Definition

05.04.2006

Definition of communication

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Communication is the process of exchanging information usually via a common system of symbols. "Communication studies" is the academic discipline focused on communication forms, processes and meanings, including speech, interpersonal and organizational communication. "Mass communication" is a more specialized academic discipline focused on the institutions, practice and effects of journalism, broadcasting, advertising, public relations and related mediated communication directed at a large, undifferentiated or segmented audience.<o:p></o:p>

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Forms and components of human communication<o:p></o:p>

Humans communicate in order to share knowledge and experiences. Common forms of human communication include sign language, speech, writing, gestures, and broadcasting. Communication can be interactive, transactive, intentional, or unintentional; it can also be verbal or nonverbal. Communication varies considerably in form and style when considering scale.<o:p></o:p>

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Communication varies considerably in form and style when considering scale. Internal communication, within oneself, is intrapersonal while communication between two individuals is interpersonal. At larger scales of communication both the system of communication and media of communication change. Small group communication takes place in settings of between three and 12 individuals creating a different set of interactions than large group such as organizational communication in settings like companies or communities. <o:p></o:p>

At the largest scales,mass communication, describes communication to a huge numbers of individuals through mass media. Communication also has a time component, being either synchronous or asynchronous. There are a number of theories of communication that attempt to explain human communication.<o:p></o:p>

However, various theories relating to human communication have the same core philosophy. Communication follows a five-step process which begins with the creation of a message and then sending it to another individual, organization or a group of people. This message is recieved and then interpreted. Finally this message is responded to, which completes the process of communication.

ANOTHER DEFINITION OF COMMUNICATION

I want to begin this course and a relationship with you by challenging you. I challenge you to create your definition of your chosen field, your major at the doctoral level of studies. You can expect to see me lean over the table during your qualifying examination orals and ask you, eyeball-to-eyeball, "what is communication." Many of your faculty used the defining exercise as a culminating step in preparing to defend their years of study in the field. There are probably 125-130 plus published definitions of communication collected in the literature of our field. Not an entirely useless exercise. But given the complexity of the concept and the importance of the process, we should not wonder at the multiplicity of definitions. <o:p></o:p>

As is my custom, I want to give you my definition of communication. This is one that I presented to my committee for the oral portion of my qualifying examination. As you study the conceptual elements I choose to focus on, you can better understand me as a communication scholar, but also as a person and what I consider important in interpersonal communication relationships. <o:p></o:p>

My definition is: communication is a process in which a person, through the use of signs (natural, universal)/symbols (by human convention), verbally and/or non verbally, consciously or not consciously but intentionally, conveys meaning to another in order to affect change. <o:p></o:p>

Now you know where I am coming from. My definition is definitely sender oriented. I place much value on intention that true communication occurs only when the received/created meaning is that intended by the sender. I reserve the right for the sender to say "that is not what I mean" and no other meaning can be allowed. If my meaning was not conveyed, I question if communication has occurred. Language may be engaged in; words have transpired. But not an act of communication. My definition excludes intrapersonal communication equally as true communication. "Intrapersonal communication" is the study and development of self. Notice also that I make a stand excluding animal communication as in any way comparable (than anthropomorphically speaking) to true communication. <o:p></o:p>

I particularly enjoy beginning the task of defining by looking at the etymology of the word "communication." I suggest that the ancients, labeling what we know as the process of human communication "communicatio" (in its Latin form) that they, in a more authentic way, embodied in their choice of label/symbol a closer link to the real referent of the word. Hence to look at the etymology of the word may give us starting cues to the word's meaning. The word "communication" contains two root words: com (for the Latin "cum" translating "with" or "together with") and unio (the Latin for "union" from which our English word directly comes). Hence, communication refers to union with or union together with. Not unexpected. Two other words come from the same base words and have a direct meaning on us in particular: community and communion. Got the idea? The ancients believed that engaging in communication in some mysterious way a commonality or true union was achieved. Great! <o:p></o:p>

I like to go a step further. I make the case that, yes, given the authenticity of the ancient predication of the word "communication" for the process of uniting persons equally touches or reflects an even greater mystery. In our human and therefore limited way, they and we have tapped into the mystery of the Trinity. The "Community of Persons," who is the Trinity in both the Word of God and the history of the Apostolic church (principally in the early councils who struggled with articulating that mystery,) may explain the fullness of the process we wish to understand as communication. John's Gospel (1:1) surely describes in human terms the generation of the Son of God, Jesus, as Word, both equal to God and separate from God, but clearly in a communication relationship. To put it in other words, a facet of the life of the very Trinity Itself is communication. A confirmation of this in a theological way would be to find in our participation in the power of human communication (and it is indeed a power) a way, one among others, in which we are indeed in and share in "the image and likeness of God." Do a word study of "dabar," the Hebrew word for "word," for a look at the fullness of meaning of the power of communication. If you don't think communication is a power (and a gift), try to take a word back once it has been spoken; notice sometime the almost universal cause of physical fights... words, etc. <o:p></o:p>

As you study communication, begin building your conceptual understanding of the process with an eye to creating your own definition. Some things to think about. <o:p></o:p>

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Communication technology <o:p></o:p>

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In telecommunications, the first transatlantic two-way 'radio' broadcast occurred on July 25th 1920.<o:p></o:p>

As the technology evolved, communication protocol also had to evolve; for example, Thomas Edison had to discover that ''hello'' was the least ambiguous greeting by voice over a distance; previous greetings such as ''hail'' tended to be lost or garbled in the transmission.<o:p></o:p>

As regards human communication these diverse fields can be divided into those which cultivate a thoughtful exchange between a small number of people (debate, talk radio, e-mail, personal letters on the one hand; and those which disseminate broadly a simple message Public relations, television, film.<o:p></o:p>

Our indebtedness to the Ancient Romans in the field of communication does not end with the Latin root "communicare". They devised what might be described as the first real mail or postal system in order to centralize control of the Roman Empire from Rome. This allowed Rome to gather knowledge about events in its many widespread provinces.<o:p></o:p>

As the Romans well knew, communication is as much about taking in towards the centre as it is about putting out towards the extremes.<o:p></o:p>

In virtual management an important issue is computer-mediated communication.<o:p></o:p>

The view people take toward communication is changing, as new technologies change the way they communicate and organize. In fact, it is the changing technology of communication that tends to make the most frequent and widespread changes in a society - take for example the rise of web cam chat and other network-based visual communications between distant parties. The latest trend in communication, decentralized personal networking, is termed Smart mob.<o:p></o:p>

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Communication barriers<o:p></o:p>

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Anxiety associated with communication is known as '''communication apprehension'''. Such anxiety tends to be influenced by one's self-concep. Besides apprehension, communication can be impaired via bypassing, indiscrimination, and polarization. Failing to share a common language is also an important barrier in many parts of the world.<o:p></o:p>

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Examples of communication :<o:p></o:p>

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-jungle drums<o:p></o:p>

-smoke signals<o:p></o:p>

-Non Verbal Acts : sign language, hand signals and Body Language <o:p></o:p>

-Semaphores (use of devices to increase the distance "hand" signals can be seen from by increasing the size of the movable object)<o:p></o:p>

-Vocalization<o:p></o:p>

-Territorial marking (animals such as dogs - stay away from my territory)<o:p></o:p>

-Pheromones communicate,amongst other things : "I'm ready to mate" - well known example is moths where the pheromones are put into traps to attract them<o:p></o:p>

-Gold-plated disk (sent on Voyager 1 into interstellar space)<o:p></o:p>

-writing<o:p></o:p>

-Telecommunications - use of technology to aid and enhance distance communications<o:p></o:p>

-Digital telecommunications<o:p></o:p>

-Encoding and decoding<o:p></o:p>

-Data compression|compression and encryption (as they relate to enhancing or specifying communications) for example the use of encryption to turn a one to many into a one to one communication.<o:p></o:p>

-Digital Transmission Media including telegraphy and computer network<o:p></o:p>

-Analog telecommunications<o:p></o:p>

-Telephone<o:p></o:p>

-Radio<o:p></o:p>

-TV<o:p></o:p>

-Photography<o:p></o:p>

-Art (including Theatre Arts)<o:p></o:p>

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Conclusion<o:p></o:p>

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There is no unified human communication theory but a collection of communication theories that try to explain localized and specific communication processes and behaviors. <o:p></o:p>

Communication is a slippery concept, and while we may casually use the word with some frequency, it is difficult to arrive at a precise definition that is agreeable to most of those who consider themselves communication scholars. Communication is so deeply rooted in human behaviors and the structures of society that it is difficult to think of social or behavioral events that are absent communication.

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