Postconference: Theory as Power vs. Power as Theory in Communication Studies

Session Submission Type: Panel

Abstract

The theme of this post-conference echoes the 2016 ICA Fukuoka Convention theme of Communicating with Power. In the Western world of communication studies, while traditional theories of communication such as cognitive approaches and interpretive approaches focus on discovering, explaining and interpreting reality, post-modern theories of communication such as the British Cultural Studies, the Continental Philosophy, and post-colonial theories and so on aim to uncover, critique and change (unjust) reality. While the former group of theories of communication tend to view theory as power in terms of its explanatory capacity, the latter aim to explicitly theorize communication with power as a central construct and with a change agenda in mind.

While most such theories have been translated and published in Chinese in China, the emerging Chinese field of communication studies have also been drawing significantly from Joseph Nye’s theories of soft power and smart power besides the concept of discursive power in the Foucauldian sense in order to generate new strategies and policy recommendations to enhance Chinese power of communication. Moreover, there have been calls and efforts both in the global field of communication studies and in China to indigenize communication studies and create new theories of communication in light of civilizations alternative and complementary to the West which has been the main source and context of most contemporary theories of communication.

Given such a complex and evolving intellectual terrain on a global scale, it is high time that concerned scholars of communication studies pause along and reflect upon such intellectual development paths. Thus it is hoped that questions such as the following will be addressed as the objective of this post-conference:

1.How can the effectiveness measurement tool be developed with regard to theories of communication which center on harnessing the explanatory power (theory as power) and theories of communication which aim to change reality by means of communication.
2.If possible at all, how can the two approaches to theorizing be coordinated or integrated?
3.How can civilizations alternative and complementary to the West contribute to Theory as Power and Power as Theory?
4.What are some other approaches to communication theory building arising from civilizations alternative and complementary to the West besides the theory as power and power as theory approaches?
5.How is theory conceptualized and used differently in different historic-political-cultural contexts?
6.What is your vision for theorizing about communication in a globally inclusive way?
7.What does a globally inclusive theory of communication look like?

Sub Unit

• Sponsored Sessions