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Lady Gaga is known for her controversial clothing and it is known for a fact that she doesn’t wear it just for the sake of it; there is meaning attached to it. Later, we will discuss it more using the Semiotic Tradition.
As individuals, we see different images and impressions everyday. Sometimes these things lead us to create our own reality. However, how do we interpret or process these things? In conducting researches, we use different communication traditions to serve as instruments in looking for answers. These traditions are made to help explain different concepts and perspectives. Through these traditions, broad characteristics of communication and their applications will be understood to individuals and the society.
So, we present to you the following traditions of communication: we have Rhetorical, Semiotic, Cybernetic, Phenomenological, Socio-psychological, Socio-cultural and Critical traditions. We will discuss how these traditions function and what possible research topics these traditions can be applied to. We will also elaborate how each tradition is different from one another and there will also be some critiques. Possible theories under every tradition will also be shown.
RHETORICAL TRADITION:
Communication as a practical art of discourse.
The rhetorical tradition refers to the practical art of discourse or using language effectively with an intention to convince, to inform or to entertain a specific group of people in order to change or reinforce their beliefs, values or actions.
Critiques. This tradition must put into consideration factors such as how people perceive reality. Socio-Cultural, Psychological and Philosophical theories related to communication can make the tradition beneficial so the speaker will know how to identify his or her target audience. It should not only be based on particular situation but it also considers universal principles. For example, your speech must not only depend on the context of the topic. It should also consider other aspects in society and other disciplines.
Theories. One of the theories that can be used is the Narrative Paradigm. It states that us human beings prefer stories over arguments. We would rather listen to stories and be persuaded that way than be persuaded by opinions. Taking from the Narrative Paradigm, personal stories seem much more believable and true but of course, these stories should still have significant meaning and understanding.
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Research topics. One possible research topic is is "How did Mahatma Gandhi’s speech “Quit India” influence India and their struggle for Independence from British colonialism?" If we were to conduct this research, we would use the 5 canons of rhetoric as a guide. We would first analyze the text. By analyzing the text, you can determine how the speech was made and how the speech was structured. Once you’ve analyzed the text, we go to the delivery. We analyze how the speech was delivered, what style the speaker used to verbally present his speech and of course, what exactly the speech is all about. The Rhetorical Tradition focuses on persuasion and by conducting a research on this speech, we can see just how influential Mahatma Gandhi is to not only his fellow Indians but to people all over the world.
SEMIOTIC TRADITION:
Communication as the process of meaning-making using signs.
We go to the signs and symbols which will fall under the Semiotic Tradition. Semiotic tradition in communication is the process of communicating meaning through signs and symbols or how meaning is created, communicated and understood. The signs could be verbal or non-verbal which can mean or stand for something else. This tradition also determines how interpretations of these signs impact society. Semiotics in communication is vital in order to know how signs come to represent objects, ideas, states, situations, feelings and conditions outside of themselves. The tradition is significant in the aspect that we are surrounded by icons, signs, and symbolic forms of information, consistently.
Critiques. Meanings don’t reside in words or other symbols, but in people. In the Socio-cultural Tradition, it says that it is through the interaction of people that create meanings of things. Relating it to the Semiotic tradition, it is good for the researches in nonverbal communication. It can be used in topics where interpretations of the signs make impact on society. For example, road lights regulate our road rules. Through the signs, people are being disciplined and vehicles are organized.
Theories. One of the theories that can be used is the Symbolic Interactionism Theory. or what is commonly known as SI. This talks about how there is no specific meaning for one thing or one object. Meanings are created by us humans and they are mostly different. The goal of SI is for us to create shared meanings in order for us to communicate effectively. By attaching meanings to symbols, we can communicate with other people and in turn, we can also have a good self-concept with the use of these shared meanings.
Research topics. One possible research topic is "What are the underlying meanings behind Lady Gaga’s clothing?" Lady Gaga is known for her controversial clothing and it is known for a fact that she doesn’t wear it just for the sake of it; there is meaning attached to it. In doing this research, we determine what the meanings are behind Lady Gaga’s clothing. When talking about Semiotics, there isn’t just one meaning attached to an object but plenty, so in this case, we will be focusing on what her clothing signifies based on her perspective. To know what her perspective is, we can interview Lady Gaga herself and ask her personally what her clothing means to her. By doing so, we can get rid of misconceptions and controversies that has been brought upon by other people.
CYBERNETIC TRADITION
Communication as a system of processing information, feedback and control.
Communication in the cybernetic tradition is seen as a system of processing information, feedback and control. A complex system where the interacting elements influence one another is referred to this tradition. Overall workings of communication in relation to systems are also examined by this tradition. To get what this tradition implies, examples like the relationships that exist in schools form a cycle of networks and connections. (Students and teachers, environment of the room and etc.) By understanding this tradition in relation to communication, it shows the holistic network of possibilities that people adapt to and are absorbed in.
Critiques. According to Littlejohn and Foss, this tradition explains how the system works. However, it does not factor in the smaller individual pieces and influences that interact with each other.
Theories. One of the theories that can be used is the Karl Weick’s Theory of Organizing. This theory says that organizations are not structures made of positions or roles but communication activities. When people inside the organization create interaction, what they are doing or the activity they are doing creates organization. Like in the Cybernetic Tradition, there is a system where the interacting elements influence one another. In Weick’s Theory of organization, the elements here are the people who formed the organization. Through interaction, they will be able to influence each other thus forming the organization they belong to.
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Research topics. One possible research topic is "How do daughters and sons who come from different parents but become step siblings interact with each other?" This research may seem a bit complicated but it will be explained thoroughly. The Cybernetic Tradition focuses on systems and how certain elements in that system interact and influence each other. The focus of this study will revolve around the dynamics and the interaction between daughters and sons who become step siblings because one of their parents married the parent of the other. The common trend of step siblings is that they don’t get along and they hate each other’s guts because they don’t treat each other as real siblings but that isn’t always true. By conducting this research, we aim to find out how these step siblings interact with each other by taking into account their backgrounds, their environment and many other aspects. By conducting surveys, interviews and careful observation, we can determine how step siblings interact and how their dynamics work in any given day.
PHENOMENOLOGICAL TRADITION
Communication as a system of experience of self and others through a dialogue.
Phenomenological tradition says that what happens around us is described by people and the world is understood by personal and direct experience through the perception of a phenomenon, an object, an event or a condition. What really constructs the reality of information or existence of an individual is the interpretation of messages through the understanding of people’s own values.
Critiques. According to Littlejohn and Foss, it is tough to create an objective research when this tradition must always consider subjectivity. Edmund Husserl, considered the founder of modern phenomenology, held an almost controversial view that instead of seeing things through our own psyches, we should do away with our biases and see things in an objective way in order to be able to interpret the actual experience.
Theories. One of the theories that can be used is the Social Penetration Theory or SPT. This theory talks about how interpersonal relationships evolve from being shallow to intimate. Through self-disclosure, the people involved in the relationship become closer to each other thus making their relationship intimate. In relation to the Phenomenological Tradition, one can use SPT as a tool to analyze the person in order to further understand him/her and his experiences.
Research topics. One possible research topic is "How do Indigenous People celebrate Panagbenga and how is their experience different from how tourists experience it?" Now, the Phenomenological Tradition focuses on the experience of the subject. In this study, we aim to experience how Indigenous People celebrate Panagbenga by celebrating it with them. We expose ourselves to their way of living, their way of thinking and their way of communicating to really understand and experience what they experience. The Panagbenga Festival is celebrated not only by the Indigenous People but tourists as well and by doing this research, we can understand how different this event means to the Indigenous People and for the tourists by first putting ourselves in the shoes of the IP and seeing things in the lens of an IP.
SOCIO-PSYCHOLOGICAL TRADITION
Communication as the primary focus is on interpersonal interaction and influences.
In socio-psychological tardition, the individual is focused as a social entity or a part of a network of people, but is still independent in their actions. It has a more individualistic take and there is a specific focus on interpersonal interaction and influences.
Critiques. The tradition is individualist in nature. It does not consider the factor of how social interaction functions and creates the reality that through interaction between people and the usage of language, culture is made.
Theories. One of the theories that can be used is the Cultivation Theory. This theory talks about how television affects our viewpoint towards certain things and how our predispositions are formed by what we see on the television. When we talk about the Socio-Psychological Tradition, we can analyse people’s experiences and views towards certain things by taking the Cultivation Theory into account. To determine communication outcomes, we have to take a look at their backgrounds and see if there are any influences that may have caused or sparked certain actions.
Research topics. One possible research topic is "How can online relationships be just as effective as real life relationships?" The Socio-Psychological Tradition focuses on the individual and their cognitive processes when certain information is presented. In this research, we determine why online relationships can be even more effective than real life relationships by knowing and determining personal preferences of the subjects. If we were to conduct this research, we will find couples who are in online relationships and real life relationships and conduct surveys and interviews about what their preferences are and what type of relationship they prefer. By doing so, we can determine the outcome of these relationships based on the subjects preferences and behavior towards information that is constantly free-flowing from within the relationship.
SOCIO-CULTURAL TRADITION
Enactment and creation of reality through human interaction.
The focus of the socio-cultural tradition is on the patterns of interaction between people rather than on individual characteristics or mental processes. Interaction is the process and site in which meanings, roles, rules, and cultural values are worked out.
Critiques. It’s more on the interaction. Interaction itself can be problematic because there are factors that we may not consider in the process itself. Factors like psychological processes are not considered.
Theories. One of the theories that can be used is the Ethnography. It is the discipline of observing groups of people in which a certain meaning is generated. It focuses on how that group communicates, the words they use to communicate and what those words mean to them. It is the careful observation of micro behaviors in real situations.
Research topics. One of the possible researches is “How does LGBTQIA+ lingo, particularly gay lingo, has a big influence on meanings and communication of Filipino people?” Socio-cultural tradition can be used in this research to know why the gay lingo has a great influence on how Filipinos communicate with each other everyday. The study will focus on the interactions of people. People’s language will be observed and how the gay lingo is used and how it affects the communication of people. Ethnography can be used as an instrument for this research.
CRITICAL TRADITION
A fusion of theory and action to criticize and analyze social interactions for social change.
To be involved with the critical tradition, acquiring knowledge is not enough but action is also a very fundamental key value. We have to be critical and we should not readily accept given information. When we are given information, it is up to us to interpret it, criticize it, and think carefully about what we are going to do with the information that was given to us.
Critiques. The downside of the critical tradition is that it is very subjective. We are so focused on asking “why” and we take for granted what our end goal is, which is to use the answers of our questions to for effective change.
Theories. One of the theories that can be used is Postmodernism. Postmodernism is the aftermath of modernism and it is mainly about being skeptical about ideologies and theories. These theories and ideologies and what they propose are all lies and everything that we see around us is a result of socially constructed meaning through social and political interaction.
Research topics. One of the possible researches is "How does neoliberalism influence the Philippine education and how is the K-12 system a direct effect of it?" If a research were to be conducted on this specific topic, we can use the Critical Tradition. Neoliberalism is the result of capitalism and it originated from the United States of America. By analyzing the situation and using the post-marxist and post-colonialist thinking, we can find out why the Philippines is still being influenced by the United States and how our country’s education is being manipulated by the Americans.
DIFFERENCES OF THE TRADITIONS
• There are also differences among these traditions. These traditions might have contradicting points with each other but they also have similarities that help us understand things further.
• Rhetorical Tradition is the oldest tradition of communication. This tradition is more on how people get persuaded through art of convincing, entertaining or informing in public speeches or writing. Compared to other traditions, this is more on technicalities on how the audience will be catered through the art of discourse.
• Semiotic and Cybernetic traditions contradict each other. Semiotic tradition relies on how signs and symbols are created through the influence of meaning-making made by people while cybernetic tradition is more on how a system works or how interacting elements influence one another.
• Socio-psychological and Cybernetic traditions expound one another. In Socio-psychological tradition, the individual is being focused as a social entity or a part of a network of people but is still independent in their actions. Like in Cybernetic tradition, there is a system where the interacting elements influence one another and still every element is considered and taken into account, especially the individual being considered as a social entity. Moreover, as individuals, we are more likely to adhere and accept any new kind of communication that abides to already set systems of knowledge, beliefs, or values.
• Socio-psychological tradition stated that socio-cultural tradition does not consider the characteristics of an individual like the psychological processes that may become a factor to affect the interaction.
• Rhetorical and semiotic traditions are being contradicted by socio-cultural tradition because they focus more on the meaning produced by text or the signs. Words are not merely used to carry meaning. It must also depend on the meaning produced by the interaction of people because people create meanings.
• Critical tradition encompasses all the traditions. It has no specific focus compared to other traditions. This tradition is also too ideological.
Every tradition attempts to explain how complex we communicate and create our reality. These traditions will serve as foundations in researches that we will be conducting in the future. Even though these traditions have differences, they still contribute on giving comprehension to the things we don’t know or we don’t readily understand.
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I love the dark theme and contrasting colors. It’s easy on the eyes but striking enough to remember words easily. The layout is very intuitive as well. I love how the differences are clumped together so it’s easier to identify one form the other. The overall aesthetic of the work is very minimalistic and for our personal taste, it is very attractive. It’s simple but not too simple that it bores. One caveat is the example about Lady Gaga. It is quite out of place. Perhaps it could be put alongside the Semiotic Tradition but it seems a bit off in the beginning.
ReplyDeleteThe critique for rhetorical tradition is a bit open ended. It failed to answer vital questions that explains the core of the point. Overall, the rhetorical tradition was well constructed. it just needs to tie some loose ends. For the critique of the semiotic tradition, it needs a little more of an explanation. Again, it is open ended and fails to answer vital questions like “why” and “so what.” Overall, the semiotic tradition provided great examples to help grasp its integral concepts. The cybernetic tradition’s critique needs more work. It seems too simplistic and lacks direction. The phenomenological tradition was explained very well. It’s nice how it was cited well and explained fairly well too. There is a very strong point that was made in the critique of socio-psychological tradition. However, it wasn’t expounded all that well. Perhaps that could be addressed in future editions. The socio-cultural tradition’s critique seems half-baked. It provides solid points but fails to follow through with its nuances.
The differences of the traditions are very good and well thought out but it doesn’t provide a unique take on the individual traditions. It would have been better if each tradition was compared to all rather than specific ones.
We also noticed that there is no in-text citations in most of the text. We suggest that you encode them as well. Overall, the blog post about the traditions is great for the target audience. Great job for simplifying each tradition and making it easier to understand without removing the important details.