A Cultural Approach to Interpersonal Communication

By: Leila Frances Monaghan and Jane E. Goodman

Sign Up Now! Already a Member? Log In
You must be logged into Bookshare to access this title. Learn about membership options, or view our freely available titles.

Synopsis: This reader connects interpersonal communication and culture, primarily but not exclusively through an anthropological, ethnographic lens. Monaghan (interpersonal communication, Indiana U.) and Goodman (communication and culture, Indiana U.) have chosen 42 pieces that generally share a performance-based approach to communication and culture that emphasizes the dynamic and creative role language plays in the construction of social reality. Combining theoretical discussions and ethnographic case studies, the contributions have been organized into three sections that first provide an introduction to cultural, ethnographic, and performance-based approaches to personal communication; explore the use of linguistic meaning, form, and function for social purposes and link language to social identity; place questions of interpersonal communication into the context of social groups; and discuss how interpersonal interactions shape and are shaped by institutional settings. Annotation ©2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)