Symbolic Theories in Applied Communication Research: Bormann, Burke, and Fisher

The SCA Program in Applied Communication supports the Speech Communication Association mission of promoting the study, criticism, research, teaching, and application of artistic, humanistic, and scientific principles of communication. Specifically, the goal of this publication program is to develop and innovative, theoretically informed, and socially relevant body of scholarly works that examine a wide range of applied communication topics. Each publication clearly demonstrates the value of human communication in addressing serious social issues and challenges. In this book we present a methatheory for explaining communication theories. We identify three communication paradigms: Symbolic, Relational and Rational. The book focuses on three theories contributing to the Symbolic Paradigm constellation of theories: Bormann's Symbolic Convergence Theory, Burke's Dramatist Theory and Fisher's Narrative Theory.