Group Communication Theory

Are Theories Practical?

There may be more than meets the eye to Kurt Lewin's statement at the beginning of this section concerning theory and practice. Obviously, not all theories will be equally practical. Some can be applied with more assurance to broader domains than others, some occupy a tenuous place among many other competing theories, and some are simply bad. Whether theories successfully guide action depends on whether they're properly developed, whether they correspond well to reality, and whether they're sufficiently flexible to evolve as circumstances change and new information becomes available.

Furthermore, it's been pointed out that knowing theories does not necessarily mean that we will act according to them. And other forms of communication can sometimes be as provocative and valuable to us as theory. Good poetry, essays, and fiction all may inspire us and help instill the kind of confidence we need to make decisions and cover new intellectual ground.

Still, it's clear that theory can serve as an important contextual factor as individuals and groups refine and elaborate upon the practices they follow. As we'll see in the next section, group communication theory constitutes just such a valuable contextual factor for us.