Situating Communication Studies : A Study in Academic Boundaries
Abstract
Few academic departments in the same discipline are alike with respect to course offerings. This is particularty true of communication studies, whose own literature indicates a diversity of conceptual diiferences at play. Communication studies have been theorized as disciplinary, multi disciplinary and non-disciplinary. In practice, the presence or absence of courses indicates a department's vision of what its field does or does not 'do.' This study provides a counterpoint to the conceptual difinitions of communication by having faculty, administrators and communication practitioners design an 'ideal communication program based on course offerings. participants um invited to rank a series of courses from least to most relevant to communication studies. Using Q-methodology to examine these rankings makes it possible to arrive at a practice-generated map of communication studies based on the pragmatics of constructing a program of study, and to inductively explore the conceptual thinking behind the course rankings. The results indicate media and media literacy, communication theory, ethics and applied communication as a conceptual nucleus of communication studies. Rgjected as central to communication are theater/drama, creative writing and uriting basics.