1 Chelsea Ellsworth Dr.

White 25 January 2012 Communication Theory Coordinated Management of Meaning Theory E eryday the world is affected !y the interactions we ma"e. The con ersation !etween friends at lunch# the online chat with a stranger or friend# or the de!ates $oliticians get in# are %ust a few !rief e&am$les of coordinated management of meaning 'CMM( in action. )arnett *earce and +ernon Cronen introduced the theory in 1,-.# and the theory has de elo$ed into three $arts '/riffin# 2012(. The Three $arts are $erson0in0$erson con ersation# stories told and stories li ed# and s$otting harmful and hel$ful communication '/riffin# 2012(. 1ccording to the CMM theory# one can !ecome a !etter communicator when understanding CMM and a$$lying the coaching strategies to con ersations or e ents '/riffin# 2012(. The theory is a useful tool to counselors# mediators# $arents# thera$ists# and teachers !ecause CMM s$ells out how to communicate effecti ely '/riffin# 2012(. 2irst you must frame the situation or e ent into a s$ecial e ent# then you must remain neutral. 2ollowing !eing neutral you must hel$ them tell the story !y show curiosity in their story or e ent. 3e&t you ha e to reframe their stories# and the final ste$ is to do in0the0moment coaching '/riffin# 2012(. 4n the 5,0s# $eo$le wanted to "now 6role of meaning in con ersation7 and $eo$le accused *earce and Cronen of !eing false 'Cronen# *earce# 8 Changsheng# 1,.,# $.1(. 9owe er# Cronen and *earce $ut their theory to the test again. They e&$lained that meaning could !e considered irrele ant if you do not consider the con ersation at hand and the $ersons !ac"ground 'Cronen# *earce# 8 Changsheng# 1,.,(.

2 4n a recent study of families where the father has !een tortured# the coordinated management of meaning theory has !een $ut to use 'Montgomery# 200:(. The ;eha!ilitation and ;esearch Centre for Torture +ictims ';CT( has used 6stories told7 and 6stories li ed7 to e&$lain hel$ counsel families 'Montgomery# 200:(. There where two ty$es of grou$s what were in ol ed in the study# families where the fathers $ast was "now $rior and families where the fathers $ast is not "now until after entering ;CT 'Montgomery# 200:(. When the children "new their father<s history with torture the children showed many signs of an&iety were high 'Montgomery# 200:(. This a$$lies to CMM !ecause the afterlife of the con ersation was the an&iety the children felt when discussing the torture of the father. 4t is $ossi!le that had the children !een told a!out the father<s $ast using CMM<s coaching s"ills that the children would not feel this an&iety 'Montgomery# 200:(. 2or the other children# thera$ist had to disco er the father<s reasons and !ac"ground through 6stories told7 and 6stories li ed7 'Montgomery# 200:(. When first entering# the father did not want his history told to his children. 9owe er# when wor"ing with CMM theory the thera$ist were a!le to deci$her the meaning and reasons why the father would not disclose the information a!out his torture to his children 'Montgomery# 200:(. =nce the father was comforta!le with sharing the information with his children# the family !egan family sessions where the thera$ist wor"ed with the family to get the out the true reasons for the a!use and discomfort in the family 'Montgomery# 200:(. 1nother case where coordinated management theory is !eing used on the internet. Many theorist are seeing the trend of relations on the internet or !ecause of the internet and want to see how or if CMM can !e a$$lied. 4t is !elie ed that the stories users tell through chat rooms and the internet contain information that would other wise not !e told. 'Moore 8 >auters# 200.(.

? The study on CMM and online interactions tries to answer the following @uestion using the CMM theoryA 61re online users really ha$$y with the $ercei ed lac" of s$eech rules and !oundaries in online chat e&$eriencesB7 'Moore 8 >auters# 200.# $.2(. This study focused on the effects of the indi idual after !eing e&$osed to messages that went against the users !eliefs 'Moore 8 >auters# 200.(. CMM was used in this study to 6ma"e sense of the se@uences of messages carried out in con ersation !y the grou$7 'Moore 8 >auters# 200.# $.5(. This wor"ed !ecause CMM uses a $ersons !ac"ground# relationshi$s with other users# and the culture of the site to understand the users 'Moore 8 >auters# 200.(. Each $erson added indi idualism to the con ersations !ecause the users all had different !ac"grounds and relationshi$s 'Moore 8 >auters# 200.(. Coordinated management of meaning theory can also !e a$$lied to children<s feeding $atterns ')russ# Morris# 8 Dannison# 2005(. The study showed 6sociocultural# familial# and official nutritional messages were most influential to their health care !eha iors7 ')russ# Morris# 8 Dannison# 2005# $.155(. 4n other words the childCs identity# culture# and relationshi$s $layed in acti e role in their eating ha!its. CMM was a!le to $ro ide researchers with an understanding of the child<s !ac"ground which allowed researchers to get "nowledge of why the children were eating the way they were ')russ# Morris# 8 Dannison# 2005(. ;esearchers would li"e to use CMM to hel$ future children from !ecoming o!ese or unhealthy ')russ# Morris# 8 Dannison# 2005(. 4n the $ast many $eo$le ha e loo"ed at o!esity from a genetic as$ect# while this still $lays a $art# some $eo$le are !eing to loo" at coordinated management of meaning theory for answers ')russ# Morris# 8 Dannison# 2005(. 4n oder to use CMM# more research would need to

: !e conducted on children and families who recei e counseling a!out food choices ')russ# Morris# 8 Dannison# 2005(. E ery con ersation or interaction with a $erson has an afterlife# whether the interaction !e online# years later# or in $erson fi e minutes ago. Dnderstanding why $eo$le act the way they do is a @uestion that is sim$le to as" !ut hard to unco er. Coordinated management of meaning is a way of a$$lying a $erson<s relationshi$s# identity# and culture to understand who the $erson is and why they are so $assionate '/riffin# 2012(. CMM theory is a useful tool for $arents# counselors# teachers# thera$ist# and anyone who wants to !e a !etter communicator.

5 ;eferences )russ# M.# Morris# J.# Dannison# >.# =r!e# M.# Euitugua# J.# 8 *alacios# ;. '2005(. 2ood# culture# and familyA e&$loring the coordinated management of meaning regarding childhood o!esity. 9ealth Communication# 1.'2(# 15501-5. Cronen# +. E.# *earce# W.# 8 Changsheng# F. '1,.,(. The Meaning of CMeaningC in the CMM 1nalysis of CommunicationA 1 Com$arison of Two Traditions. ;esearch =n >anguage 8 Gocial 4nteraction# 2?10:0. /riffin# E. '2012(. 1 first loo" at communication theory. '.th ed.# $$. H-0.?(. 3ew Ior"# 3IA Mc/raw09ill 9umanitiesJGocial GciencesJ>anguages. Montgomery# E. '200:(. Tortured familiesA a coordinated management of meaning analysis. 2amily *rocess# :?'?(# ?:,0?-1. Moore# J.# 8 >auters# 1. '200.(. ;ules =nlineA Coordinated Management of Meaning in Chat ;ooms. Conference *a$ers 00 4nternational Communication 1ssociation# 10:H.