A CASE STUDY IN RELATIONAL COMMUNICATION: JIMMY CARTER AND THE 1976 BLACK ELECTORATE (GEORGIA)
Abstract
Former Governor Jimmy Carter of Georgia spent twenty-two months stumping for the presidency. Two factors characterized Carter's candidacy as unique: his expressed desire to form an "intimate, personal relationship" with the voters, and the unusually strong support which he received from the black electorate. This study, therefore, sought to explain the nature of the relationship between Carter and the black electorate and the role played by communication in its formation. To do so, a model of relationship development was created from various theories of interpersonal communication. This was utilized to analyze ten public messages from Carter to black audiences and two hundred messages from blacks to, or about, Carter. These messages were organized into pre-convention and post-convention categories and then examined for evidence of impression formation, similarity of attitudes, substantive and interpersonal needs, trust, self-disclosure, openness, and commitments. Results indicated that message from both Carter and blacks closely correspond to communication practices associated with the stages of the formation of personal relationships. Contrary to the expected outcome, however, substantive needs were emphasized by both Carter and blacks more frequently during post-convention messages. In addition to an analysis of messages, historical data, drawn primarily from the personal files of Ben Brown, Carter's Deputy Campaign Manager, provided evidence for understanding the climate and context of the Carter-black relationship. Findings suggest that Carter and the black electorate did form a close relationship that was based on: (1) similar cultural backgrounds; (2) similar religious views; (3) Carter's civil rights record as Governor of Georgia; and, (4) the black electorate's pragmatic choice based on a comparison level of alternatives. Carter and the black electorate formed their relationship in three ways: (1) Carter's outreach to the black community through his public messages in their churches and personal visits to their homes; (2) extensive groundwork by black surrogates; and, (3) timely endorsements by the wife and father of civil rights leader, Martin Luther King, Jr., and other prominent black leaders. Suggestions for future research include recommendations for examining dyadic, organizational, and political communication using an interpersonal communication relationship model.
Degree
Ph.D.
Subject Area
Communication|Biographies
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