"Welcome, fellow toastmasters": The history and membership of a public speaking phenomenon

Since 1905, Toastmasters International (TI) serves as the most recognized organization for voluntary oral communication practice in the world. Due to the dearth of scholarly communication research regarding TI, this thesis details the history, educational structure, and program dynamics of the organization. Literature review included the nature and extent of post-secondary communication education, as well as social affiliation and leisure theories. Finally, an Internet survey of 343 international TI members revealed the demographics of the "typical" TI member: a male or female college graduate between the ages of 36--50, who works in a wide range of professions. The study also indicated that participants mainly join TI for professional purposes or for self-fulfillment. Similarly, participants remain in the organization for personal fulfillment and friendships. The author concluded that TI remains a fertile research area for communication scholars, particularly communication professors' perceptions of the organization, and longitudinal membership studies.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Arts (MA)

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Communication Studies

Grantor dc:publisher

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Year

1999

Author dc:creator

• Levine Bremen, Ellen Beth

Contributors dc:contributor

• Erika Engstrom

Statement dc:rights

• IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Language dc:language

English

Identifier

https://oasis.library.unlv.edu/rtds/1107

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:oasis.library.unlv.edu:rtds-2106