Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

From the dialogic to the contemplative: a conceptual and empirical rethinking of online communication outcomes as verbing micro-practices

  • Original paper
  • Published:
Ethics and Information Technology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Traditional approaches to studying communication in public spheres draw upon a product or outcome orientation that has prevented researchers from theorizing more specifically about how communication behaviors either inhibit or facilitate dialogic processes. Additionally, researchers typically emphasize consensus as a preferred outcome. Drawing upon a methodology explicitly developed to study communicating using a verb-oriented framework, we analyzed 1,360 postings from online pedagogical discussions. Our analysis focused on verbing micro-practices, the dynamic communicative actions through which participants make and unmake public spheres. Two questions guided our analysis: (1) How do grounded communicative micro-moment practices relate to consensusing and dissensusing within public spheres? and (2) What are the theoretical implications of these relationships for the quality of dialogue among participants who are discussing controversial topics? Our findings indicate that, contrary to recent theorizing, consensus-building and maintaining behaviors may actually inhibit the communicative processes necessary for the creation of effective public sphere dialogue.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Becker, B., & Wehner, J. (2001). Electronic networks and civil society: Reflections on structural changes in the public sphere. In␣C. Ess & F. Sudweeks (Eds.), Culture, technology, communication: Towards in intercultural global village (pp. 67–85). NY: SUNY Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bjorkqvist, K., & Osterman, K. (2000). Social Intelligence–Empathy = Aggression? Aggression and Violent Behavior, 5(2), 191–200.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Buber, M. (1958). I and Thou. NY: Charles Scribner’s Sons. (Original work published 1929).

    Google Scholar 

  • Carter, R. (2003). Communication: a harder science. In B Dervin, S Chaffee, L Foeman-Wernet, E Lauterbach (Eds.), Communication, a different kind of horse race: Essays honoring Richard F. Carter. Cresskill, NJ: Hampton, pp. 369–376.

    Google Scholar 

  • Charmaz, K. (2000). Grounded Theory. In N. K. Denzin & Y. S. Lincoln (Eds.), Handbook of qualitative research (2nd ed., pp. 509–536). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cissna, K., & Anderson, R. (1990). The contributions of Carl R. Rogers to a philosophical praxis of dialogue. Western Journal of Speech Communication, 54, 125–147.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cissna, K., & Anderson, R. (1998). Theorizing about dialogic moments: the Buber- Rogers position and postmodern themes. Communication Theory, 8(1), 63–104.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dahlgren, P. (2005). The internet, public spheres, and political communication: Dispersion and deliberation. Political Communication, 22, 147–162.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Demetrious, K. (2008). Secrecy and illusion: Second life and the construction of unreality. Australian Journal of Communication, 35(1), 1–13.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dervin, B. (2003/1980). Communication gaps and inequities: Moving toward a reconceptualization. In B. Dervin & L. Forman-Wernet (Eds.), Sense-Making methodology reader (pp. 17--46). Cresskill, NJ: Hampton. (Original work published 1980).

  • Dervin, B. (2003/1993). Verbing communication: Mandate for disciplinary invention. In B. Dervin & L. Forman-Wernet (Eds.), Sense-Making methodology reader (pp. 101--109). Cresskill, NJ: Hampton. (Original work published 1993).

  • Dervin, B. (2003/1999). Sense-Making methodology reader (pp. 101--109). Cresskill, NJ: Hampton. (Original work published 1993).

  • Dervin, B., & Forman-Wernet, L. (Eds.). (2003). Sense-Making methodology reader. Cresskill, NJ: Hampton.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dervin, B., & Clark, K. (2003/1993). Communication and Democracy: Mandate for procedural invention. In B. Dervin & L. Forman-Wernet (Eds.), Sense-Making methodology reader (pp. 165--193). Cresskill, NJ: Hampton. (Original work published 1993).

  • Dervin, B. (2008). Interviewing as dialectical practice: Sense-Making Methodology as examplar. Paper presented to the Audience Section of the International Association for Media and Communication Research Annual Meeting, July 20--25, 2008, Stockholm, Swedon.

  • Dewey, J. (1966). Democracy and education. NY: Free Press. (Original work published 1916).

    Google Scholar 

  • Dryzek, J. (2006). Transnational democracy in an insecure world. International Political Science Review, 27(2), 101–119.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Englund, T. (2000). Rethinking Democracy and Education: Towards an Education of Deliberative Citizens. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 32(2), 305–313.

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • Ess, C. (2000). Wag the Dog? Online conferencing and teaching. Computers and the Humanities, 34, 297–309.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ess, C. (2002). Computer-Mediated Colonization, the Renaissance, and Educational Imperatives for an Intercultural Global Village. Ethics and Information Technology, 4, 11–22.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ess, C. (2007). Cross-cultural perspectives on religion and computer-mediated communication. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 12, 939–955.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fishkin, J. (2009). Deliberative polling: Toward a better-informed democracy. Retrieved May 27, 2009 from http://cdd.stanford.edu/polls/docs/summary/.

  • Fishkin, J., & Rosell, S. A. (2004). ChoiceDialogues and deliberative polls: Two approaches to deliberative democracy. National Civic Review, 93(4), 55–63.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Flyvbjerg, B. (2001). Making social science matter: Why social inquiry fails and how it can succeed again. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Friere, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the Oppressed. NY: Seabury Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Galegher, J., Sproull, L., & Kiesler, S. (1998). Legitimacy, authority, and community in electronic support groups. Written Communication 15(4), 493–530.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Giddens, A. (1984). The constitution of society. Berkeley, CA: Berkeley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Habermas, J. (1984). The Theory of Communicative Action (Vol. 1): Reason and the Rationalization of Society (trans: McCarthy T.). Boston: Beacon. (Original work published 1981).

  • Habermas, J. (1989/1962). The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere (trans: Burger T. with Lawrence F.). Boston: MIT Press. (Original work published 1962).

  • Habermas, J. (1990a). Jurgen Habermas: Morality, society and ethics: An interview with Torben Hviid Nielsen. Acta Sociologica, 2(33), 93–114.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Habermas, J. (1990b). Justice and solidarity: On the discussion concerning stage 6. In T. Wren (Ed.), The moral domain: Essays in the ongoing discussion between philosophy and he social sciences (pp. 224–251). Cambridge, MA: MIT.

    Google Scholar 

  • Habermas, J. (2006). Political communication in media society–Does democracy still enjoy an epistemic dimension? Communication Theory, 16(4), 411–426.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harasim, L. (Ed.). (1993). Global Networks: Computers and international communication. MIT Press, Cambridge, MA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Herring, S. (1993). Gender and democracy in computer-mediated communication, Electronic Journal of Communication, 3(2). Retrieved May 6, 1998 from http://www.cios.org/EJCPUBLIC/003/2/00328.HTML.

  • Higgins, J. (1999). ‹Sense-Making and empowerment: A Study of the “Vision” of community television’, Electronic Journal of Communication, 9 (2, 3, 4). URL (consulted July 2006): http://www.cios.org/getfile/Higgins_V9N23499.

  • Hill, K., & Hughes, J. (1997). Computer-mediated political communication: The USENET and political communities. Political Communication, 14, 3–27.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jung, Y., Vorderer, P., & Song, H. (2007). ‹Motivation and Consequences of blogging in social life’, paper presented at the annual meeting of the International Communication Association, San Francisco, CA, May 24–28, 2007.

  • Lee, J. K. (2006). The Blogosphere and the Public Sphere. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the International Communication Association, Dresden, Germany, June 22. 2006.

  • Leech, N., Barrett, K., & Morgan, G. (2008). SPSS for intermediate statistics: Uses and interpretation. NY: Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lehmann-Rommel, R. (2000). The renewal of Dewey–Trends in␣the nineties. Studies in Philosophy and Education, 19, 187–218.

    Google Scholar 

  • Li, D. (2007). ‹Why do you blog? A uses and gratifications inquiry into bloggers’ motivations’, paper presented at the annual meeting of the International Communication Association, San Francisco, CA, May 24–28, 2007.

  • Lievrouw, L., & Livingstone, S. (2006). Introduction to the updated student edition. In L. Lievrouw & S. Livingstone (Eds.), Handbook of New Media (pp. 1–14). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Miles, M., & Huberman, A. (1994). Qualitative data analysis. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Olaniran, B. (1994). Group performance in computer-mediated and face-to-face communication media. Management Communication Quarterly, 7(3), 256–281.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Papacharissi, Z. (2004). Democracy online: Civility, politeness, and the democratic potential of online political discussion groups. New Media & Society, 6(2), 259–283.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Petric, G. (2006). Conceptualizing and measuring the social uses of the Internet: The case of personal web sites. The Information Society, 22, 291–301.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Preece, J. (1999). Empathic communities: balancing emotional and factual communication. Interacting with Computers, 12, 63–77.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rajendram, C. (1997) Critical Pedagogy and the Absent Learner in Media Education: A Sense-Making Intervention. (Doctoral dissertation, The Ohio State University, 1997). Dissertation Abstracts International, 58/07, AAT 9801765.

  • Rasmussen, T. (2008). The internet and differentiation in the political public sphere. Nordicom Review, 29(2), 73–83.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reinard, J. (2006). Communication research statistics. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rheingold, H. (1993). Virtual community. NY: Harper Perennial.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rogers, C. (1980). A way of being. Boston: Houghton-Mifflin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rogers, C. (1956/1995). What Understanding and Acceptance Mean to Me. Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 35(4), 7–22. (Original work published 1956).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schaefer, D.J. (1999). From community to community-ings: Making sense of electronic discussion groups / De la communaute a l’edification de la communaute: Tentative de comprehension des groupes de discussion electroniques. Electronic Journal of Communication / La Revue Electronique de Communication, 9␣(2, 3, 4).Available [online]: http://www.cios.org/www/ejc/v9n23499.htm.

  • Schaefer, D.J. (2000). Rethinking electronic public spheres: Beyond Consenus/Dissensus. Paper presented at the conference “Social Justice, Peace, and International Conflict Resolution: Civic Discourse beyond the Millennium,” Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY, July 20--22, 2000.

  • Schaefer, D.J. (2001). Dynamics of electronic public spheres: Verbing online participation. (Doctoral Dissertation, The Ohio State University, 2001). Dissertation Abstract International, 61/22, AAT 9999436.

  • Schutz, A. (1932/1967). The Phenomenology of the Social World. Evanston: Northwestern University Press. (Original work published 1932).

    Google Scholar 

  • Sharrock, W., & Button, G. (1997). On the relevance of Habermas’ theory of communicative action for CSCW. Computer Support Cooperative Work, 6, 369–389.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Siapera, E. (2006). ‹Islam on the internet: Rethinking multiculturalism and transnationalism’, paper presented at the annual meeting of the International Communication Association, Dresden, Germany, June 22. 2006.

  • Stewart, J. (1978). Foundations of dialogic communication. The Quarterly Journal of Speech, 64, 183–201.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Strauss, A., & Corbin, J. (1998). Basics of qualitative research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thorseth, M. (2008). Reflective judgement and enlarged thinking online. Ethics and Information Technology, 10, 221–231.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Valacich, J., George, J., Nunamaker, J., & Vogel, D. (1994). Physical proximity effects on computer-media group idea generation. Small Group Research, 25(1), 83–104.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Verstaeten, H. (1996). The media and the transformation of the public sphere. European Journal of Communication, 11(3), 347–370.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Watanabe, M. (2007). Conflict and intolerance in a web community: Effect of a system integrating dialogues and monologues. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 12, 1020–1042.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yates, S. (2001). Gender, language and CMC for education. Learning and Instruction, 11, 21–34.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Communication Arts, Franciscan University of Steubenville, Steubenville, OH, 43952, USA

    David J. Schaefer

  2. School of Communication, The Ohio State University, 3020 Derby Hall, 154 North Oval Mall, Columbus, OH, 43210-1339, USA

    Brenda Dervin

Authors
  1. David J. Schaefer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Brenda Dervin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to David J. Schaefer.

Additional information

The study reported here is drawn from and involves reanalysis of the senior author’s doctoral dissertation; the junior author served as dissertation advisor. A previous, refereed version of this paper was presented at the International Communication Association annual meeting, San Diego, CA, May 23–27, 2003

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Schaefer, D.J., Dervin, B. From the dialogic to the contemplative: a conceptual and empirical rethinking of online communication outcomes as verbing micro-practices. Ethics Inf Technol 11, 265 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10676-009-9206-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10676-009-9206-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation