Theories of Communication

This book provides a concise introduction to the development of communication theory for beginning students. Written in an engaging and approachable style, it offers an historical account of the development of all the major theoretical approaches. Theories of Communication sums up clearly and methodically the range of existing theories and explains the how and why diverse currents and schools of thought emerged. The strength of this book resides in the multiplicity of theories presented, including such widely differing currents as the first exponents of "Mass Communication Research," the Chicago School, the Palo Alto School, structuralism, and the later paradigms of constructivism and ethnomethodology. It further covers linguistic approaches, new theories of reception, and the political economy of cultural globalization.