General Theories of Communication

Paper Summary:

This paper reviews the four general theories of communication: system, cognitive dissonance, symbolic convergence and Burke's dramatism. The paper presents the history and evolution on each theory and then provides a real-life example of the theory's application. Outline: System Theory Cognitive Dissonance Symbolic Convergence Burke's Dramatism

From the Paper:

"General theories are universal explanations which account for broad classes of events. General theories are similar to theories developed in the natural and physical sciences. General theories attempt to provide accounts of human communication behavior based upon generalized regularities. Thus, general theories may be applicable and relevant to many different groups and cultures, across many times. A general theory has as much usefulness in predicting and/or explaining the communication of an American as it does an Australian. As general theories are not time bound, the propositions which undergrid the theory might be as true today, or fifty years from now, as they were fifty or one hundred years ago."

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