Communication Theory

Applying Communication Theory in Everyday Situations Communication plays a big role in the day to day life. The term can be defined differently depending on the context. For instance, in business, it refers to the flow of information from one person to another. However, communication scholars have been able to define it as the process by which people interactively create, sustain and manage a certain meaning (Conrad & Poole, 1998). This is a clear indication that communication is key component in giving meaning to how and what goes on around us. To get a clear understanding of how communication can analyzed, theories are used to help us get the deeper meaning and the application in life. There are numerous theories that have been formulated to help explain the world view of different communication modes and forms. Theories are important in their ability to make communication process more understandable. However, theories can also hide or distort the communication. One of these theories is the Dramatist Theory of communication. This theory was introduced by Kenneth Burke in 1950s with the sole purpose of understanding the use of language in the social and symbolic world of drama (Brock, Burke, Burgess, Parke, and Simons 1985). Griffin (2006) defines Dramatism as the belief that language is a strategic and motivated response towards a specific situation. This is a theory acknowledges that communication language can be viewed in the dramatic action angle. People are taken as actors who speak with specific purposes. Media has been the most important channel that much communication is channeled. The print and electronic media has been the forms of communication that can best put communication theories in action. In the movie production, dramatism has been used to give meaning and at the same time pass relevant messages to the audience. This theory also acknowledges that language used by people in communication only shows the attitudes and their understanding of the world around them. Just as the movies and television programs have actors, scenes and other components, dramatism theory have been categorized in the same way. This is to help explain the acts by different players and to eventually found out the motives behind the actions done. This theory uses Burke’s pentad to explain and bring interpretation to different dramas. These are: the act, scene, agent, agency, and purpose. The Mexican soap opera called Teresa is an example of a well done work of the film industry. This is a story of a young ambitious lady called Teresa who is ready to go to any length to achieve her goals. This lady is ready to compromise her morals in order to attain her selfish ends. She finds herself on the wrong side of everyone, including close family members, in the process of pursuing her ambitions. The story reaches the peak as Teresa is ready to even eliminate anyone who comes between her and her selfishness. She ignores all the voices of reason around her and calls them fools. Finally, the story ends with her loosing everything she selfishly acquired. She regrets everything she ever did and calls all the ambitions as vanity. Teresa’s world view is clearly shown by the acts that she does. She believes that nothing exists like the moral obligation in the process of achieving the dreams. She is able to stoop as low as getting married to a person she never loves just because of the wealth. To make matters worse, she even sleeps with another man on the eve of her wedding; the highest order of infidelity. As this story unfolds, the guilt is clearly shown as feelings of tension; embarrassment, disgust, and shame are evident. Most specific parts of this story show the symbolic speeches that are dramatic in nature. Dramatism theory very well explains this soap opera. As mentioned above, Burke’s pentad can very well be used to give explanation and interpretation of the situation. The first pentad is the Act. Teresa is a restless lady who uses her beauty to lure men into her trap. She comes from a poor background and never intends to ever lead a poor life again. She easily compromises her morals and even kills a lady whom she suspects to be having an affair with her husband. They later become broke, something that makes her live leave her husband for the rich husband’s friend. Though she has no love for him, she ensures that all his multi-billion properties are registered in her name. The actors in this story effectively play there roles as required. They all contribute in one way or the other to the selfish ambitions by Teresa. Others also have roles of exposing her plans and immorality to the audience. Some of the actors also fall victims of her evil plans. For instance, Teresa’s father dies due to the stress caused by her after having the information that she had filed for a divorce indoor to get married to her husband’s best friend. There are those actors who unite with her to avenge on those who have ever crossed her path in the past. They work on common plans to avenge but with no idea of Teresa’s hidden agenda. A critical look at this movie brings out the role men and women play in the universe. All actors communicate their emotions and what they think of what goes on around them by their actions and words. This is a soap opera that has been acted to depict the modern life. The different scenes in the story show the modern concerns and the challenges of life. The different players bring out the real life circumstances in the modern day language. It is acted in a hospital set up where activities of saving lives are many. Love affairs are common phenomena and they seem to be the means to achieve goals. In many of the occasions in the film, Teresa, the main actor is embarrassed by others who put her off in public. They openly speak of her desire to get wealth at the expense of others. Shame and disgust is also evident. Teresa seems to suffer from low self esteem due to the past life in poverty. The parents still live in that state to the moment. She refuses to be associated with them due to their low status. There is a point where she tells the reporters that her mother is her house help in order to cover her identity. This clearly embarrasses her mother to an extent that she disowns her in public. Any time Teresa makes a trip to her parents’ home, she suffers from the inferiority complex. Her determination to never be poor in life has made her part ways with people that are close to her in life. Teresa finally looses on everything she unscrupulously acquired. She realizes that selfish ambition can never pay off. Things even become tougher for her after realizing that the husband that she loved but divorced due to bankruptcy does not want anything to do with her. The end of this soap opera brings a lot of regrets for her as no one else is ready to take her in, not even her mother. Her actions during the story interfere with very many people but she ends up not achieving any of selfish goals. It is prudent to mention that dramatism theory employs very well and elaborative method of analyzing this story. The interpretations can also be done from different angles. For instance, interpretative frames that can clearly be deduced in this soap opera include: revenge, selfish ambition, and fame. Teresa wants the whole world to know her as a sophisticated lady where her true self does not support that. Attitudes towards different actions are also expressed and revealed by the actors. The embarrassment that Teresa causes to others and to herself is strongly evidenced by the dramatism theory. Shame and other unpleasant feelings are aso conspicuous throughout the film. It can therefore be correctly concluded that Dramatism Theory has been well utilized in this film as Teresa and the audience finally realize the mistake in selfish ambition. References Brock, Bernard L.; Burke, Kenneth; Burgess, Parke G.; Simons, Herbert W. (1985). Dramatism as Ontology or Epistemology: A Symposium. Communication Quarterly, 33, 17-33. Burke, Kenneth. (1978). "Questions and Answers about the Pentad." College Composition and Communication, 29(4), 330-335. Griffin, Em. (2006). A First Look at Communication Theory. (6th ed.) New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.