Symbolic Convergence Theory

About

Symbolic Convergence Theory (SCT) is a general communication theory. SCT explains that meanings, emotions, values, and the motives for action are in the rhetoric that is co-created by people trying to make sense out of a common experience, such as university life. SCT posits that students talk about their shared experiences, like a professor they have had in class. During such discussions, a rhetorical fantasy might chain out about a professor that will bring the teacher into dramatic life acting in a classroom scene, often in humorous ways. A professor might be called "The Red Pheasant" because he has red hair and bobs his head like a pheasant going down a corn row. Or the professor might be called "The Candy Lady" because she brings treats to class.

SCT is a general communication theory because it explains that such fantasy-chaining by people about a common experience produces a rhetorical vision in all communities. Just as students co-create university dramas, so, too, do marines, police officers, firefighters, and members of any organization. SCT argues that people inherently co¬create their own symbolic reality (in the Lacanian sense) into a stable rhetorical form that can be studied and understood. SCT calls these stable forms of viewing the world (that evolve through human talk), rhetorical visions. These rhetorical visions contain one of three underlying or under-girding master analogues (Righteous, Pragmatic, and Social).

Rhetorical visions are formed from various fantasies that chain out over important issues in the community. There are heroes, villains, and plotlines for each competing vision. Righteous heroes strive for excellence. These heroes want to be at the cutting edge of their field. They want things done the right way and they need in-depth knowledge to do so. A Righteous hero says: "If you want something done right, do it yourself" Social heroes stress the importance of human ties. For them, humane acts, loyalty, and trust are important values in forming strong, interpersonal bonds. They believe that networking is an important strategy for getting things done. Social heroes say: "You don't have to know everything about the job. You just have to know how to work with people and share knowledge to accomplish common goals. The Pragmatic hero seeks the most efficient and cost-effective strategy to reach a goal with a minimum of intellectual and emotional involvement. A Pragmatic university student says: "I need a university degree which requires the least effort, the fewest dollars, and the fastest time, to get the best job." In a nutshell, if the three competing heroes were discussing how they would change motor oil, the Righteous one would say: "I'll do it myself;" the Social one would say: "I'm having my trusted auto mechanic do it for me;" and the Pragmatic hero would say: "I'm going to Jiffy Lube because it's quicker and cheaper."

Fantasy types are the work-horse of SCT. New rhetorical fantasies are often created from old, existing ones. For example, if you go on the Internet and Google search "The Perfect Storm," the first seven or so hits are stories about the movie by that name in which three bad weather conditions produced monstrous, 100-foot waves that sunk a fish boat. However, the next score of hits reveal a fantasy type. Economic stories are reported that are called "The Perfect Economic Storm," meaning three bad economic events coincided to produce a disastrous business situation. You could have a "Perfect Storm" semester if three bad academic events occurred simultaneously like a professor from hell, an impossible roommate, and a bad case of the flu during finals week.

During the 1972 U.S. presidential election, people working for then-President Nixon broke into the national Democratic Headquarters in the Watergate Hotel. They were caught, the President tried to cover it up, but eventually he had to resign. This high drama produced a fantasy type that still exists. The French have had their "Wine-gate," and President Reagan had his "Iran-gate." Put "gate" after anything these days and we know it's a plotline that involves administrative corruption and government cover-up. Sometimes a fantasy type is produced by putting "another" in front of an old drama, as in "another Vietnam," or "another Rodney King" case. When a rhetorical community knows one fantasy, they can quickly chain out a new one by making the first fantasy into a fantasy type.

As noted above, rhetorical visions can vary along a number of different continua. As you saw, two continua (Pure to Mixed Master Analogues, and Satisfied to Dissatisfied) produced 12 different visions. If one were to add three more continua (Egalitarian to Elite, Proselytizing to Secretive, and Flexible to Rigid) then there would be 96 potential dramas. However, in reality, most rhetorical communities have only three to seven at any given time. In fact, some communities only have one rhetorical vision. American history is replete with examples of one-vision religious cults. Jimmy Jones' Temple members committed mass ritualistic suicide in Guyana, The Heaven's Gate sect also committed mass ritualistic suicide in San Diego, and the Branch Davidians, in Waco, Texas, died in a confrontation with the FBI. In these extreme, righteous, rigid dramas, any backsliders are punished for even minor deviations from the orthodox vision.

You have probably not been in such an intense rhetorical vision but SCT predicts that you are most likely in several different rhetorical visions simultaneously. For example, you might be in a Righteous student vision at your university but also in a Pragmatic drama in your part-time job, while at the same time in a Social drama about America's place in world affairs. Furthermore, SCT suggests that over time you might migrate from one master analogue-based vision to another. In your first year of college you could have been caught up in a Righteous vision but by your senior year you might find yourself in a very Pragmatic drama about finishing school and getting a job.

Regardless of the longevity of a rhetorical vision, SCT explains that visions go through a five-stage lifecycle.

Stage 1: Creation

The genesis story of "In the beginning was the Word." For the University of St. Thomas, it was Bishop Ireland's dream of a Catholic Diocesan university. For the University of Missouri-Kansas City, it concerned the back room political deals necessary to get the legislative votes to have the State of Missouri bail out the bankrupt, private school, the University of Kansas City. The dominant rhetorical vision of your university started with a rich "genesis" story. Do you know what it is?

Stage 2: Consciousness-Raising

This is the stage where fantasies begin to chain out among a collectivity of people over a common interest. As they co-create a new vision, their lives take on new meaning and emotion and their behavior changes. New members of existing visions often go through this stage in a formal, prescribed way. "Pledge" classes for fraternities and sororities, "boot" camp for Marine recruits, and "retreats" for novices of religious orders are typical examples. The first week or two of college for new students can have a consciousness¬raising effect if the university plans ritualistic events designed to assimilate the students into the university's vision. Can you identify any college rituals in which you participated that heightened your sense of belonging to your school or some sub-group, like the band, a debate team, or a sport?

Stage 3: Consciousness-Sustaining

A mature rhetorical vision seeks stability. New members are brought in, old members are retained. The vision must adapt to changing events and provide rebuttals to competing visions. Often, rhetorical visions can remain stable for 100 years or longer. Can you identify any other 100-year-old rhetorical visions?

Stage 4: Vision-Declining

Situations in a rhetorical community can change so rapidly that the vision cannot adapt successfully. After 100 years of being Illinois' oldest teacher-training college, Illinois State Normal Teacher's College changed its name to Illinois State University in 1964. Today, only ten-percent of 18,000 students are education majors. Starting in 1964, the faculty and students began participating in new rhetorical dramas that would give meaning to their place in higher education. Has your university gone through a similar identity crisis as one rhetorical vision declined and a new one began to emerge?

Stage 5: Vision Implosion

Sometimes rhetorical visions instantly implode in the presence of a major event. Atother times, the implosion can take years. The Cold War Rhetorical Vision (1947-1990) was a case of instant No implosion. The Righteous Cold War drama portrayed heroic Americans as being in a struggle against God-less Communism. It was a struggle for the hearts and minds of people on a worldwide stage. In 1990, the drama imploded with the sudden collapse of the Soviet Union. The Upjohn Pharmaceutical Co. lasted for 100 years with the slogan: "Keep The Quality Up." In the space of two years, Upjohn merged with another century-old Swedish company only to see the new merged company purchased and dissolved by a third drug company, Pfizer. In the first case, the Cold War warriors could declare victory and look for a new vision of America's role in the world. In the second example, the loyal Upjohn employees felt stripped of their symbolic identity. Have you ever been in a rhetorical vision when it imploded? For example, maybe your old high school closed or merged with another. Maybe your favorite sport was dropped by the university or your major was eliminated. The felt loss is real in terms of meaning, emotion, and motive for action.

What is the utility of SCT for you? SCT explains the way your view of campus life depends upon the rhetorical vision in which you participate. If you are a Righteous student, you probably see SCT as an important communication theory that you can study. In fact, you might want to conduct your own SCT study on your campus by using this research instrument, plus a questionnaire asking demographic (age, gender, etc.), sociographic (behaviors) and psychographic (attitudes and beliefs) questions. If you are a Social student, you might see SCT as yet another way to understand interpersonal communication and how people come to identify with one another. If you are a Pragmatic student, you will see the utility of SCT in designing marketing and Public Relations campaigns and use the theory to improve your job interviewing skills.

Bibliography

* Ernest G. Bormann, (1972). Fantasy and rhetorical vision: The rhetorical criticism of social reality. Quarterly Journal of Speech, 58, 396-407.
* Ernest G. Bormann, John F. Cragan, & Donald C. Shields (1994). In defense of symbolic convergence theory: A look at the theory and its criticisms after two decades. Communication Theory, 4, 259-294.
* Ernest G. Bormann, John F. Cragan, & Donald C. Shields (1996). An expansion of the rhetorical vision concept of symbolic convergence theory: The cold war paradigm case. Communication Monographs, 63, 1-28.
* Ernest G. Bormann, John F. Cragan, & Donald C. Shields (2001). Three decades of developing, grounding, and using symbolic convergence theory. In W. B. Gudykunst (Ed.), Communication Yearbook 25 (pp. 271-313). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum and the International Communication Association.
* Ernest G. Bormann, John F. Cragan, & Donald C. Shields (2003). Defending symbolic convergence theory from an imaginary Gunn. Quarterly Journal of Speech, 89, 366-372.
* John F. Cragan, & Donald C. Shields (1995). Symbolic theories in applied communication research: Bormann, Burke, and Fisher. Cresskill, NJ: Hampton.