Communication: Theories and Practice Syllabus

|[pic] |SYLLABUS |
| |College of Humanities |
| |COM/310 |
| |Communication: Theories and Practice |

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Course Description

This course explores the various theories of communication that create the foundation for study of communications in the bachelor's degree program at the University of Phoenix. Major communication areas examined in this course include intrapersonal, interpersonal, group and teamwork, organizational, intercultural, and mass media. Each area, along with others, will be studied in greater depth in subsequent courses in the degree program.

Policies

Faculty and students/learners will be held responsible for understanding and adhering to all policies contained within the following two documents:

• University policies: You must be logged into the student website to view this document. • Instructor policies: This document is posted in the Course Materials forum.

University policies are subject to change. Be sure to read the policies at the beginning of each class. Policies may be slightly different depending on the modality in which you attend class. If you have recently changed modalities, read the policies governing your current class modality.

Course Materials

West, R. & Turner, L. (2004). Introducing communication theory: Analysis and application. Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill.

All electronic materials are available on the student website.

|Week One: The Self and Communication Theories |
| |Details |Due |Points |
|Objectives |Analyze the Symbolic Interaction Theory. | | |
| |Explain Coordinated Management of Meaning. | | |
| |Evaluate the Cognitive Dissonance Theory. | | |
| |Assess the Expectancy Violations Theory. | | |
|Readings |Read Ch. 1–8 in the text, Introducing Communication Theory: Analysis and Application. | | |
| |Review this week’s Electronic Reserve Readings. | | |
|Participation |Participate in class discussion. (DQ1,2) |Thursday |2.5 |
| |(DQ3) |Saturday | |
|Discussion Questions |Respond to weekly discussion questions. |See above |2.5 |
|Individual |Complete the University of Phoenix Material “Communication Introduction Worksheet” located in|Monday |5 |
|Communication Introduction |Week One of the COM/310 student Web site. Instructions and details of the assignment are | | |
|Worksheet |included. | | |

|Week Two: Interpersonal Communication Theories |
| |Details |Due |Points |
|Objectives | | | |
| |Summarize the Uncertainty Reduction Theory. | | |
| |Analyze the Social Penetration Theory. | | |
| |Explain the Social Exchange Theory. | | |
| |Critique the Relational Dialectics Theory. | | |
| |Evaluate the Communication Privacy Management Theory. | | |
|Readings |Read Ch. 9–13 of Introducing Communication Theory: Analysis and Application. | | |
| |Review this week’s Electronic Reserve Readings. | | |
|Participation |Participate in class discussion. (DQ1,2) |Thursday |2.5 |
| |(DQ3) |Saturday | |
|Discussion Questions |Respond to weekly discussion questions. |See above |2.5 |
|Learning Team |Complete the University of Phoenix Material “Communication Theories Matrix” located in Week |Monday |10 |
|Communication Theories Matrix |One of the COM/310 student website. Instructions and details of the assignment are included. | | |

|Week Three: Communication Theories for Groups, Teams, and Organization |
| |Details |Due |Points |
|Objectives | | | |
| |Analyze Groupthink. | | |
| |Explain the Adaptive Structuration Theory. | | |
| |Evaluate the Organizational Culture Theory. | | |
| |Assess the Organizational Information Theory. | | |
|Readings |Read Ch. 14–17 of Introducing Communication Theory: Analysis and Application. | | |
| |Review this week’s Electronic Reserve Readings. | | |
|Participation |Participate in class discussion. (DQ1,2) |Thursday |2.5 |
| |(DQ3) |Saturday | |
|Discussion Questions |Respond to weekly discussion questions. |See above |2.5 |
|Individual |Write a 1,700 to 2000-word paper that applies three of the communication theories you have |Monday |10 |
|Communication Theories Paper |studied so far to your personal and/or professional life. For each theory you discuss, | | |
| |provide one examples of the theory at work in your life: | | |
| | | | |
| |Was the communication effective? | | |
| |How could it have been more effective? | | |
| |How might you communicate differently in the future? | | |
|Learning Team |Complete the Week Three section of the University of Phoenix Material “Final Learning Team |Monday |5 |
|Learning Team Script Project: |Script Project” located in Week Two of the COM/310 student website. Instructions and details | | |
|Action Plan |of the assignment are included. | | |

|Week Four: Communication Theories regarding the Public and Media |
| |Details |Due |Points |
|Objectives | | | |
| |Compare and contrast Rhetoric, Dramatism, and the Narrative Paradigm. | | |
| |Summarize Cultivation Analysis. | | |
| |Illustrate the Use and Gratifications Theory. | | |
| |Critique the Spiral of Silence Theory. | | |
| |Assess the Medium Theory. | | |
|Readings |Read Ch. 18–25 of Introducing Communication Theory: Analysis and Application. | | |
| |Review this week’s Electronic Reserve Readings. | | |
|Participation |Participate in class discussion.(DQ1,2) |Thurs |2.5 |
| |(DQ3) |Sat | |
|Discussion Questions |Respond to weekly discussion questions. |See above |2.5 |
|Individual |Write a 1,600- to 1800-word paper in which observe and analyze the corporate or business |Monday |10 |
|Assessing Your Organization’s |culture. Include t values of the organization, the structure of the organization and | | |
|Values Paper |information sharing practices. In the introduction to your paper, explain and provide the | | |
| |relevant background of your organization. Answer the following questions. | | |
| | | | |
| |How do structure and power relationships influence decision-making within your organization? | | |
| |Are teams or other kinds of inclusion a part of the process? | | |
| | | | |
| |What physical, behavioral, and verbal symbols affect the culture of your organization, such | | |
| |as décor, logos, ceremonies, rituals, jokes, jargon, and stories? | | |
| | | | |
| |How does your organization collect, manage, and use information? | | |
| | | | |
| |Cite at least three peer-reviewed sources other than your textbook in your research for this | | |
| |paper. | | |
|Learning Team |Complete the Week Four section of the University of Phoenix Material “Final Learning Team |Monday |5 |
|Learning Team Script Project: |Script Project” located in Week Two of the COM/310 student website. Instructions and details | | |
|Appendixes |of the assignment are included. | | |

|Week Five: Communication Theories for Diversity and Intercultural Communication |
| |Details |Due |Points |
|Objectives | | | |
| |Analyze the Face-Negotiation Theory. | | |
| |Explain the Standpoint Theory. | | |
| |Evaluate the Muted Group Theory. | | |
| |Assess the Communication Accommodation Theory. | | |
|Readings |Read Ch. 26–29 of Introducing Communication Theory: Analysis and Application. | | |
| |Review this week’s Electronic Reserve Readings. | | |
|Participation |Participation – no discussion questions this week | | |
|Discussion Questions |Not applicable this week | | |
|Individual |Watch television news coverage of the same story on three different TV networks to address |Monday |15 |
|Television News Program |the following three questions. Write an analysis of your findings in a 1,400- to 1,750-word | | |
|Analysis Assignment |paper. Include how the three different forms of coverage of the same news story are portrayed| | |
| |and how the segments are framed with regard to presentation and bias. Cite at least two | | |
| |peer-reviewed sources other than your textbook. | | |
| | | | |
| |What are the points of view of the segments? Are they objective or subjective? How do they | | |
| |demonstrate that point of view? What was included? What was omitted? Consider commentary, | | |
| |camera shots, people interviewed. (Answer with approximately 700 words.) | | |
| | | | |
| |How are various social groups within the news segments represented? (e.g. racial groups, | | |
| |homeless, children etc). Answer with approximately 350 words. | | |
| | | | |
| |Are these news segments taken at face value or are they sensationalized for entertainment? Do| | |
| |these news segments affect your personal values? How? (Answer with approximately 700 words.) | | |
| | | | |
|Individual |Complete the University of Phoenix “Communication Quiz Final” distributed by your faculty in |Monday |10 |
|Communication Quiz Final |Week Five. Instructions and details of the assignment are included. | | |
|Learning Team |Complete the Week Five section of the University of Phoenix Material “Final Learning Team |Monday |10 |
|Learning Team Script Project: |Script Project” located in Week Two of the COM/310 student website. Instructions and details | | |
|Final Scripts |of the assignment are included. | | |

Optional Discussion Questions

Week One Discussion Questions

• Has there been a time in your life when your sense of self changed dramatically? If so, what contributed to the change, and did it have anything to do with others in your life?

• Suppose you want some friends to change their drinking and driving behaviors. What suggestions would you take from the Cognitive Dissonance Theory? How could you apply the theory in persuading your friends?

• Provide some nonverbal expectations that you have learned from your culture. Where or how did you learn those expectations?

Week Two Discussion Questions

• Choose a current relationship of yours and perform a cost-benefit analysis on it. Assess whether the relationship meets, fails to meet, or exceeds your comparison level. Do the same for your comparison level for alternatives. Does applying this theory help you understand the relationship? Explain.

• Do you think relationships are better explained through staged theories or dialectics? Why? Provide examples.

• Apply the Communication Privacy Management Theory to online relationships.

Week Three Discussion Questions

• Discuss the advantages and disadvantages associated with having a high level of cohesiveness among members of a group.

• W3 DQ2: What cultural artifacts or rituals exist in your place of employment, or in your family if you do not work outside the home, There is more than one kind of ritual--address each one. Do the artifacts have any historical significance for the organization or the family?

• Explain the three stages in the cycle of communication behaviors to reduce equivocality of information.

•

Week Four Discussion Questions

• What did Aristotle mean by the moral habits of a person?

• Do you agree or disagree that guilt is the central motive for all communication? Why or why not?

• Discuss reality TV shows, such as Survivor, Fear Factor, the Kardashians, Wives of . . . , Big Brother, and the extent to which cultivation theorists would analyze these shows. What features of reality television are opportunistic to study? In your opinion, what would Gerbner say about this television programming?

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