Essay One
Communication is an important aspect of any society. Since the term communication entered the common discourse, it has been viewed using two alternative conceptions. The two are transmission and ritual views to communication. While the transmission view is the most common, James Carey focused on the ritual approach. According to the ritual definition, communication is a process that causes transformation in society (Subtil, 2014). Carey stated that as per the ritual view, communication signifies, preserves, adapts, and shares a society’s beliefs. Therefore, Carey argues that the role of communication in society is understood best using the ritual view rather than the transmission conception. Some theories of communication support Carey’s argument, while others reject it. The adaptive structuration theory and the development communication theory support the ritual view while dramatism rejects Carey’s argument regarding the passage of information.
One of the theories of communication that supports James Carey’s words is the adaptive structuration theory, which states that groups and organizations create structures made of rules and resources. Social systems form from those structures, and develop other aspects in the most suitable ways (“Communication Theories”) Therefore, understanding the cultural backgrounds of those social systems would provide a good basis for understanding role of communication in a community. According to Carrey, the ritual view perceives communication as an object for maintaining a society in a specific time (Subtil, 2014). That viewpoint is supported by the adaptive structuration theory. After the development of social systems from various structures, communication develops in such a manner that it enables those social systems to remain firm. Therefore, the adaptive structuration theory supports Carey’s argument that the ritual view is the best-placed to understand someone learn the role of communication in society.
The development communication theory also supports Carey’s idea. The theory states that media enhances the development of the people in a particular society (“Communication Theories”). Hence, communication seeks to serve people without trying to manipulate them. The theory agrees with the ritual view, which states that communication shares the beliefs of a society (Subtil, 2014). By upholding a community’s beliefs, communication builds the reputation and longevity of that society, thereby enabling it to develop in different ways. Similarly, the media provides people with the right information, enabling them to know their societies better and understand what is best for them. Therefore, the development of the members of a particular community is dependent on how they communicate. The media, being a crucial agent of communication, is critical in shaping development. According to the ritual view, communication is a crucial factor of transformation in society. Similarly, the development communication theory states that communication enhances development, which can be viewed as a form of transformation.
The dramatism theory of communication contradicts the ritual view. According to dramatism, one can only understand the motive of a speaker by adopting the position of an actor since people’s lives reflect the nature of a person on stage (“Communication Theories”). Dramatism views communication as a manipulation tool rather than an agent of transformation and growth. The ritual view states that one has to study the background of specific people to understand the role of communication in their particular group, community, or society (Subtil, 2014). According to dramatism, however, understanding the characteristics of a specific group of people does not help an individual to know how information is used. Instead, one has to study the speaker and know what he or she aims to achieve. Every person is dramatic and attempts to manipulate others by speaking what is beneficial to him or her. Hence, dramatism disagrees with the ritual view of communication.
The ritual view of communication is not as popular as the transmission approach. Nevertheless, James Carey believed that the ritual view is the best for helping people to understand the role of communication in society. The ritual view states that the role of communication is to enhance the maintenance and advancement of a particular society. The adaptive structuration and the development communication theories are both in support of the argument of James Carey. The two theories agree with the idea that communication helps to improve a community. Dramatism theory disagrees with the ritual perspective because it is views life as drama, where every person communicates to serve his or her interests. Hence, while some communication theories support the ritual view, others reject it.
References
Communication theories (n.d.). Communication Studies. Retrieved from https://www.communicationstudies.com/communication-theories
Subtil, F. (2014). James W. Carey’s cultural approach of communication. Carey. Intercom: Revista Brasileira De Ciências da Comunicação, 37(1), 19-44. doi: 10.1590/s1809-58442014000100002