Computer-Mediated Communication: Approaches and Perspectives

Computer-mediated communication (CMC) is one of the most exciting areas of study in the communication discipline today. Technology is rapidly changing the way we communicate, allowing us to be simultaneously connected and mobile. This connected mobility changes not only our communication ability but our relational expectations as well. Computer-Mediated Communication: Approaches and Perspectives describes five approaches to understanding the influences of technologically mediated communication on our interpersonal and social relationships. These five approaches examine the constraints, experience, relationships, interactions, and implications of CMC. The book describes the constraints through the perspectives of media richness, naturalness, synchronicity, and affordances. Experience focuses on the personal, presence, and propinquity of CMC. Relationship influences include social information processing, hyperpersonal, and deindividuation effects. The interactions approach considers individuals, groups, and communities. Implications discuss the Proteus effect and actor-networks. The second edition substantially updates each perspective. Every chapter includes a description of the perspective, its multiple applications, analysis and critique, in practice examples, illustration of concepts, ethics challenge, and a set of discussion questions.

About the Author :
John C. Sherblom is a professor emeritus of communication and journalism at the University of Maine. He is past editor of The Journal of Business Communication and of Communication Research Reports. He has published numerous journal articles on interpersonal and computer-mediated communication.

Review :
"The book is extremely straightforward and avoids being too dense when approaching the theoretical aspects CMC theory and yet still manages to provide examples of practice or theory. Additionally, it is important to point out that I developed and taught the course as a Computer Science & Technology faculty member as the Communications department was short a faculty member. While having significant experience at the undergraduate level and professional level, I had been looking for material that facilitated approaching it from that perspective. This text was at the right level for both the students and myself in that capacity. [...] [The second edition balances] very well the introduction of potentially complex communication theory while avoiding becoming a thick reference manual or simply a collection of research articles. That approachability, while still containing enough material to cover a topic, is a difficult point to hit and the book [does] that well." Jakob E. Barnard, University of Jamestown "[T]he text is not overly complicated; it is very appropriate for an undergrad level course. In particular, it does not read as "theory heavy" and when theories are discussed, their components are clearly articulated in an orderly way. I am currently using a different text that I've found to be more jumbled/less clear in some ways. [...] Part of what attracted me is that it is available! Seriously though, there are not many CMC texts out there or at least ones that are newer/relevant. Upon initially reviewing [the first edition], I found it to include some topics that I wanted to address in class, present a nice blend of theory and practical info, have clear organization, and was written at the appropriate level (would not be overly confusing to students)." Traci L. Anderson, St. Cloud State University "A clear and concise summary of computer-mediated communication. If you plan on discussing how technology has affected the field of communication, this is the book for you." Scott Christen, Tennessee Tech University "The most recent book on an important topic. This is highly valuable because the field moves quickly. The textbook feels like it is trying to be comprehensive. This is valuable because other books on CMC usually just specialize on discussing less topics. The book is well-organized, with good previews, transitions, and summaries-and discussion questions. This is valuable because it is focuses on pedagogy in addition to research." Scott Haden Church, Brigham Young University "The textbook helps frame theoretic perspectives that students may learn more about through their research projects and presentation." Jeremy Harris Lipschultz, University of Nebraska at Omaha