Bridging campus and community: religion and violence as expansive and socially relevant communication research

ABSTRACT

Given that instructional communication happens beyond college classrooms, a small group of voices have called for expansive explorations of instructional communication. This essay continues this conversation by calling for research to explore instructional communication's role in religious settings as well as in mitigating violence. Researchers are encouraged to apply instructional communication research to these areas, and enhance the social impact of their research by working in translational formats (e.g., workshops, community partnerships, and popular press writing).

KEYWORDS:

• instructional communication
• religion
• verbal aggressiveness
• violence
• race

Notes on contributors

Sean M. Horan (Ph.D., West Virginia University) is Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Communication at Fairfield University. Contact: [email protected].

Courtney N. Wright (Ph.D., Northwestern University) is Associate Professor in the School of Communication Studies at the University of Tennessee. Contact: [email protected].