Communication Theory at the Crossroads
1. Edition February 2025
352 Pages, Softcover
Wiley & Sons Ltd
A generative conceptual framework for empowering diverse groups and individuals to make productive and creative choices together
Communication Theory at the Crossroads proposes a new way of thinking about communication to generate new insights, promote new interaction practices, and directly address a new set of human problems. Rooted in a systemic constructionist perspective, this groundbreaking volume provides the theoretical foundation for fostering mutually beneficial solutions to contemporary issues of divisiveness, interdependence, rapid social change, technology-mediated human experience, and other contemporary social difficulties.
Rather than merely explicating a novel conceptual framework, Communication Theory at the Crossroads positions students as active and engaged social scientists equipped with a unified, fully integrated theory they can use across traditional divisions of communication to navigate their complex, rapidly changing world.
Throughout the text, the authors identify the limits of the communication theories currently in use, discuss the critical choices facing today's communication students and scholars, explain the theory of relational constructionism, and much more.
Helping students frame their understanding of life difficulties and use theory-based concepts to inform their choices, Communication Theory at the Crossroads is an essential textbook for mid-level undergraduate courses in Communication Theory and Human Communication.
Gary P. Radford, is Professor of Communication at Fairleigh Dickinson University. He is the author of On the Philosophy of Communication and On Eco and the co-author of Library Conversations: Reclaiming Interpersonal Communication Theory for Understanding Professional Encounters. Radford is the founding editor of The Atlantic Journal of Communication.
Michael Vicaro, is Associate Professor of Communication at Penn State, Greater Allegheny. He is the author of numerous academic articles and book chapters on rhetorical and communication theory. He is currently writing a scholarly book that applies the insights of philosopher Jacques Rancière to present-day political equality movements.