This text is written for students and others who are interested in the field of nonverbal communication. It is interdisciplinary so that it may appeal to students and readers in several academic disciplines. Having taught courses in nonverbal communication for several years, the author believes that this book fills a gap in the available literature. He has taken extra steps to include practical exercises for the reader in the final chapter.
Faculty members may be interested in reading about the Symbolic Interactionist approach used in the book and in the extensive set of references. A glossary is included to help explain how concepts are used and to help eliminate any confusion that may arise when technical terms are used. Written for a wide readership, the text is free of needlessly arcane writing. Readers will no doubt enjoy the book while learning from it.
Allan L. Canfield received his Ph.D. in Speech Communication from the State University of New York at Buffalo where he served as an administrator and faculty member. During his stay there, he received the Professional Staff Outstanding Service Award. As a hobby, he hosted both radio and television programs in Buffalo, NY, as part of his interest in the popular media. He has a special interest in the nature of public knowledge and how it is used in everyday life.
Having taught extensively in Communication and Sociology, he is able to write from an interdisciplinary perspective. In retirement, he continues to teach and do research. He is presently on the faculty of Jones International University, a completely online university where he is teaching both graduate and undergraduate students in Communication courses.
“Dr. Canfield has created an encyclopedic work on the general topic of non-verbal communication defined by an astonishingly detailed research literature drawn from such diverse fields as anthropology, social psychology and related fields of communication. Additionally, he offers readers a series of carefully prepared exercises designed to engage them in both practical applications and personal implications of human interactions at every level of analysis."
-- Edward J. Green, Ph.D
Guerry Professor of Psychology Emeritus
“A thorough and sensitive understanding of the complex cross-cultural and cross-disciplinary influences on non-verbal communication. It is insightful, scholarly, and above all, thought-provoking—perhaps the most important criterion for any such text."
-- Stuart D. Scott, PhD
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