Abstract
Immanuel Wallerstein, the originator of the world-systems theory, has consistently advocated the abolition of the distinction between science and philosophy, as well as distinctions within philosophy. In line with Eastern thinking, Wallerstein was a pioneer among Western scholars to see the folly of separating humanities and the sciences.
World-systems theorists would probably not endorse the view of Robert T Craig, who in an essay published in Communication Theory (1999), classified communication studies into seven “traditions”: the Rhetorical, the Semiotic, the Phenomenological, the Cybernetic, the Sociopsychological, the Sociocultural, and the Critical.
Craig’s classification exposed the pitfalls of communication as a field of study because none of these “traditions” has exclusive boundaries. They overlap with one another. Some intrude into other established disciplines. Semiotics also belongs to anthropology, psychology, sociology, comparative literature, linguistics, etc. Rhetoric has turned into an eclectic field by addressing all contexts in which symbol use occurs, including television, the Internet, and Web sites. Phenomenology has embraced (Buddhist) mindfulness as a valid method of investigating reality on an equal basis as the scientific method. Cybernetics, based on complexity theories, finds its roots in Buddhism and Daoism. Critical scholarship has gone beyond the Frankfurt school and Habermas to embrace Eastern thought as well.
In short, Craig’s “traditions” has brought attention to the need for the abolition of narrow classifications in the Digital Era (coinciding with the rise of Asia) that began at the end of the 20th century. The modern period was known for the dominance of Western thought (yang) over Eastern thought (yin)—part (individual) vs. whole (group); self/soul vs. no self; rights vs. responsibilities; science vs. philosophy; independence vs. interdependence; humans vs. nature, etc. communication should also incorporate African, South American, and indigenous perspectives.
This special issue of ICG will provide a forum for communication scholars to assess the current status of “globalization” of communication/journalism studies. Although Craig did not include journalism as a “tradition,” one can deal with it as a strand within any of them, including rhetoric.
The guest editor has already written the introductory essay titled
Potential articles may draw on various theories and approaches from different fields. The guest editor welcomes analytic, critical, empirical, or comparative submissions that discuss the most recent developments and discourses about, but not limited to, the following topics:
State of globalizing within communication “traditions” Journalism as a strand of rhetoric or semiotics Can phenomenology unify science and philosophy of communication? Study of communication history as a series of life spans (rebirths) Buddhist Middle Path as a Universal code of communication ethics Which communication “traditions” can absorb Eastern thinking easily? Communication “traditions” already contain much of Eastern thinking Journalism (also known as news) is as old as communication The Eastern roots of cybernetics Communication has diverse meanings: it cannot survive as a field Revise communication history into “horizontally integrative macro history”
All articles and research papers must be submitted as Microsoft Word attachments no later than 15 March 2015. Manuscripts should be typed throughout with double-spacing in no more than 6,000 words including notes and references. Authors should include an abstract of 100–150 words and up to 10 keywords with their submissions. Manuscripts should include a separate title page indicating: (1) the title of the manuscript; (2) the name(s), surname(s), and affiliation(s) of the author(s); (3) contact details of the author(s): mailing address, fax, and email number; (4) up to 10 keywords; and (5) a few lines of autobiographical information. Details on submissions are available at: http://www.sagepub.com/journals/Journal200826/manuscriptSubmission. Please note that articles that do not follow appropriate submission guidelines will not be considered.
Please direct all inquires and submissions to Shelton A Gunaratne at Minnesota State University Moorhead, USA, at gunarat@cableone.net