This book conceptualises the lived experience of intimacy in a world in which the terms and conditions of love and friendship are increasingly unclear. It shows that the analysis of the 'small world' of dyads can give important clues about society and its gendered makeup.

In From Talking Drums to the Internet, readers will learn about sign language, cave paintings, motion pictures, e-mail, cell phones, electronic publishing, satellites, telepathy, the information Superhighway, microelectronics, and videos. They also learn about inventors and other key people who contributed to communications development. This work is a unique and timely addition for every library.

Common sense tells us that verbal communication should be a central concern both for the study of communication and for the study of language. Language is the most pervasive means of communication in human societies, especially if we consider the huge gamut of communication phenomena where spoken and written language combines with other modalities, such as gestures or pictures. Most communication researchers have to deal with issues of language use in their work. Classic methods in communication research - from content analysis to interviews and questionnaires, not to mention the obvious cases of rhetorical analysis and discourse analysis - presuppose the understanding of the meaning of spontaneous or elicited verbal productions. Despite its pervasiveness, verbal communication does not currently define one cohesive and distinct subfield within the communication discipline. The Handbook of Verbal Communication seeks to address this gap. In doing so, it draws not only on the communication discipline, but also on the rich interdisciplinary research on language and communication that developed over the last fifty years as linguistics interacted with the social sciences and the cognitive sciences. The interaction of linguistic research with the social sciences has produced a plethora of approaches to the study of meanings in social context - from conversation analysis to critical discourse analysis, while cognitive research on verbal communication, carried out in cognitive pragmatics as well as in cognitive linguistics, has offered insights into the interaction between language, inference and persuasion and into cognitive processes such as framing or metaphorical mapping. The Handbook of Verbal Communication volume takes into account these two traditions selecting those issues and themes that are most relevant for communication scholars. It addresses background matters such as the evolution of human verbal communication and the relationship between verbal and non-verbal means of communication and offers a an extensive discussion of the explicit and implicit meanings of verbal messages, with a focus on emotive and figurative meanings. Conversation and fundamental types of discourse, such as argument and narrative, are presented in-depth, as is the key notion of discourse genre. The nature of writing systems as well as the interaction of spoken or written language with non-verbal modalities are devoted ample attention. Different contexts of language use are considered, from the mass media and the new media to the organizational contexts. Cultural and linguistic diversity is addressed, with a focus on phenomena such as multilingual communication and translation. A key feature of the volume is the coverage of verbal communication quality. Quality is examined both from a cognitive and from a social perspective. It covers topics that range from to the cognitive processes underlying deceptive communication to the methods that can be used to assess the quality of texts in an organizational context.

Each chapter of this book analyzes the rhetoric of speeches by major American and British politicians to show how metaphor is used to create political myths of monsters, villains and heroic leaders. Metaphors are shown to interact with other figures of speech to communicate subliminal meanings by drawing on the unconscious emotional association of words. An innovative study for students and researchers in discourse analysis, political communication, journalism and media studies.

The authors in Narrative and Professional Communication contribute innovative research in a number of areas. Their scholarship situates narrative as integral to science writing and managerial communication, and to the discourse of health-care professionals. Narrative is also viewed as important in analyzing and constructing electronic sites on the World Wide Web. Finally, narrative is seen as central to research methodologies such as those defining case studies and ethnographies and to the stories that connect people within social groups and enable them to construct themselves as human beings.

This comprehensive handbook provides a unique overview of the theory, methodologies and best practices in climate change communication from around the world. It fosters the exchange of information, ideas and experience gained in the execution of successful projects and initiatives, and discusses novel methodological approaches aimed at promoting a better understanding of climate change adaptation. Addressing a gap in the literature on climate change communication and pursuing an integrated approach, the handbook documents and disseminates the wealth of experience currently available in this field. Volume 1 of the handbook provides a unique description of the theoretical basis and of some of the key facts and phenomena which help in achieving a better understanding of the basis of climate change communication, providing an essential basis for successful initiatives in this complex field.

Dialogue as a Means of Collective Communication offers a cross-disciplinary approach to examining dialogue as a communicative medium. Presented in five parts, the book takes the reader on a journey of exploring the power and potential of dialogue as a means for communication. In particular, this volume comes at a time when the global society's attention has been directed to creating more productive conversations in the name of world peace and harmony. It provides a unique new work on dialogue that brings the reader into a "dialogue with dialogue," offering an opportunity to understand the communicative potential of dialogue.
In the book, readers are introduced to five sections: Section I examines the historical and cultural perspectives of conversation. This examination helps to create a foundation for a deeper study of the emergent and salient aspects of conversation as it relates to cultural creativity and human systems design. Sections II offers the reader an examination of dialogue through different philosophical and theoretical perspectives as well as methodological ideas related to conversation. Section III explores different modalities of conversation and the application of design conversation within and across various types of design settings and human experiences. Section IV examines the field of practice as related to use of different forms of conversation. Here various authors will share their different approaches to conversation and their reflections and insights in using conversation in a variety of settings. Concluding the book, Section V reflectively examines the authors' contributions to the book and provides the reader with a focus on the future.

Popular, political and media discourses frame the issue of migration and shape how and when it enters the public and political consciousness. These discourses are of crucial importance as they influence both the general public's perception of migration and the policies which regulate both the act of migration itself and migrant residents. Public and Political Discourses of Migration brings together an interdisciplinary group of established and emerging scholars, whose work interrogates the relationship between discourse and migration. Through the application of a variety of theoretical lenses drawn from the broad canon of discourse studies, each contribution unpicks the productive power of discourse in shaping the reality of migration, migration policy and migrant lives in the twenty-first century. The cases examined emerge, as do their authors, from a wide spectrum of national, political and cultural contexts. They are linked by their fundamental questioning of 'common sense' and ahistorical approaches to migration. They address the question of whose interests are served by prevailing discourses and the structures they underpin. Ultimately, they 'make strange' accepted 'truths' regarding migration in the twenty-first century.

The volume will be a collection of chapters about current theory, research, and practice related to multiculturalism and positive psychology. This book will serve as a reference to any who are interested in the intersection of positive psychology and multicultural context. While many in the field of positive psychology have begun to move more strongly towards a culturally-embedded approach that recognizes the importance of context in discussing, viewing and cultivating strengths in individuals from different backgrounds, there is still a dearth of research in this area compared with studies that take a cross-cultural approach (comparing people from different countries) or one that is purported to be "culture-free" or universal in its application. While it is becoming more common to see various articles or chapters published on these topics, there is still no comprehensive text aimed at discussion of the collection of these topics presented in a cohesive and structured way. This book aims to fill this gap in the literature. In this book, a broad definition of culture is utilized that includes such facets as race, ethnicity, socioeconomic or social class status, disability, religion, sexual orientation and gender. This book is intended to present research, theory and suggestions for practice that are grounded in diverse cultural contexts and current scholarship. It will assist researchers, students and practitioners who are studying and working within diverse populations. Currently there exists no comprehensive text that addresses the intersection of positive psychology and multiculturalism. Several edited volumes address positive psychology constructs (e.g., well-being, optimal experience, autonomy) across cultures, but they do not focus on multicultural populations within the United States. Other books focus more specifically on mental health applications and stress and coping among multicultural populations, however these books do not provide a broad perspective on psychology beyond this application piece. The proposed book will review current theory and research about constructs in addition to applications across contexts. Finally, other published books have focused on youth within multicultural society; this volume is more broad in its address of issues of positive psychology across the lifespan and across various aspects of identity including disability, gender, social class and sexual orientation.

This handbook takes a multi-disciplinary approach to offer a current state-of-art survey of intercultural communication (IC) studies. The chapters aim for conceptual comprehension, theoretical clarity and empirical understanding with good practical implications. Attention is mostly on face to face communication and networked communication facilitated by digital technologies, much less on technically reproduced mass communication. Contributions cover both cross cultural communication (implicit or explicit comparative works on communication practices across cultures) and intercultural communication (works on communication involving parties of diverse cultural backgrounds). Topics include generally histories of IC research, theoretical perspectives, non-western theories, and cultural communication; specifically communication styles, emotions, interpersonal relationships, ethnocentrism, stereotypes, cultural learning, cross cultural adaptation, and cross border messages;and particular context of conflicts, social change, aging, business, health, and new media. Although the book is prepared for graduate students and academicians, intercultural communication practitioners will also find something useful here.

In this book Wayne Hope analyzes the double relation between time and global capitalism. In order to do this, he cross-relates four epistemes of time - epochality, time reckoning, temporality and coevalness - with four materializations of time - hegemony, conflict, crisis and rupture. Using this framework allows Hope to argue that global capitalism is epochally distinctive, riven by time conflicts, prone to recurring crises, and vulnerable to collective opposition. These critical insights are not easily thematized in a mediated world of real-time reflexivity, detemporalized presentism, and denials of coevalness associated with structural exclusions of the poor. However, the worldwide repercussions of the 2008 financial collapse and the resulting confluence of occupation movements, riots, protests, strike activity, and anti-austerity activism raises the prospect of a rupture within and beyond global capitalism.

This book uncovers exactly what is involved when researchers from different disciplines engage with one another in research projects. The authors identify the opportunities and difficulties involved in interdisciplinary engagement, and challenge current claims about where the greatest difficulties are to be found. The first part of the book introduces interdisciplinarity and identifies key issues that influence our understanding of it. The second part of the book presents the findings of research based on over 50 hours of recording and nearly 450,000 words of transcript drawn from a number of university faculties, concluding with a discussion of how this might inform interdisciplinary practice. The book is accessible to the non-specialist reader while also being of interest to social scientists working in professional and academic communication.

What is a 'we' a collective and how can we use such communal self-knowledge to help people? This book is about collectivity, participation, and subjectivity and about the social theories that may help us understand these matters. It also seeks to learn from the innovative practices and ideas of a community of social/youth workers in Copenhagen between 1987 and 2003, who developed a pedagogy through creating collectives and mobilizing young people as participants. The theoretical and practical traditions are combined in a unique methodology viewing research as a contentious modeling of prototypical practices. Through this dialogue, it develops an original trans-disciplinary critical theory and practice of collective subjectivity for which the ongoing construction and overcoming of common sense, or ideology, is central. It also points to ways of relating discourse with agency, and fertilizing insights from interactionism and ideology theories in a cultural-historical framework.

The figure of the stranger is in serious need of revision, as is our understanding of the society against which the stranger is projected. Under conditions of globalization, inside/outside markers have been eroded and conventional indicators of "we-ness" are no longer reliable. We now live in a generalized state of strangeness, one consequence of globalization: we no longer know where our community ends and another one begins. In such circumstances it is often the case that neighbors are the nearest strangers. Strangeness occurs when global consciousness outstrips global connectivity and this means that we need to rethink some core elements of globalization theory.
Under conditions of strangeness the stranger is a "here today, gone tomorrow" figure. This book identifies the cosmopolitan stranger as the most significant contemporary figure of the stranger, one adept at negotiating the 'confined spaces' of globalization in order to promote new forms of social solidarity and connect with distant others.

How can "Speaking Rights to Power" construct political will to respond to human rights abuse worldwide? Examining dozens of cases of human rights campaigns, this book shows how carefully crafted communications build recognition, solidarity, and social change. Alison Brysk presents an innovative analysis of the politics of persuasion, based in the strategic use of voice, framing, media, protest performance, and audience bridging. Building on twenty years of research on five continents, this comprehensive study ranges from Aung San Suu Kyi to Anna Hazare, from Congo to Colombia, and from the Arab Spring to Pussy Riot. It includes both well-chronicled campaigns, such as the struggle to end violence against women, as well as lesser-known efforts, including inter-ethnic human rights alliances in the U.S. Brysk compares relatively successful human rights campaigns with unavailing struggles. Grounding her analysis in the concrete practice of human rights campaigns, she lays out testable strategic guidance for human rights advocates. Speaking Rights to Power addresses cutting edge debates on human rights and the ethic of care, cosmopolitanism, charismatic leadership, communicative action and political theater, and the role of social media. It draws on constructivist literature from social movement and international relations theory, and it analyzes human rights as a form of global social imagination. Combining a normative contribution with judicious critique, this book shows not only that human rights rhetoric matters-but how to make it matter more.

This innovative volume selectively assesses three centuries of inquiry into the role of communications in the history of civilization. It challenges the conventional assumption that inquiry into the human consequences of living in a communications-dominated age began in the middle of the twentieth century as a response to omnipresent technology. Beginning with the eighteenth-century Enlightenment, Heyer shows how scholars as well known as Rousseau and as obscure as Monboddo were concerened with the historical dimension of aspects of social communication. Heyer approaches his subject as a problem in intellectual history and social thought, includes major twentieth-century thinkers who deal with the communications/history question, and concludes his study with an appraisal of the work of several contemporary researchers who have attempted detailed studies of specific media or historical periods.

This volume begins with an overview of theories supporting natural language development-Piagetian, Vygotskian, and cognitive or information processing. Following the theoretical basis for natural language processes in reading and writing, chapters explore the following: how young children acquire rapid growth in oral language without direct instruction; the universality of play in language learning; and portfolio assessment. The contributors develop specific approaches for developing literacy, as chapters focus on the development of preschool early writing, in-school techniques for developing effective collaborative writing experiences, recommendations for creating and facilitating literacy classrooms, children's literature, metacognition in the reading process, and the notion of the theme unit through literature.

This book reports the results of a comparative survey of journalism students in university-level institutions in 22 countries of the major world regions. The survey and analysis are guided by a critical discussion of concepts of journalistic professionalism and the role played by education and training in developing such ideas. The book explores the origins and motivations of students, and the ambitions they have as future journalists. The students had three different concepts of the role of the press: the enlightenment model in which the prime functions is to educate and inform; the power model, ensuring the views of socially powerful groups are publicized; and the entertainment model, which provides the audience with distractions. With a strong desire for professional status, they believe that the form of media ownership dominant in their own society is a major threat to press freedom.

Confronting the issue of the unacceptable as a social category, this collection of international essays provides distinctive perspectives on the theme of what is deemed socially acceptable. The book reveals the ways category of the unacceptable reflects sexual, racial and political fault-lines of a society.

Expressive Order introduces affect control theory to lay readers of sociology, and additionally guides sociology specialists into the theory's deep structure. Briefly, affect control theory proposes that individuals shape their social interactions so that emerging impressions reinforce sentiments about salient identities, behaviors, and settings. Emotions signal how the process of confirming sentiments is going for each individual. The theory explains behaviors, emotions, social labeling, and personality attributions in a wide variety of social contexts including intimate relations, work-world interactions, courtrooms, and international relations. Part 1 of the book provides a plain-language exposition of the theory, along with numerous interpretive analysis of everyday situations. This is engaging and provocative reading for anyone interested in social relations,

International scholars and researchers present cutting edge contributions on the significance of vocabulary in current thinking on first and second language acquisition in the school and at home. By pursuing common themes across first and second language and bilingual contexts, the editors offer a collection that tackles the most important issues.