Communication & Beyond

This book examines how communication education took shape in Queensland and across Australia from the mid-1970s. It explains the social, economic and political conditions that drove the rapid growth of the field, including shifting government policy meant to meet rising demand from private and public employers for staff with stronger communication skills.

The author follows the creation of new programs that opened careers in advertising, broadcasting, business, film, government, journalism, nonprofit work, public relations, teaching, writing, emerging technologies and many other fields. A central focus is the role of the first degree-level communication course, offered at the Queensland Institute of Technology.

The book profiles the academics who designed the new courses and research, and introduces the study of human communication in clear terms. It presents the development of communication education as an example of cooperation between government, industry and the academy.

Throughout, the book raises questions about the part higher education institutions play in society and the impact they have on it.