In Defense of Theory

I never thought I’d end up writing something called “In Defense of Theory.” I graduated from a communication program that emphasized theory to the near-exclusion of hands-on, practical learning. I hated it. I had a hard time sitting in a classroom and learning about theory in all its abstractions and removal from real life situation.

However, I share Professor Schedel’s concern after reading the Perspective’s recent editorial, “Theory Useless in Job Force.” In any communications career, an employee needs concrete skills and relevant experience to complete tasks. I would suggest that college graduates about to enter the job force need to do more than be able to just complete tasks. They need to understand the frameworks, and yes, theories, within which they are working in order to do those tasks better, faster and smarter.

If you’re in a position where you aren’t able to apply even rudimentary elements of well-known communication theories to what you’re doing, then you’re just a worker bee, and you will not grow professionally. I work with technology. Having learned about the diffusion of innovations, a theory first put forth nearly fifty years ago to explain the ways in which ideas and concepts are adopted by society, I’m in a better position to understand and implement the technologies I encounter. That’s one example. With a few hours and some of my old comm theory textbooks I could define a few dozen others.

When I think of the theoretical knowledge I learned in pursuit of a degree, that is training that best came from learned professors in a classroom setting. I look back and am grateful for the opportunity to acquire such learning, as it has strongly prepared me for a career doing exactly what I want to do in communication. You can learn skills on your own and on the job – the best learning comes from experience, and experience takes time.

Having some skills might get you your first job, but they won’t get you your first promotion, and they won’t make you competitive in today’s communication marketplace.

Kara Kane