David T. McMahan

Heartland: Symbolic Displays of Aggression and Male Masculinity in Rural America

Working as a bartender/bouncer in a rural tavern, the author examines how male masculinity is symbolically constructed through fighting in rural communities. First, male masculinity is introduced as a social and symbolic construct, and its enactment in relation to economic hardship is specifically examined. Second, the methodology used to conduct this study is described, with particular attention given to concerns associated with conducting research in rural areas and in violent settings. Finally, the construction and maintenance of masculinity through displays of aggression and physical altercations is illustrated by examining pre-fight ritual, victory, and defeat in the tavern.

Media and political transformations: Revolutionary changes of the world's cultures

This essay posits that a relationship exists between the dominant communication technology of a nation‐state and the controlling political structure and process of a nation‐state. In other words, we suggest that how a nation‐state acquires and processes information is directly related to the type of political system employed to make and implement societal decisions. The ten‐year period from 1985 through 1994 provides an excellent opportunity to explore such a relationship, because it is the period when profound transformations occurred in the political identity, geographic boundaries, and power of nation‐states (such as the U.S.S.R. and Germany) while these same nation‐states also underwent an equally profound set of changes in their dominant communication technologies. Media profiles of 169 nation‐states in 1985 and 181 nation‐states in 1994 are compared and correlated to changes in their subsequent political orientations. In general, it is concluded that nation‐states are likely to adopt increasingly liberal political structures and processes as they shift toward the use of more individualistic and participatory communication technologies. A profound change in either the dominant communication technology or political structure and process can set off the cultural transformation.

Charting the Terrain of Interpersonal Communication and the Landscape of Social Interaction: Traditions, Challenges, and Trajectories

ABSTRACT An updated version of a chapter originally appearing in A Century of Transformation: Studies in Honor of the 100th Anniversary of the Eastern Communication Association, this piece examines the history and continued development of interpersonal communication. We begin by examining the progression of interpersonal communication from the 1920s through the 1980s. We then explore contemporary trends in interpersonal communication since the 1990s. Finally, we consider the challenges and future trajectories of interpersonal communication as it continues to develop and transform. We identify major aspects of research and how they are informed by identity and raise critical challenges to studying interpersonal communication. We end by exploring how transformations in technology are inexorably connected to our understanding and valuing interaction with others, and identify emerging areas of inquiry.