J. Dan Rothwell is chair of the Cabrillo College Speech Communication Department. He has a B.A. in American History from the University of Portland in Oregon, an M.A. in Rhetoric and Public Address, and a Ph.D. in Communication Theory, both from the University of Oregon. He has written In Mixed Company: Small Group Communication and Telling It Like It Isn’t: Language Misuse and Malpractice, and he is the co-author (with James Costigan) of Interpersonal Communication: Influences and Alternatives.
Professor Rothwell encourages feedback from both students and instructors. He can be reached by mail in care of the Speech Communication Department, Cabrillo College, Aptos, CA 95003, or by e-mail at darothwe@cabrillo.cc.ca.us
Author Q&A
What made you decide to write an introduction to communication text?
I have been teaching the basic course for over 30 years and could not find a text to suit my needs. There are many introductory texts available, but they all do about the same thing. Most texts survey the issues and name the theories, but they do not offer enough advice on how to improve your communication skills.
Do you feel students will be able to relate to your text?
This text has been extensively tested in the classroom. More than 200 students offered constructive criticism, and their comments have been used to improve the readability of the final product. I have taken every opportunity to provide the dramatic example, the amusing illustration, the poignant event, and the unusual instance to engage readers, enhance enjoyment, and improve clarity. Colorful language and lively metaphors are employed to provide vividness. Additionally, I use examples to illustrate my points that students can relate to, issues that they are faced with everyday.
So yes, I do think students will enjoy reading this text and get a lot out of it.
How do you incorporate diversity into the text?
Because we live in a world of increasing diversity, I treat gender and culture as integral parts of the overall discussion of communication. Gender receives special attention in Chapter 2 and culture is the subject of Chapter 3, but the discussion of these issues is not limited to these chapters. The relationship between these issues and specific communication skills are integrated throughout the text.
Why is coverage of cooperation an important feature in your text?
Cooperation is essential to most successful communication transactions. One of the great potential contributions of the communication discipline is that we not only can discuss cooperation knowledgeably, but we can provide specific advice on how to structure human transactions so cooperation can become a reality. Students are eager to learn how to work cooperatively with others and are looking for concrete ideas. My book is based on the assumption that cooperation should be embraced, nurtured, and cultivated. I offer concrete suggestions based on research that guide students, not homilies and ‘feel good’ advice that is often impractical.
How do you incorporate the communication competence model?
The communication competence model—the basis for skills development—is incorporated throughout the text. Too often our communication textbooks present models in opening chapters, then never mention them again. The communication competence model is one of our discipline’s unique contributions to understanding and improving human behavior. Communication competence is critical to success and achievement in our society.
What role does power play in communication?
Power is an inescapable, significant variable in all interpersonal and group relationships and can have a constructive or destructive effect on one’s transactions with others. The communication discipline has valuable insights to offer on the nature of power and how it plays out in our lives. I give special treatment to this issue in Chapter 7, but again, these issues are integrated throughout the text.
What would you tell an instructor who wants to integrate issues such as cooperation, power, and diversity in their class, but feels lack of classroom and/or preparation time does not allow them to do so?
My text looks at these issues as an essential part of the study of communication. Therefore, all of these issues are integrated throughout the text; including them in your classroom discussions and lessons is natural. Moreover, the Instructor’s Manual provides many examples of activities, video clips, and exercises that will spark classroom discussion. Instructors will find that students really connect with these issues and that they will be eager to discuss them. Finally, the communication worksheets, offered free with the text, reinforce these important issues to the student.
Is there anything else you’d like to add or tell us about your book?
My chief concern when writing this text was to address practical issues and problems that would resonate with students. Issues such as violence and aggression in relationships, sexual harassment, dialectical dilemmas, anger management, and speech anxiety are discussed because students want answers to these and other problems that arise in their complicated lives. My hope is that In the Company of Others will prove to be highly useful to students wrestling with life’s conundrums.
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