Podium Session: James A. Anderson, Professor of Communication, University of Utah Introduction by: Robert K. Avery, Professor of Communication, University of Utah
Recent work by Professor James Anderson and his coauthor Michael Middleton has documented the explosive growth in theory development within the field of communication, particularly in the last three decades. A closer look at the character of this growth reveals that most of the theories are short-lived, perhaps averaging a five-year life span and most fading within a decade. This presentation considers the economic forces that drive theory development and the epistemological weaknesses that lead to the cyclical extinction of the theories developed. James A. Anderson (Ph.D., University of Iowa) is the author/co-author/editor of seventeen books, including The Organizational Self and Ethical Conduct, Media Violence and Aggression, and Media Research Methods. His more than a hundred book chapters, journal articles, and research monographs are in the areas of family studies, cultural studies, media literacy, organizational studies, communicative ethics, methodology, and epistemology. He is a Fellow and past president of the International Communication Association and was a recipient of the Broadcast Education Association’s 2007 Distinguished Scholar Award. He has been the editor of Communication Yearbook and Communication Theory, associate editor of Human Communication Research, guest editor of Communication Studies and American Behavioral Scientist and an editorial board member of seven other scholarly journals. He has been recognized in the Western States Communication Association as a “Master Teacher” and served a senior Fulbright Fellowship in Austria. He is Director of the Center for Communication and Community at the University of Utah, which is currently conducting studies in health communication, emergency medical processes, social services for the citizen soldier, contemporary public library design, rehabilitation of youth offenders, and technological literacy training for the retired person. Moderator: Robert Avery, University of Utah
