Contending with Codes in a World of Difference

Book excerpt: Whenever and wherever people communicate, they contend with powerful and sometimes hidden systems of symbols, meanings, premises, and rules pertaining to communicative conduct, i.e, speech codes. Adding to thirty years of cultural communication research, this ground-breaking volume presents readers with a new set of original, fieldwork-based case studies that examine speech codes in on- and offline settings around the world. Most importantly, Contending with Codes in a World of Difference culminates with a newly updated, expanded, and re-energized version of speech codes theory, well-suited to the contemporary study of communication and culture. Co-edited by Dr. Gerry Philipsen, the originator of speech codes theory, and Dr. Tabitha Hart, a fellow speech codes scholar, this edited collection is filled with examples, stories, and transcripts illustrating how to locate speech codes in a cultural arena; how to discern what speech codes reveal about local culture; what happens when multiple speech codes are in play; and how people resist, challenge, negotiate, or reconcile contending speech codes. Offering theoretical and methodological guidance for researchers and practical insight for students, practitioners, and laypeople, this book is essential for anyone interested in learning more about the art of contending with speech codes in a world of difference.