Coordinated Management of Meaning theory - pearce, cronen, harris

this theory is concerned with how we use ___________ to _________________ meanings in interaction with others

rules; coordinate

Constitutive Rules

define what counts as what; they tell us what certain actions mean

regulative rules

tells us when it’s appropriate to do certain things and what we should do next in an interaction

CMM theorists believe that we rely on _______________ ___ _____________________ to interpret experiences

hierarchies of meanings

Content

Lowest on the hierarchy. The basic words in the message.

Speech acts

second highest on the hierarchy. What we do when delivering the message (hand movements, smile, etc)

Episodes

third highest on the hierarchy. The establishment of some rules

relationships

fourth highest on the hierarchy. the specific relationship we have with someone

autobiographies

fifth highest on hierarchy. our life story/ script, our overall pattern for interacting in the world, our way of handling things. Has a lot of the ‘self’ in it

Cultural Patterns

highest on the hierarchy. Our cultural experiences, income, beliefs

Logical Force

the felt obligation to act. Feel pressure, for various reasons, to not follow the rules

CMM theorists do NOT view rules as

absolute or unchanging

Rules ARE

fluid patterns that humans construct and are more or less open to change

Unwanted Repetitive Patterns (URPs)

Patterns of conversation that are sources of frustration. Make people feel helpless so they resort to physical violence to gain control.

CMM leads to..

cosmopolitan communication

what is cosmopolitan communication?

an uncommon form of communication that creates a social world where we can live with dignity, honor, joy, and love

what do cosmopolitan communicators do?

they interact comfortably with people who come from diverse backgrounds, hold different values, and express discrepant beliefs

Cosmopolitan communicators believe

that truth has many faces and we must find ways of coordinating what others with whom we do not, or should not, agree

what criteria is missing from this theory?

aesthetic appeal