Synopsis
West and Turner's UNDERSTANDING INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION: MAKING CHOICES will empower your students with the knowledge they need to be skillful communicators in today's changing and technologically advanced society. With a belief that "theory informs skills and skills refine theory," this text seeks to eliminate the perceived division between theory and practice while clarifying the intersection between the two. This approach to skill development provides discussion of interpersonal skills and the behavior choices students can make in order to become more effective communicators. The authors avoid "telling" students how to apply interpersonal skills to various situations. Rather, they provide a list of skills pertaining to the theory students read about in the chapter so students will be able to draw upon a sort of toolbox, or set of skills, that are specific and workable. Filled with realistic examples and scenarios that reflect the diversity and interactions of today's students, UNDERSTANDING INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION makes clear connections between theory, skills and the life situations we all encounter on a daily basis.
About the Authors
Rich West is Professor in the Department of Communication Studies at Emerson College in Boston. At Emerson, he served as the Department Chair for several years, as the Acting Director of the Institute for Liberal Arts and Interdisciplinary Studies, and as the Project Director of the Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning. He is past President of the Eastern Communication Association, where he received the Past Officer's Award and was recognized as a "Distinguished Research Fellow" in the Association. Rich is also the former Director of NCA's Educational Policies Board. Both Illinois State University (B.A./M.A.) and Ohio University (Ph.D.) have recognized him as an Outstanding Alum in Communication Studies. He has written extensively in the area of classroom communication and has been recognized as a "Leading Scholar" in Classroom Communication by the Communication Institute for Online Scholarship (CIOS). Together, Rich and Lynn have co-authored 5 books in multiple editions. They are also co-editors of both the Handbook of Family Communication and The Family Communication Sourcebook, which won the National Communication Association's Outstanding Book Award from the Family Communication Division. In addition, Rich and Lynn are the recipients of the Bernard J. Brommel Award for Outstanding Scholarship and Service in Family Communication. They have also both served as President of the National Communication Association.
Lynn H. Turner is Professor in Communication Studies at Marquette University, and former chair of the department.. Lynn received her B.A from University of Illinois, her M.A. from University of Iowa and her Ph.D. from Northwestern University. At Marquette she currently teaches interpersonal communication at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, among other courses. Additionally, she directs Marquette's interdisciplinary family studies minor. Her research areas of emphasis include interpersonal, gender, and family communication. She is the co-author or co-editor of over 10 books as well as many articles and book chapters. Her articles have appeared in several journals including: Management Communication Quarterly, Journal of Applied Communication Research, Women and Language, and Western Journal of Communication. Her books include: From the Margins to the Center: Contemporary Women and Political Communication (co-authored with Patricia Sullivan; Praeger, 1996; recipient of the 1997 Best Book Award from the Organization for the Study of Communication, Language and Gender [OSCLG]), Gender in Applied Communication Contexts (co-edited with Patrice Buzzanell and Helen Sterk; Sage, 2004), She has been honored by the OSCLG as one of the outstanding women in communication.
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