Communication Is...

Featuring diverse chapters written by thirty principal scholars in the discipline, Communication Is…Perspectives on Theory is an innovative and evocative collection that examines what communication theory is and how it functions. Throughout the text, each scholar offers unique and insightful perspective, exposing readers to the myriad ways in which to analyze, understand, and think about communication.

The book helps readers envision communication in alternative ways and better understand how various ideas and viewpoints within the discipline can work together to expand the overarching definition of communication. Nineteen different completions of “communication is” give voice to contemplative and exceptional constructions of what communication is and what it accomplishes. The chapters are organized around four broad methods of defining communication: locating, processing, appreciating, and actualizing. Holistically, the text invites readers to discuss, interrogate, and work through various ideas, interpretations, and definitions of communication.

Designed to stimulate lively discussion, deep introspection, and critical thought, Communication Is… serves as an ideal textbook for senior and graduate-level courses in the discipline. It is also an excellent resource for communication scholars who are inspired to challenge, develop, or revisit their own definitions and understanding of communication.

Adam Tyma (Ph.D., North Dakota State University) is an associate professor in the School of Communication at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. He is also the graduate program chair for the master’s program and the coordinator for the visual communication and culture minor.

Autumn Edwards (Ph.D., Ohio University) is a professor in the School of Communication at Western Michigan University. Her primary research interest is human-machine communication. She is co-director (along with C. Edwards and P. Spence) of the Communication and Social Robotics Labs and editor of Human-Machine Communication.