5 Editor’s Introduction Practical Theory as Mapping, Engaged Reflection, and Transformative Practice The role communication plays in creating and sustaining healthy com- munities and enhancing public participation has drawn increasing at- tention from scholars and practitioners (Arnett & Arneson, 1999; Bar- ber, 1998; Pearce & Littlejohn, 1997). The way we talk in our commu- nities has consequences for the kinds of identities we create, the shape and quality of our relationships with others, and the lives we lead. Whether we focus on the communities that are created and sustained in academic classrooms, organizations, or the towns and cities in which we live, the notion that the way we talk constructs certain kinds of social worlds and relationships is foregrounded. Such a view moves communi- cation toward a discipline that takes seriously the potential of theory to make a practical difference in the lives of community members. As Craig (1995a) so eloquently puts it: Communication is not a set of objective facts just simply “out there” to be described and explained. . . . We should be asking not just what communication is, but also what it should be. If we’re going to help make it, let’s at least try to make it better.(p. ix) Communication is a practical discipline, and it is incumbent on commu- nication scholars to explore how their scholarship can be translated into practice (Petronio, 1999b) and how communication theory and research tackle applied communication problems (O’Hair, 2000) such as social justice issues (Frey, 1998). Given the turn toward more community-based forms of scholarship, it was not surprising that the response to the call for “Practical Theory, Public Participation, and Community” special issue was strong, with 24 essays being submitted for consideration. A wide variety of communi- ties were represented in the submitted essays, including nurse practitio- ner-patient communities, classroom communities, organizational com- munities, gay and lesbian communities, virtual communities, school com- munities, and city, regional, and national communities. Scholars explored a wide variety of concerns and issues, such as citizenship, political agency, J. Kevin Barge Communication Theory Eleven: One February 2001 Pages 5–13 Copyright © 2001 International Communication Association