About this Book

This book was designed for a course taught at Boise State University—Sociological Communication (SOC 122). SOC 122 is a general education course designed for all students to explore theoretical frameworks of communication and practice oral communication in various forms.

Communication does not occur in isolation; it happens within social, historical, and cultural contexts. Regardless of your major or future occupation, you will present, discuss, and communicate in those contexts. Understanding both formal and informal communication, the social construction of meaning, discourse analysis, and power dynamics in oral communication is essential for all majors and crucial for democratic participation.

Purpose

The purpose of this textbook is to provide students with an accessible, engaging, and relevant introduction to the sociology of communication. It explores how social structures, cultural norms, identities, and technologies shape and are shaped by communication practices in everyday life.

The book introduces core communication concepts from a sociological perspective and includes real-world examples from daily conversations, social media, schools, workplaces, and global issues. Students will explore how communication reflects and reinforces power and inequality, and how it can be used to challenge those structures and promote social change.

Students are encouraged to actively engage with the reflection prompts, videos, glossary terms, and discussion questions embedded throughout the chapters. The second edition further integrates student feedback, emerging trends in digital communication, and a more personal and inclusive voice, making this a responsive and evolving learning resource.

What’s New in the Second Edition

This second edition of Sociological Communication reflects a significant revision and expansion of the original textbook. Informed by student feedback, evolving classroom needs, and new developments in communication technology and pedagogy, this edition deepens its focus on real-world application, equity, and engagement.

One of the most visible changes is the addition of real-world examples throughout each chapter. These examples ground abstract ideas in everyday experiences, from navigating Zoom fatigue during the pandemic to interpreting protest coverage on global media platforms. These vignettes are designed to help students connect theory to lived experience and to think critically about the communication dynamics around them.

The second edition also introduces interactive H5P activities, such as Check Your Understanding exercises, to support active learning. These self-paced tools help students review key concepts and prepare for discussions, exams, or assignments.

Beyond these additions, the entire text has been restructured for clarity and consistency, with new chapter overviews, learning outcomes, and discussion prompts that align with course objectives and university-wide goals for oral communication. Terms and concepts are defined throughout using glossary tooltips for greater accessibility, and all videos include closed captions to support diverse learners.

Finally, this edition introduces generative AI as part of the authoring process, reflecting ongoing shifts in educational technology. I used ChatGPT to help outline chapter structures and co-develop real-world scenarios and discussion questions. I did so critically and intentionally, aware of the ethical tensions surrounding AI tools, including issues of authorship, labor exploitation, and algorithmic bias. I discuss this more in the OER Philosophy and Use of Generative AI section below.

Taken together, these updates make the book more accessible, current, and reflective of the ways communication, like the world around us, is constantly changing.

This second edition builds on and significantly expands the original Sociological Communication OER created and published in 2022 by the same author.

Audience

The primary audience for this textbook is undergraduate students enrolled in introductory courses on sociological communication, or related fields like sociology, communication studies, or media studies. It is designed for 100- and 200-level students who may not have prior experience with sociology.

A secondary audience includes instructors seeking accessible, current materials to teach communication through a sociological lens. Professionals, researchers, and curious readers interested in communication, culture, and society may also find the text valuable.

Learning Outcomes

The course learning outcomes (CLOs) for SOC 122, as taught by Professor Van Ry, are:

1. Identify and explain key concepts and theories related to sociological communication (CLO1).
2. Analyze communication practices in social contexts, including media, organizations, communities, and interpersonal relationships (CLO2).
3. Critically evaluate the impact of communication technologies on social relationships and institutions, and identify how these technologies shape communication practices (CLO3).
4. Demonstrate effective communication strategies that take into account social and cultural contexts, power relations, and identity (CLO4).
5. Explain the diverse range of communication practices and norms across different cultures and communities (CLO5).
6. Develop analytical skills, including the ability to identify and critically evaluate sources of information (CLO6).
7. Develop strong writing and presentation skills (CLO7).

In addition to the CLOs, this course aligns with Boise State University Learning Outcomes (ULOs) for Oral Communication. These are:

1. Research, discover, and develop information resources and structure spoken messages to increase knowledge and understanding (ULO1).
2. Research, discover, and develop evidence-based reasoning and persuasive appeals for ethically influencing attitudes, values, beliefs, or behaviors (ULO2).
3. Adapt spoken messages to the diverse personal, ideological, and emotional needs of individuals, groups, or contexts (ULO3).
4. Employ effective spoken and nonverbal behaviors that support communication goals and illustrate self-efficacy (ULO4).
5. Listen in order to effectively and critically evaluate the reasoning, evidence, and communication strategies of self and others (ULO5).
6. Understand key theories, perspectives, principles, and concepts in the Communication discipline, as applied to oral communication (ULO6).

The following table maps out how the CLOs align with the ULOs. Within each module/chapter, there are more specific module learning outcomes (MLOs). These MLOs are stepping stones to help students get to the larger CLOs and ULOs. The connection between MLOs, CLOs, and ULOs is identified at the beginning of each chapter.

OER Philosophy and Use of Generative AI

This textbook was created as part of an ongoing commitment to open, accessible, and inclusive education. I have drawn from openly licensed materials whenever possible and remixed or adapted them to better suit the goals of this course. I have aimed to include diverse voices, integrate real-world relevance, and present ideas in ways that are clear, flexible, and adaptable for a wide range of learners.

Throughout this process, I also explored how generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools, especially ChatGPT, might assist in the creation of Open Educational Resources (OER). I used these tools to help brainstorm content, clarify complex concepts, and generate examples, prompts, and summaries. In doing so, I treated AI not as a replacement for educator expertise, but as a tool to support and streamline the writing and revision process.

At the same time, I acknowledge the concerns surrounding generative AI. These tools are trained on large datasets without transparent sourcing, raising serious questions about intellectual property, consent, and data ethics. Additionally, labor concerns related to the development of these systems, particularly the exploitation of underpaid workers in the Global South, deserve critical attention. As an educator committed to equity, I believe it’s important to be transparent about the benefits and limitations of these technologies.

This text reflects a blend of human insight, open collaboration, and emerging digital tools. I welcome feedback and encourage others to adapt or remix this work under its open license.

Fair Use Statement

Unless otherwise indicated, third-party texts, images, and other materials quoted in this textbook are included under the doctrine of fair use, as described in the Code of Best Practices for Fair Use in Open Education. These materials are used for educational, non-commercial purposes to support teaching, commentary, and analysis.

Accessibility

This textbook was created with accessibility in mind. Instructors can upload the entire text to learning management systems such as Blackboard, Canvas, and Google Classroom. The book is downloadable in multiple formats, including PDF, EPUB, and MOBI. It is compatible with common text-to-speech tools such as Read Aloud, Dragon, and institutional screen readers. All videos include subtitles or closed captioning. An accessibility check was completed as part of the revision process. If you encounter any issues, please use the feedback form at the end of the book to let me know.

Creative Commons Licensing

This open-access Pressbook includes both openly licensed and copyrighted material from a variety of sources. Please consult the “Licensing and Attribution” section at the end of each chapter to view any restrictions or usage guidelines. Unless otherwise noted, this textbook is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (CC BY-NC-SA) license.