Rachel's 9.2 Discussion Questions

1) Alcoff (1991) discussed the need to “develop strategies for a more equitable, just distribution of the ability to speak and be heard” (p. 29)

• How might we as researchers simultaneously serve as “messengers” to advocate for the needs of the oppressed and promote self-representation?
• In what ways does a goal of empowerment contribute to the development of a transformative understanding of what meaningful organizational communication research is/does?

2) Putnam (1983) contrasted the functionalist and interpretivist approaches to organizational communication research, and argued that the development of competing perspectives results from the pursuit of knowledge.

• What are the implications of the shift from functionalism to interpretivism for organizational communication research?
• In what ways does an interpretive approach to organizational communication research offer new insights into “old” problems?