"Many of the essays in this volume seek to interpret traditional Asian approaches to communication in the light of modern Western concepts. At one level, this might appear to compromise the integrity of the Asian approaches. However, it needs to be stressed that this is a calculated strategy on the
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part of the authors. The objective of the rediscovery of this terrain of Asian approaches to communication is to revitalize and expand the field of communication by drawing on these rich resources. In order to do this, one must first gain legitimacy for these approaches in the eyes of Western and Western-trained Asian communication scholars. It is for this reason that many of the authors in this volume have thought it fit to explicate Asian approaches in relation to Western concepts. This book, which addresses itself to the task of rediscovering a terrain for communication theory, consists of 13 essays. The opening essay argues for the compelling need to study Asian approaches to communication. It does this by pointing out how Asian approaches to the study of communication can supplement, enrich, and challenge Western approaches. It points out that the Asian approaches should no longer be ignored as they can prove to be extremely productive in widening the discourse of communication metatheory." (Introduction, page xii)
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"The 1970s is looked upon as the period marking the revival of Islam. Islam places high priority on communication and the Quran gives strict guidelines to Muslim religious communicators on the do’s and don’t that have to be adhered to. The principles of communication laid down by Prophet Muhamma
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d are discussed before the author discusses Western Communication Theories that can be effectively islamized." (Abstract)
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"The Islamic sermon is a channel of communication which is well suited to the needs of contemporary Middle Easteners. It is an old Islamic institution with a high degree of legitimacy among the traditional people. Yet the modernizing ruling elites can control it and feed into it modern messages whic
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h the preachers warp in the legitimacy myths of the traditional people. Thus the sermon is one way by which the ruling elites can communicate across the communication gap to the traditional people." (Page 381)
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