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Weighing the Words

Weighing the Words. Of Ernest Bormann’s Symbolic Convergence Theory In Griffin, Chapter 3. Symbolic Convergence Theory. Has both interpretive and objective roots; Started in rhetorical theory; Bormann called the theory fantasy theme analysis;

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Weighing the Words

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  1. Weighing the Words Of Ernest Bormann’s Symbolic Convergence Theory In Griffin, Chapter 3

  2. Symbolic Convergence Theory • Has both interpretive and objective roots; • Started in rhetorical theory; • Bormann called the theory fantasy theme analysis; • Bormann sees a link between group solidarity and dramatic imagery; • In sum, “the sharing of group fantasies creates symbolic convergence” (p. 21).

  3. Fantasy • “Fantasy” is used by Bormann to refer to “the creative and imaginative interpretation of events that fulfills a psychological or rhetorical need” (p. 21); • Any reference to events in the group’s past, speculation about the future, and talk about the world outside the group; • “Fantasy” does not refer to the “here and now”; • Fantasies are expressed as stories, jokes, metaphors, and other imaginative language that puts a spin on events;

  4. Fantasy Chain Reaction • One person offers a fantasy theme idea and others chime in; • There’s increased energy within the group; • An upbeat tempo in the conversation; • A common response to the imagery; • Through sharing common fantasies, individuals in the group are transformed into a cohesive group; • Through symbolic convergence, individuals build a sense of community or a group consciousness;

  5. Symbolic Convergence • References to “I,” “Me,” and “Mine,” give way to “We,” “Us,” and “Ours;”

  6. Criteria to Judge the Quality of Bormann’s Theory What makes an objective theory good? • Explanation of the data; • Prediction of future events; • Relative simplicity; • Hypotheses that can be tested; • Practical utility;

  7. Explanation of the Data • A good objective theory explains something; • It makes sense out of an otherwise jumbled situation; • It synthesizes the data, focuses our attention on what is important; • It explains why;

  8. Prediction of Future Events • A good objective theory predicts what will happen; • Social science theories may not be able to speak in terms of laws (absolutes), but need to settle for probability statements and tendencies; • It is hard to know when words will ignite members of a group or when an image will capture a group’s attention;

  9. Relative Simplicity • A good objective theory is as simple as possible; • If the theory can be stated in less words and with less complexity that is better than a more complex statement explaining the phenomenon;

  10. Hypotheses Can Be Tested • A good objective theory is testable; • Falsifiability is the term associated with the possibility of showing that a prediction does not turn out; • There has to be some way we can imagine that does not support the theory—it is possible that it will not be supported;

  11. Practical Utility • A good objective theory is useful; • We should be able to apply its ideas to help us in our lives;

  12. WHAT MAKES AN INTERPRETIVE THEORY GOOD? • Create Understanding; • Identify Values; • Inspire Aesthetic Appreciation; • Stimulate Agreement; • Reform Society;

  13. New Understanding of People • Interpretive scholarship is good when it offers fresh insight into the human condition; • The scholar does a close reading and analysis of the text, the context, words, images, and ideas;

  14. Clarification of Values • A good interpretive theory brings people’s values into the open; • Values refer to such ideas as individual liberty, equality, hard work, and moral decency;

  15. Aesthetic Appeal • Good interpretive scholarship is itself a form. The form of the theory can capture the imagination as much as the content; • Our appreciation is sparked by the form of the theory;

  16. A Community of Agreement • A good interpretive theory generates a great deal of support within a community of like-minded scholars; • Interpretation is subjective, but whether or not the interpreter’s case is reasonable is decided by others in the field;

  17. Reform of Society • A good interpretive theory generates change; • It challenges assumptions, raises fundamental questions, and generates fresh alternatives;

  18. Science causes of behavior prediction testing hypotheses (theory) Objective Interpretation Meaning surface deep Symbolism (story) Subjective Interpretivists, rhetorician, humanist, critic In Some Ways Objective and Interpretive Theories are Different

  19. Objective (science) Explanation of Data Prediction Relative Simplicity Testable Hypotheses Practical Utility Interpretive Understanding of People Clarification of Values Aesthetic Appeal Community of Agreement Reform of Society In Some Ways Interpretive and Objective Theories are Similar

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