Papers by Elizabeth Molina-markham
One of the most basic human questions is whether there is a divine presence with which we can int... more One of the most basic human questions is whether there is a divine presence with which we can interact, and, if so, how do we communicate with this presence and how should the results of our communication be manifest in our lives? This study is an exploration of how one ...
Natural language speech enabled systems are an attractive option for in-car infotainment. Differe... more Natural language speech enabled systems are an attractive option for in-car infotainment. Differences in cultural expectations in communication, however, can pose difficulties for interface developers and cause frustration for users. We adopt the perspective of cultural discourse theory to analyze 26 drivers interacting with an in-car speech interface. We focus here on directive sequences and the phenomenon of participants using non-task talk. The analysis of these sequences reveals a norm that one ought to engage in non-task talk with the system. We suggest that this norm is grounded in a user premise that the system’s interactional status involves the ability to speak. We find that this norm lacks crystallization among participants, and we formulate a competing norm that helps to account for this. The second norm reveals an underlying belief that the system’s status as a machine is the basis for how it should be treated.
This article explicates a theoretical framework which was designed to discover cultural features ... more This article explicates a theoretical framework which was designed to discover cultural features both within and about car communication. The general approach the framework provides has been used for basic research in the United States and China, and has proven useful to researchers and designers. We discuss specifically how the approach can develop and implement speech-enabled human–machine interface (HMI) systems to address cultural features of communication and interaction. The general framework unveils the cultural nature of human–machine communication, while it also opens the possibility of discovering new cultural dimensions and principles which designers may not yet have considered. The approach is adaptable to a variety of communication contexts, with our focus here on the in-car communication of drivers with a speech-enabled HMI. Specific findings are briefly discussed including implications for research and design.
Western Journal of Communication, Sep 11, 2013
ABSTRACT
Narrative Inquiry, 2012
While certain branches of Quakerism are well known for the silence of their worship, such branche... more While certain branches of Quakerism are well known for the silence of their worship, such branches also practice highly valued speech events. In this article, I explore one such speech event, the telling of one’s “spiritual journey” by members of a Quaker meeting. From an ethnography of communication perspective, drawing on cultural communication and cultural discourse theory, I examine the cultural premises that underlie this practice of narrative telling, informing both the story told and the situated narrative performance. This analysis reveals the way in which the interactional event of telling journeys among Friends serves as a model of practicing Quakerism for others and is central to the process of community formation. In addition, I suggest that the same premises that inform the telling of “spiritual journeys” also underlie engagement in silent worship and a distinctive style for conducting Quaker administrative meetings.
This article is a creative reconstruction of reflexivity as it operates for some practitioners of... more This article is a creative reconstruction of reflexivity as it operates for some practitioners of the ethnography of communication. Our central concern is conceptualized as “discursive reflexivity”; with that concept, we foreground communication both as primary data and as our primary theoretical concern. As a result, we treat reflexivity as a process of metacommunication, that is, as a reflexive process of using discourse at one level to discuss discourse on another. Following current and past research, we explore how dimensions of discursive reflexivity differently configure into five types of ethnographic practice, these being theoretical, descriptive, interpretive, comparative, and critical inquiry. Each is discussed as analytically distinct from the others, yet all coalesce experientially or, in other words, all coexist in one’s experience as an ethnographer. Relationships are discussed between discursive reflexivity and self-reflexivity, including various modes of ethnographic reporting and future directions for inquiry.
Journal of Applied Communication Research, 2013
Ethnographers of communication are increasingly working within interdisciplinary teams to address... more Ethnographers of communication are increasingly working within interdisciplinary teams to address social problems in communities, corporations, and governments. This special forum brings together ethnographers of communication to reflect on the opportunities, tensions, and challenges involved in using the ethnography of communication to seek workable solutions to social problems with fellow scholars, practitioners, and community members. Through empirical case studies, contributors demonstrate how the ethnography of communication is used to build cultural competence and design strategic action.
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Papers by Elizabeth Molina-markham