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Interpretation Isn't Magic: An Academic's View on the Role of Research in Teaching Interpretation 1

One of the perplexing things about interpretation from a research point of view is that we haven’t always agreed on what “interpretive research” should focus on, even at the most general level. Arguments abound to this day on what interpretation is, and what its functions and outcomes ought to be. This perplexity characterized interpretation circles especially in the early 1960s, and even to this day. Metaphors from metaphysics and magic were often used to describe interpretation. When we spoke about outcomes, we were likely to invoke elusive notions like “gleams in the visitor’s eye, “magical experiences,” “enlightenment,” “awakening,” “appreciation,” “revelation” and “enrichment.” When we spoke about the inputs of interpretation we conceptualized nameless “gimmicks,” “gadgets,” “tricks,” and “approaches.” But there was little in these concepts we could sink our teeth into and apply without the benefit of theory and research. Like most communication research, interpretive research has a decidedly applied focus. “Applied” communication research typically uses concepts from behavioral sciences in order to understand the pathways through which communication influences how humans think, feel and behave. Whether I’m a practitioner, manager, researcher, or teacher of interpretation, this focus is central to what I do, and for the most part, being effective at it requires that I understand the factors underpinning successful communication. “Success,” of course, depends on what interpretation is intended to achieve (e.g., provocation to thought, an enjoyable experience, acquisition of a belief or attitude, or per-