cmm literature review

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Chelsea Ellsworth

Dr. White

25 January 2012

Communication Theory

Coordinated Management of Meaning Theory

Eeryday the world is affected !y the interactions we ma"e. The conersation !etween

friends at lunch# the online chat with a stranger or friend# or the de!ates $oliticians get in# are %ust

a few !rief e&am$les of coordinated management of meaning 'CMM( in action. )arnett *earce

and +ernon Cronen introduced the theory in 1,-# and the theory has deelo$ed into three $arts

'/riffin# 2012(. The Three $arts are $ersonin$erson conersation# stories told and stories lied#

and s$otting harmful and hel$ful communication '/riffin# 2012(.

ccording to the CMM theory# one can !ecome a !etter communicator when

understanding CMM and a$$lying the coaching strategies to conersations or eents '/riffin#

2012(. The theory is a useful tool to counselors# mediators# $arents# thera$ists# and teachers

!ecause CMM s$ells out how to communicate effectiely '/riffin# 2012(. irst you must frame

the situation or eent into a s$ecial eent# then you must remain neutral. ollowing !eing neutral

you must hel$ them tell the story !y show curiosity in their story or eent. 3e&t you hae to

reframe their stories# and the final ste$ is to do inthemoment coaching '/riffin# 2012(.

4n the ,0s# $eo$le wanted to "now 6role of meaning in conersation7 and $eo$le accused

*earce and Cronen of !eing false 'Cronen# *earce# 8 Changsheng# 1,,# $.1(. 9oweer# Cronen

and *earce $ut their theory to the test again. They e&$lained that meaning could !e considered

irreleant if you do not consider the conersation at hand and the $ersons !ac"ground 'Cronen#

*earce# 8 Changsheng# 1,,(.



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4n a recent study of families where the father has !een tortured# the coordinated

management of meaning theory has !een $ut to use 'Montgomery# 200:(. The ;eha!ilitation and

;esearch Centre for Torture +ictims ';CT( has used 6stories told7 and 6stories lied7 to e&$lain

hel$ counsel families 'Montgomery# 200:(. There where two ty$es of grou$s what were inoled

in the study# families where the fathers $ast was "now $rior and families where the fathers $ast is

not "now until after entering ;CT 'Montgomery# 200:(.

When the children "new their father<s history with torture the children showed many

signs of an&iety were high 'Montgomery# 200:(. This a$$lies to CMM !ecause the afterlife of

the conersation was the an&iety the children felt when discussing the torture of the father. 4t is

$ossi!le that had the children !een told a!out the father<s $ast using CMM<s coaching s"ills that

the children would not feel this an&iety 'Montgomery# 200:(.

or the other children# thera$ist had to discoer the father<s reasons and !ac"ground

through 6stories told7 and 6stories lied7 'Montgomery# 200:(. When first entering# the father

did not want his history told to his children. 9oweer# when wor"ing with CMM theory the

thera$ist were a!le to deci$her the meaning and reasons why the father would not disclose the

information a!out his torture to his children 'Montgomery# 200:(. =nce the father was

comforta!le with sharing the information with his children# the family !egan family sessions

where the thera$ist wor"ed with the family to get the out the true reasons for the a!use and

discomfort in the family 'Montgomery# 200:(.

nother case where coordinated management theory is !eing used on the internet. Many

theorist are seeing the trend of relations on the internet or !ecause of the internet and want to see

how or if CMM can !e a$$lied. 4t is !elieed that the stories users tell through chat rooms and

the internet contain information that would other wise not !e told. 'Moore 8 >auters# 200(.



?

The study on CMM and online interactions tries to answer the following @uestion using

the CMM theoryA 6re online users really ha$$y with the $erceied lac" of s$eech rules and

!oundaries in online chat e&$eriencesB7 'Moore 8 >auters# 200# $.2(. This study focused on the

effects of the indiidual after !eing e&$osed to messages that went against the users !eliefs

'Moore 8 >auters# 200(. CMM was used in this study to 6ma"e sense of the se@uences of

messages carried out in conersation !y the grou$7 'Moore 8 >auters# 200# $.5(. This wor"ed

!ecause CMM uses a $ersons !ac"ground# relationshi$s with other users# and the culture of the

site to understand the users 'Moore 8 >auters# 200(. Each $erson added indiidualism to the

conersations !ecause the users all had different !ac"grounds and relationshi$s 'Moore 8

>auters# 200(.

Coordinated management of meaning theory can also !e a$$lied to children<s feeding

$atterns ')russ# Morris# 8 Dannison# 2005(. The study showed 6sociocultural# familial# and

official nutritional messages were most influential to their health care !ehaiors7 ')russ# Morris#

8 Dannison# 2005# $.155(. 4n other words the childs identity# culture# and relationshi$s $layed in

actie role in their eating ha!its. CMM was a!le to $roide researchers with an understanding of

the child<s !ac"ground which allowed researchers to get "nowledge of why the children were

eating the way they were ')russ# Morris# 8 Dannison# 2005(. ;esearchers would li"e to use

CMM to hel$ future children from !ecoming o!ese or unhealthy ')russ# Morris# 8 Dannison#

2005(.

4n the $ast many $eo$le hae loo"ed at o!esity from a genetic as$ect# while this still

$lays a $art# some $eo$le are !eing to loo" at coordinated management of meaning theory for

answers ')russ# Morris# 8 Dannison# 2005(. 4n oder to use CMM# more research would need to



:

!e conducted on children and families who receie counseling a!out food choices ')russ#

Morris# 8 Dannison# 2005(.

Eery conersation or interaction with a $erson has an afterlife# whether the interaction

!e online# years later# or in $erson fie minutes ago. nderstanding why $eo$le act the way they

do is a @uestion that is sim$le to as" !ut hard to uncoer. Coordinated management of meaning is

a way of a$$lying a $erson<s relationshi$s# identity# and culture to understand who the $erson is

and why they are so $assionate '/riffin# 2012(. CMM theory is a useful tool for $arents#

counselors# teachers# thera$ist# and anyone who wants to !e a !etter communicator.



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;eferences

)russ# M.# Morris# J.# Dannison# >.# =r!e# M.# uitugua# J.# 8 *alacios# ;. '2005(. ood# culture#

and familyA e&$loring the coordinated management of meaning regarding childhood

o!esity. 9ealth Communication# 1'2(# 1551-5.

Cronen# +. E.# *earce# W.# 8 Changsheng# F. '1,,(. The Meaning of Meaning in the CMM

nalysis of CommunicationA Com$arison of Two Traditions. ;esearch =n >anguage 8

Gocial 4nteraction# 2?1:0.

/riffin# E. '2012(. first loo" at communication theory. 'th ed.# $$. H-?(. 3ew Ior"# 3IA

Mc/raw9ill 9umanitiesGocial Gciences>anguages.

Montgomery# E. '200:(. Tortured familiesA a coordinated management of meaning analysis.

amily *rocess# :?'?(# ?:,?-1.

Moore# J.# 8 >auters# . '200(. ;ules =nlineA Coordinated Management of Meaning in Chat

;ooms. Conference *a$ers 4nternational Communication ssociation# 1:H.

cmm literature review

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