"Love and Communication is an intriguing philosophical and religious inquiry into the meaning of "talk" - and ultimately the meaning of "being human." Taking an historical approach, Paddy Scannell argues that the fundamental media of communication are (and always have been) talk and writing. Far fro...m being made redundant by twentieth-century new media (radio and television), these old media laid the foundation for today's technologies (AI and algorithms, for instance). Emphasizing these linkages, Scannell makes the case for recognizing what a religious sensibility might reveal about these technologies and the fundamental differences between a humanmade world and a world that is beyond our grasp. Drawing on the pioneering work of John Durham Peters, the book proposes that communication and love go together, which can be understood in two ways: as a human accomplishment, or a divine gift. Ultimately, the essential conundrum of today is highlighted: do we wish to remain in a human>
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"An Integrated Approach to Communication Theory and Research provides an in-depth overview of communication studies as well as integrating theory with research. This new edition provides a comprehensive overview of current theory and research written by the top theorists and researchers in each area.... It has been updated to address the growing influence of technology, changing relationships, and several growing integrated approaches to communication and includes seven new chapters on digital media, media effects, privacy, darks side, applied communication, relational communication, instructional communication, communication and the law. The book continues to be essential reading for students and faculty who want a thorough overview of contemporary communication theory and research." (Publisher)
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"Social Theory after the Internet focuses on everyday uses and effects of the internet, including information seeking and big data, and explains how the internet has gone beyond traditional media in, for example, enabling Donald Trump and Narendra Modi to come to power. Schroeder puts forward a soph...isticated theory of the role internet plays, and how both technological and social forces shape its significance. He provides a sweeping and penetrating study, theoretically ambitious and at the same time always empirically grounded." (Back cover)
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"This chapter presents an overview of non-Western communication theories for cross-cultural and intercultural research. The chapter specifically focuses on selected Afrocentric and Asiacentric theories of communication because they represent communication theories whose ideas and insights spring fro...m indigenous cumulative wisdom of non-Western cultural traditions. The chapter first explicates the significance and scope of non-Western communication theories and then reviews a total of seventeen theories within Afrocentric and Asiacentric communication scholarship. The indigenous theories under review are classified into three philosophical categories: 1. six theories predicated on Asian ontological worldviews; 2. four theories derived from African and Asian epistemological foundations; and 3. seven theories guided by African and Asian axiological parameters. The present chapter concludes by discussing future challenges of non-Western communication theorizing." (Abstract)
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"While the scholarship on communication theory has evolved over many years in Africa it is still work in progress. This discourse has been anchored in society's cultural milieu. The import of this is that the debate has evolved without incorporating the realities of Africa. Consequently, theories of... communication and of the mass media are an ill fit on the continent. As communication scholarship in Africa matures, it requires examining how the realities of the continent can contribute to the development of a theory that best matches this environment. Some of these realities include the evolution of African governance, its culture, and the progression of communication as a discipline. While this article does not make the leap to propose what such a theory would look like, it seeks to raise some of these realities as a starting point for further discussion." (Abstract)
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"Many of the essays in this volume seek to interpret traditional Asian approaches to communication in the light of modern Western concepts. At one level, this might appear to compromise the integrity of the Asian approaches. However, it needs to be stressed that this is a calculated strategy on the ...part of the authors. The objective of the rediscovery of this terrain of Asian approaches to communication is to revitalize and expand the field of communication by drawing on these rich resources. In order to do this, one must first gain legitimacy for these approaches in the eyes of Western and Western-trained Asian communication scholars. It is for this reason that many of the authors in this volume have thought it fit to explicate Asian approaches in relation to Western concepts. This book, which addresses itself to the task of rediscovering a terrain for communication theory, consists of 13 essays. The opening essay argues for the compelling need to study Asian approaches to communication. It does this by pointing out how Asian approaches to the study of communication can supplement, enrich, and challenge Western approaches. It points out that the Asian approaches should no longer be ignored as they can prove to be extremely productive in widening the discourse of communication metatheory." (Introduction, p.xii)
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