Frontmatter

Abstract

Elwood Murray once described the communication edifice as "... an elaborate old mansion built on some extremely valuable property in the midst of a projected urban redevelopment project". The old mansion he referred to still stands, and the property on which it was built is more valuable than ever. Moreover, during the past few decades the dwelling has undergone such dramatic changes in both structure and function that even some of its tenants have trouble recognizing it. The mansion is no longer the same because of scholars like Elwood Murray. When Elwood Murray became Director of the School of Speech at the University of Denver in the early 1930's, college programs in communication were largely limited to training in fundamental skills such as voice, diction, and bodily action. Much attention was also given to oratory, debate, oral interpretation, and similar performance activities. Advanced courses and a great deal of the research in communication at that time focused on the history and theory of 'speechmaking'. Semantics, linguistics, group communication and the diagnosis and treatment of communication disorders received little emphasis. Professor Murray had no objection to curricula designed to improve communication skills and platform effectiveness. Indeed, he was very much aware of the value such training has for the individual and his society. He was convinced, however, that to be meaningful, communication training should be concerned with all factors that influence the communication process and not merely with a few. He also felt that the speech educator has a responsibility to bring about comprehensive and long lasting changes in the speech personality of his students, changes that would be reflected in the students' casual interaction as well as in their more formal speaking performances. One cannot broaden the goals of speech or communication training without also expanding the speech teacher's responsibilities as a student and a scholar. The teacher of public speaking, for example, should be well grounded in rhetoric and, among other things, have a good understanding of platform techniques. But this knowledge must be supplemented with relevant theory and research in the behavioral sciences if he is to encourage his students to develop more general communication PREFACE and as an area of inquiry. The readings are all original, not reprints, and they were prepared specifically for this collection. The authors represent such fields as speech and communication, psychology, anthropology, business administration, English, sociology, linguistics, education, and mineralogy. The subjects discussed range from such theoretical concerns as communication models and theories of perception to such practical matters as speech and communication training for middle management and the diagnosis of communication disorders. The book is divided into four parts. Each part is devoted to an important area of communication study and research that Elwood Murray helped integrate into speech and communication curricula: Communic...