Symbolic Convergence Theory: A Communication Formulation

by Ernest G. Bormann

The article written by Mr. Bormann about the Symbolic Convergence Theory attaches new meanings and provides many examples that helped me understand the theory much better and get a better grasp on the material.

The Summary

In this article Mr. Bormann explains the theory in terms of homos narrans, which is a group as a collective which has shared emotions, motives and meanings. He draws a very fine line that says that they are not daydreams, but shared feelings or fantasies. He explains that the theory has a three-part structure that can be analyzed:

1.)It has discovery and arrangement of recurring communication patterns that indicates a shared group meaning and understanding.

--I feel that a really good example happened in the late 1980's
when people started to wonder and wanted to know about
AIDS, HIV and homosexuality. The media and the press
being very powerful organizations brought the issue to the general public.
For the first time the world had a shared meaning of what exactly
HIV, AIDS and homosexuality were all about. They learned how it was
transmitted and who was at risk to contract it. It became a learning
process for all people involved. The issue didn't go away because
people began asking more and more questions that they wanted answered.

2.)It has a description of why group consciousness may arise, continue, decline and disappear.

--The world started pouring millions of dollars into AIDS research.
At the same time the gay community started to ban together
and ask for support and wanted equal respect. Some people
on the other hand wanted the problem to go away. They didn't
want to deal with gay people, AIDS or HIV. The problem at
hand was almost being swept under the carpet like dust.

3.)It explains why people share their fantasies when they do.

--The AIDS epidemic brought out feelings of the homosexual
and heterosexual people. Each group banned together for there
particular cause. They each did this so they could identify and deal with
the situation at hand. It is easier to deal with a problem
with a group of people sometimes rather than just an individual.
The homosexuals wanted equal rights and for people
to recognize them as human beings. On the other hand some heterosexual
people became violent and were non-supportive of the lifestyle.

He also feels that the theory is so strong because humans tend to try and understand events in terms of people with certain personality traits. We all assume that our choices and plans are motivated and under control. It is also stated that Fantasy themes are always slanted, ordered, and interpreted; they provide a rhetorical means for large segments of the audience to account for. The basic line is that the theory assumes that humans are storytellers who share common fantasies and then build groups and shared understandings.

My Personal Feelings and Interpretation

I feel that Bormann's article explains the symbolic convergence theory in a very plain and efficient manner. The article took the theory and brought new thoughts and examples that made it easier for me to understand the theory. Many of the things that he said paralleled what our textbook said especially the part about what a fantasy is and the basic structures and meanings of the theories. I feel though that he took it to another level and explained a little more in detail with great examples. The example that I gave about HIV, AIDS and the gay issue is a very good representation of the fantasy theory I feel. With that example we see how people banned together to help and solve or handle a particular problem. When I was growing up I was always told that gay people were not "good" people and that I should befriend them. Now that I am at a more mature level and make decisions on my own I have realized that they are also people that deserve to live a life of their choice. The world can and is a very judgmental place to live in and sometimes it is extremely difficult to understand why things are they way they are. Through time and research people have learned the truth about what HIV, AIDS and what the homosexual life is. I hope this example gave you the means to understand the fantasy theory just a little better and maybe take it to a new level of understanding.

Here's our Title Page

Lindsay's Critique

The Application page

Bormann, Ernest G. (1985). Symbolic Convergence Theory: A Communication Formulation. Journal of Communication, 35, 128-138.

Check out this site on Speech Codes This site looks at how different people have different speech codes for certain things. This might help explain why people in the 80's and today use the word "gay" as a bad word rather than refering to someone who might be happy. Or why we use "Fag", "Homo", "Queen", "Queer" and a "Fairy" to describe homosexual men.