When Communication Became a Discipline

When Communication Became a Discipline argues that speech and journalism professors embraced the concept of communication as central to their scholarly work between 1964 and 1982. They did so by changing the names of their scholarly societies and journals and revising their academic curricula to focus on communication processes and effects. Five “strands” of scholarship proved central to this transformation: communication as the formation and change of individual and public opinion; communication as language use; communication as information transmission; communication as developer of relationships; and communication as definer, interpreter, and critic of culture. Communication does not fit into traditional definitions of academic disciplines, but during this period its scholars not only remade themselves but convinced their university colleagues to understand and embrace their disciplinary definitions. When Communication Became a Discipline presents an argument with historical evidence that illustrates scholarly creativity at its finest.

"An important mark of the maturing of a discipline is the maturing of its history, its sense of self. William F. Eadie's When Communication Became a Discipline marks this stage of maturity, and is an important volume for that reason. This book examines a key turn of several decades' making when today's discipline of communication began to form the identity it has now. Scholars in communication, of course, but also in English and in journalism will find this volume essential for getting our bearings with the rest of the academy."--Barry Brummett, University of Texas at Austin, "If the anthropologist Edward T. Hall is correct--that identity is not so much about being, as it is about becoming--then Eadie's book illuminates well the disciplinary identity of 'communication.' The book traces five historical strands of communication scholarship, weaving the fabric of a vibrant and changing discipline. The concluding chapter offers its own tour-de-force performance of the 'becoming' of the communication discipline."--Bey-Ling Sha, California State University, Fullerton, "In this wide-ranging and well-documented book, Bill Eadie provides a remarkable resource for students, teachers, and scholars. Suitable as a primary or supplemental text for a myriad of courses, this book offers concise, readable, and detailed introductions to the discipline and its organizations, an overview of its sub-fields, and summaries of key articles in each area. Although Eadie's thesis about the emergence of the discipline is well-argued, the book's primary value may be the breadth of its discussions and its extensive bibliographies. Only a determined non-specialist (explained in the book) could undertake and complete such a comprehensive survey."--Martha Watson, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, "Is communication a distinct discipline, an interdisciplinary amalgam of ideas and methods, or fashionably post-disciplinary? Eadie offers a remarkable perspective on these questions. With a career spanning 50 years, including service in the office of the National Communication Association and as director of a school of communication that encompassed all aspects of communication, media, and journalism, Eadie is the right scholar at the right time to summarize the communication stories of the past, help us make sense of the current strands of conversations about communication, and offer a vision for the future. Reading this book is like taking a flight over the disciplinary history of communication at 35,000 feet--new vistas unfold and insightful patterns emerge. This important book is a must-read for students, scholars, educators, and practitioners who claim the communication discipline as part of their own story."--Steven A. Beebe, Texas State University, "The academic study of communication has ancient roots and has produced scholarship, teaching, and practice since early in the twentieth century. We have strived and sometimes struggled to understand ourselves as a discipline. In fact, our largest national association has had five different names since its founding in 2014! William F. Eadie offers an argument for the development of communication as a discipline between 1964 and 1982, with discipline status following. Eadie traces the strands of this inherently multidisciplinary study, creating a must-read for scholars, students, and administrators of communication programs and for those interested in the study of this most centrally human process as we communicate and co-create selves, relationships, groups, communities, and cultures."--Dawn O. Braithwaite, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

William F. Eadie is professor emeritus of journalism and media studies and director of the School of Communication at San Diego State University.