Book Review – Communication As Culture – James W. Carey

Reading James W. Carey's work, Communication as Culture, in 2011, it might be hard to understand what a seminal text it was upon its release in 1989. But that this book is no longer seen as groundbreaking is only testament to how it helped spark a shift in research and academic approaches to business communication.

There are many reasons why Communication as Culture is still a go-to textbook for many MBA programs:

• Communication As Culture can be seen as an attempt to merge social science theory with modern business communication. Carey works hard to adapt a model of social constructivism, or the idea that, simply put, the world as we experience it is an elaborate construction created by us and those around us by our word choices, our shared language, worldview and ideas.

• These social science theories have been long considered by some to be inaccessible and thus inapplicable to the more hands-on world of business communication and herein lies Carey's greatest challenge.

• The reason why Carey's text is still a common cornerstone in many business education programs, I believe, is that he explains difficult theories in a very straight forward way.

• In a few sentences, Carey manages to pinpoint the main ideas of Dewey, Geertz and Durkheim, among others, in a way that the reader can not only comprehend, but understand how they could relate to business.

• Some of the sections of the book related to mass media and modern communication may, at first glance, seem obsolete amongst the social media world of twitter, facebook and instant information. But on closer read, many of the theories presented even in relation to old-school media, are not a huge step away from our current communication system.

• Our world is still created by our 'words' even if the medium has changed.

As far as straightforward, easily adaptable texts go, this isn't a how-to business guide. But it is a 'how we should be thinking' guide. It should be essential reading for business scholars and social scientists alike. Carey illustrates that one can achieve legitimacy in both circles.

Related posts:

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2. Argosy University Online Review
3. California Lutheran University Review
4. Baker College Online Review
5. The MBA Degree and Social Media