provide Illuminating examples of this theoretical approach the South African practice of the endava for example shows
• 25:00 - 25:30 how Community creat shared meaning through group dialogue in Brazil the concept of chinu reveals how informal communication networks operate with informal organizational structures bringing us to our next Theory which is ordering Theory this Theory helps us understand complex organizational processes by creating Frameworks and categories it brings Clarity by identifying patterns and
• 25:30 - 26:00 relationships much like creating a map to navigate complex terrain a well-known example here is MP's 1979 work on organizational configurations which helps us understand organizations by their structure and strategy patterns different cultures can offer valuable insights into how knowledge and processes can be organized the Kenyan giku community's age set system again demonstrates how knowledge passes between Generations
• 26:00 - 26:30 while Indonesia's concept of musara shows how communi structure their consensus building processes and we can then investigate and explore how these patents find their way into organizational structures and their communication which brings us to our next Theory which is an acting Theory an acting Theory emphasizes how people actively create and shape organizational reality through their actions and
• 26:30 - 27:00 interactions within organizations this theoretical approach explores the ongoing processes of how people make sense of their environment how they share their understanding with others and sometimes challenge existing interpretations rather than viewing organizations as fixed structures an acting Theory shows how organizational life emerges through everyday practices and behaviors the concept becomes particularly Rich when we examine it
• 27:00 - 27:30 through diverse cultural ances for example the Uganda Nika system demonstrates how Community roles come alive through communication practices in Thailand the concept of Kai illustrates how people actively maintain social harmony through thoughtful communication contemporary examples from our own context can further illuminate the South African stock fills for example show how communities in act financial support
• 27:30 - 28:00 networks through communication while Nigeria's Nollywood Productions actively shape and reflect cultural narratives in Australia indigenous song lines examplify how communities actively preserve and transmit knowledge about their land and culture through ongoing practices I'm reminded here actually of my grandmother's love for Haron songs I learned much later in life that these are referred to as call and response songs and they speak to the lived
• 28:00 - 28:30 experiences of Jamaican laborers and also the slave experience sometimes music was used in this way also as a what we call a language of risk that is the set of discursive practices used to explain experiences and behaviors in situations that are open to gains and losses for example when somebody says I'm just joking to soften an insult or in more serious situations to mitigate at a scenario that could end in
• 28:30 - 29:00 violence we will discuss more of this in unit three when we talk about discursive practices but that does bring us to our final Theory which is provoking Theory when we look at provoking Theory we find particularly powerful expressions in global South context this theoretical approach serves to challenge established ways of thinking it opens New Perspective Ives on how we understand communication it encourages us to
• 29:00 - 29:30 reconsider our assumptions and to imagine fresh fresh possibilities for Social Action ultimately helping people break free from limited ways of understanding phenomena this theoretical approach finds Vivid expression in various cultural contexts for example the Tanzanian philosophy of uama presents a compelling challenge to individualistic Comm communication models in fact it is
• 29:30 - 30:00 quite similar to uh the southern African Ubuntu in Latin America as previously alluded to the testimonial tradition offers alternative approaches to research methodology while the Indian doet movement demonstrates how Theory can challenge deeply embedded social hierarchies in communication so
• 30:00 - 30:30 when we look at theory in context we can build on our foundational communication studies models where we unpacked our understanding of blut diverse as an approach that welcomes multiple ways of seeing and understanding reality this is a framework that recognizes that different cultures societies and historical contexts shape how we understand the world rather than seeking a single universal truth the plut RSE celebrates diverse forms of
• 30:30 - 31:00 knowledge and wisdom we discussed this last week this perspective particularly enriches our understanding of theoretical approaches by examining how theories function across different cultural contexts right and we've given some examples as we were going through the different theoretical uh processes but I can perhaps provide some additional examples just to Enlighten us
• 31:00 - 31:30 further this would include the Zulu concept of mango and the Peruvian Kushi principle of ayani which both illustrate how communication serves to strengthen Community bonds through Collective action engagement and reciprocity knowledge preservation takes unique forms across scultures the West African G Traditions examplify how
• 31:30 - 32:00 communities maintain historical knowledge through oral communication while Aboriginal Australian dream dream time stories connect people to their land and traditions through storytelling cultural continuity finds expression through various communication practices the mai principle of wananga shows how communication maintains skinship connections while the Ethiopian coffee ceremony
• 32:00 - 32:30 demonstrates the power of ritualized communication in strengthening social bonds these examples highlight how communication serves purposes far beyond me exchange of information but play Vital roles in maintaining Community cohesion and cultural heritage hence it is important for us to understand that we need to use our own lived experiences to provoke new thinking within the communication theoretical
• 32:30 - 33:00 space okay so having now an understanding of explaining comprehending ordering enacting and provoking Theory I would like to challenge you to select one Theory type from the topography to then identify a cultural communication practice and analyze how the theory explains or fails to explain the practice consider what modifications
• 33:00 - 33:30 might be needed if you are in class we will take five minutes to do that and to share our observations with the class if you are watching this video outside of the classroom uh situation please take around 5 minutes to do this exercise before we move forward you will then pause the video here just as a
• 33:30 - 34:00 reminder these are the theories that you are looking at of course the question arises what are theories for and so we will now look at why we need Theory sbur and alvison provided us with a comprehensive set of criteria for evaluating the itical relevance in organizational and
• 34:00 - 34:30 communication studies their framework helped researchers to assess whether theories are meaningful clear and practical right first off they give us some of the reasons for why we need theories for example emphasizing how theories should explain phenomena how they should help us understand complex Dynamics how they should help us to structure and organized knowledge how they should serve as
• 34:30 - 35:00 guides for how people actively shape their realities their criteria also stresses the importance of critical thinking clear categorization and the ability to make useful comparisons however communication Theory becomes much richer when we look at it Through The Eyes of Scholars from the global South when we examine how theories work in different parts of the world we discover fascinating connections to local ways of knowing
• 35:00 - 35:30 cultural values and what commun communities really really need therefore to make sandbur and Elvis's criteria more useful for evaluating theories in diverse cultural settings we will focus on three essential aspects that emerge as particularly significant in global South contexts so first of all they have highlighted contextual validity cultural
• 35:30 - 36:00 resonance Community benefit local knowledge systems cultural alignment and the idea that new thinking is provoked as relevance criteria if we look at this within the context of the three uh what I will call main categories of organization for our purposes we can explain that contextual validity BS on
• 36:00 - 36:30 sandbur and Elvis's emphasis on empirical substantiation but it considers local knowledge systems for example again this lla system in South Africa has its own established ways of determining whether knowledge is valid and useful when we examine a theory we need to check whether it technologes and works alongside these local ways of knowing rather than dismissing or overlooking them cultural resonance is the second one that we would like to focus on this
• 36:30 - 37:00 criteria extends the Criterion of practical usefulness but by examining how well theories align with local cultural values take ban system as an example the system places great importance on inclusive dialogue making sure everyone has a voice in discussions so when we look at a communication Theory we need to ask whether it aligns with these kinds of cultural values does it recognize and support local ways of engaging in
• 37:00 - 37:30 dialogue and then the third big one that we want to talk about is community benefit this criteria develops from their emphasis on practical application but it focuses specifically on how theories serve real Community needs in Malaysia the Kamp or Village approach to solving problems shows us how theories should contribute to community well-being when evaluating a theory we should therefore ask does this Theory actually
• 37:30 - 38:00 help communities address their challenges in meaningful ways now these three criteria don't replace sburg and Elvis's framework but rather adapted to ensure theories can be meaningfully applied in diverse cultural contexts they help us evaluate both traditional and modern approaches to communication whether we look at Community radio stations in Mali organizational Communication in South Africa or health messaging in Kenya these criteria help us determine whether
• 38:00 - 38:30 our theories truly work in different cultural settings when we look at traditional ways of studying communication through a global s Southlands we might find some amazing insights and I encourage you to go read the uh written out lecture as we provide some of these examples in there suffice it to say here that all of these perspectives from the global South help us understand communication better
• 38:30 - 39:00 whether we are looking at media organizations business communication or health messages these insights remind us that there are many valuable ways to think about how people communicate in South African organizations for example the Ubuntu philosophy which emphasizes our connection with others is helping to improve how people communicate at work and Kenya and Nigeria traditional healing wisdom is been combined with modern approaches to help communicate health information more
• 39:00 - 39:30 effectively by bringing together different cultural perspectives we can create better ways to understand and improve communication for everyone looking to the future we see exciting developments as traditional knowledge meets modern technology WhatsApp groups for example are helping communities to stay connected in traditional ways while social media is also being used to share traditional stories re researchers from Latin America and Africa are developing new ways to study communication that
• 39:30 - 40:00 respect local cultures and ways of knowing these rich examples show how these criteria work in practice they help us to ensure that theories don't just meet academic standards but also respect and serve diverse cultural context by using these three main criteria alongside Sanders sandbur and Alverson's framework yall can systematically evaluate whether communication theories are true truly relevant and useful also within your own
• 40:00 - 40:30 cultural and organizational contexts this approach can help us ensure that we don't simply accept theories without questioning whether they work effectively across different cultural settings you will recall I said uh in our last class the key is to question everything so as we move forward in our studies please consider how the various approaches that we have discussed today in inform your understanding of communication in your own context how
• 40:30 - 41:00 they challenge dominant theoretical assumptions and whether they offer new ways of thinking about and practicing communication building on our previous class's discussion of DEC Colonial thinking we can now examine how paradigmatic debates and theoretical Con contestations in media and communication studies Center on individual and societal functions of communication and communication Technologies in the Contemporary context these debates also focus on issues relevant to organizations communication
• 41:00 - 41:30 Technologies and historically under represented and marginalized groups we distinguish in our communication studies between at least five main paradigms and a possible sixth one that I would like for us to discuss today these are positivism behaviorism functionalism semiotics and then um the um critical Paradigm and then the
• 41:30 - 42:00 transformative Paradigm that I would like for us to discuss in more detail today I'm not going to uh elaborate on these uh five main paradigms but I am going to ask you to stop and read chapter 5 in the online book communication Theory after reading that chapter please go to the discussion forum and tell the communication Theory and answer the questions that we asked
• 42:00 - 42:30 there then you can come back to the lecture and we will discuss the transformative Paradigm so in Tradition in addition to the paradigms that you would have engaged in your reading we also identify the transformative Paradigm this is a critical Paradigm that already represents a departure from the idea that the scientific method or positivist is the only way to establish truth and
• 42:30 - 43:00 objective reality critical Scholars argue that reality is socially construction constructed and that there are as many intangible realities as there are people constructing them reality they say is therefore mind dependent and a personal or social construct chelisa notes that reality is in this sense limited to context space time and individuals or groups in a given situation and cannot be
• 43:00 - 43:30 generalized into one common reality however she questions whether the supposedly transformative stance has led to tangible gains for marginalized communities so then for chelisa the critical question emerges how many realities as viewed by formerly colonized historically marginal ized groups have been considered valid in the academic construction of knowledge in
• 43:30 - 44:00 Botswana for example the understanding of reality in most communities is influenced by their connectedness to Earth Lee and the spirits according to jisa she says that the there are individual realities as well as group shared realities of particular interest is how these assumptions about the nature of reality are built into the research process while the purpose of of interpretive research carried out in the critical Paradigm is to understand
• 44:00 - 44:30 people's experiences postcolonial indigenous research methodologies challenge the interpretivist to interrogate power relations between Western educated researchers which she says are the colonizers using dominant methodologies that legitimize ideologies of dominant groups and then the researched which he says functions here as the colonized while then often relegated to the position of ignorant
• 44:30 - 45:00 subject so then this is why some callers also criticize the critical Paradigm as not going far enough in terms of centering formally colonized and historically marginalized voices in knowledge production I'm going to ask you to stop the lecture here and read chelisa piece that is accepted in your um in the in the transcript for this lecture in the video transcript for for
• 45:00 - 45:30 this lecture you will find it on pages 18 19 and the top of page 20 having then read chisa's critique we can see how the transformative Paradigm challenges both POS positivist and interpretive approaches emphasizing that knowledge must Empower and transform people's lives chelisa emphasizes how indigenous knowledges can transform conventional ways of producing knowledge
• 45:30 - 46:00 by directly informing our approach to communication studies she points out the transformative Paradigm related to Communication in terms of its emphasis on historically bound social reality that changes with social political and cultural factors the importance of collective meaning making that informs action the recognition that knowledge production must be inclusive of multiple knowledge
• 46:00 - 46:30 systems the understanding that power relations analysis can allow us to look at the ways in which voices are scentered or silen and then how oral tradition stories and artifacts can allow us to uh develop velop new
• 46:30 - 47:00 theories in essence when looking at cisa's transformative Paradigm we understand that reality changes with social political and cultural factors so it is historically bound uh we need to use knowledge for empowerment true knowledge must transform and improve people's lives we use it for Collective meaning making knowledge can only emerge from
• 47:00 - 47:30 Collective understanding and action uh multiple knowledge systems values diverse ways of knowing and understanding power relations analysis examines how power shapes knowledge production and then a social justice commitment which focuses on furthering human rights and cultural respect if we understand communication theory in this way it fundamentally shapes our
• 47:30 - 48:00 practical approaches and this becomes particularly relevant when we examine various communication Fields through the lens of chisa's um postcolonial methodologies so six key things decolonization uh emphasis on indigenous knowledge systems uh valuing oral Traditions understanding the that we have a pluriverse of
• 48:00 - 48:30 knowledges uh not relegating lived experiences to the sidelines and Community empowerment right so the social justice aspect so in media studies Scholars often work within the critical Paradigm which examines media as a complex Arena of power dynamics this perspective and analyzes how ideology and hman function in media spaces while also recognizing
• 48:30 - 49:00 audience resistance the political economy of media Theory enriches this understanding by revealing how ownership structures and economic factors influence both content creation and Public Access when conducting research in this field discourse analysis Pro particularly valuable for understanding how media language constructs social meanings and reinforces or challenges power relations the study of media institutions takes a
• 49:00 - 49:30 different yet complimentary approach through through the institutional Paradigm this framework helps us understand how organizational structures policies and governance mechanisms shape media organizations gatekeeping theory for example eliminates the processes through which these institutions fter information before it reaches the public while policy analysis reveals the concrete impact of regulations on institutional functioning again we are seeing this playing out uh in real time with the
• 49:30 - 50:00 challenges that the current Administration is bringing to I think it's 60 Minutes in their interview with Cala Harris for example now moving to strategic communication we see the functionalist Paradigm at work viewing communication is a tool for achieving specific organizational objectives and influencing audiences this field employs framing Theory to understand how strategic me messages shape audience
• 50:00 - 50:30 perceptions using rhetorical analysis to examine the crafting and effectiveness of persuasive messages organizational communication Embraces the interpretive Paradigm sometimes understanding organizations as cultural spaces where meaning emerges through shared communication yeah sensemaking Theory explains how people navigate and create meaning in ambiguous situations with eth ethnographic approaches providing Rich insights into communication practices
• 50:30 - 51:00 within organizations in health communication the behavioral Paradigm gues our understanding of how communication influences Health decisions and behaviors the health belief model which you will learn about in one of your other modules offers valuable insights into how individual perceptions of health risks shape Behavior change while narrative analysis reveal the the powerful role of personal and media stories in shaping Health
• 51:00 - 51:30 perceptions public relations exemplifies the dialogic paradigm's emphasis on two-way communication and the relationship building Excellence theory suggest that effective public relations requires open ethical and strategic communication with stakeholders this understanding guides stakeholder analysis helping practitioners identify and respond to the diverse needs and interests of different publics this examination of
• 51:30 - 52:00 communication Fields naturally extends from our earlier discussion of chisa's critique her emphasis on historically bound social reality and Collective meaning making resonates particularly strongly in fields like organizational communication and public relations moreover her recognition of multiple knowledge systems and the value of oral Traditions Andes our understanding of media studies in the health communication especially when working in diverse cultural context when we look at
• 52:00 - 52:30 these connections between CH chisa's transformative Paradigm in the various communication Fields I hope that they encourage you to think more deeply about how we might apply communication theories across different context most importantly they serve as a reminder that effective communication practice must always consider the social the political and the cultural factors that shape our understanding and implementation of this theory in the final analysis
• 52:30 - 53:00 therefore the's paradigms and approaches provide essential Frameworks for understanding communication processes however viewing these through a decolonial rant reveal both their limitations and possibilities just as our first lecture challenged us to view the world differently or the world map differently today's discussion encourages us to think particularly about how we theorize and understand
• 53:00 - 53:30 communication the various paradigms and theories we've discussed demonstrate that there isn't one correct way to understand communication instead different approaches offer valuable insights particularly when we remain mindful of power relations and diverse ways of knowing as you continue with your studies you will consider how these theoretical Frameworks might be enriched by incorporating perspectives also from your own communities and cultural contexts you will understand that multiple
• 53:30 - 54:00 paradigms can function separately individually or concurrently you will remember the importance of cultural context you will value indigenous knowledge systems you will understand that there's a need for transformative approaches to ensure that we Center the voices that have been silent and marginalized uh in our theoretical
• 54:00 - 54:30 approaches you will make sure that you apply your um understanding of these things across the multiple subfields that you will engage with and finally that we are not at the end of the road this is an ongoing evolution of ideas in our final two lectures we will delve a little deeper into the historical trajectory of communication paradigms theories and approaches and
• 54:30 - 55:00 their practical applications in various contexts for those of you Keen to it ahead in the next two weeks we will look specifically at postcoloniality De westernization de westernization and decoloniality as key transformative approaches in communication studies and that brings me to the end of my discussion do we have any questions from your side if we do please post them in the um
• 55:00 - 55:30 discussion space for this module and we will endeavor to get to your questions as soon as possible remember review the questions in the uh the discussion questions in the Forum and consider how today's Concepts will apply to your own communication experiences please complete the exercises both your reflexive Journal exercises as well as the discussion for of exercises and have a good week
• 55:30 - 56:00 please bye-bye