Thinking about Communications Definitions Models and Ethics Primary goal of communication understanding Defining Communication Many ways to interpret and define communication complexity and Communication richness establish and interpret meaning in their environment a social process in which individuals employ symbols to o 5 Key terms Social involves people interacting two people sender and Process ongoing and unending dynamic complex and always receiver changing process Individual and cultural changes affect communication Look at patterns over time to study communication Cumulative and influence by the past Symbols arbitrary label or representation of phenomena May be ambiguous verbal nonverbal o Concrete represents an object o Abstract represents a thought Meaning what people extract from the message Can have more than one meaning or multiple layers May have cultural consequences cultural meaning of certain words unintended by others when used Must share mean in order to get messages across Environment situation or context in which communication occurs Time place historical period relationship cultural backgrounds Views affected by perceptions Can be mediated e mail The Intentionality Debate Is all behavior communication o Is eye contact or lack thereof considered communication Intentionality o Palo Alto Team cannot not communicate anything we do is communication synonymous with behavior Models of Understanding Action Interaction and Transaction Models simplified representations of complex interrelationships among elements in communication process which allow us to visually understand a complex process o Communication as Action Linear Model One way view of communication that assumes a message is sent by a source to a receiver through a channel Source originator Message words sounds or gestures Receiver recipient Channel pathway to communication Noise unintended distortion in the channel o Semantic linguistic influences slang jargon o Physical external body influences o Psychological noise prejudices biases ad predispositions biological o Communication as Interaction Interactional Model View of communication as the sharing of meaning with feedback that links source and receiver Goes in two directions Ongoing Either sender OR receiver not simultaneously Feedback response to a message that indicates understanding o Helps communicator see understanding and extend of meaning s achievement Takes place after message is received Field of experience how a person s culture experiences and heredity influence his or her ability to communicate with another o What happens when nonverbal reactions are sent during an interaction at the same time as the message is being sent Inspire 3rd model o Communication as Transaction The Transactional Model View of communication as the simultaneous sending and receiving of messages Transactional means cooperative mutual responsibility for effectiveness Building of a shared meaning o Greatly influenced by the past Recognize influence of one message on another interdependency Negotiation of meaning Ethics and Communication o Business and Industry Big business and corporations participate in illegal and unethical practices that leads them to fail Corporate Ethics Statements transparent accountability o Religion Ethics in moral traditions Religions face ethical challenges Ministers with prostitutes pedophilia drugs etc Religious books are developing more clear ethical statements o Entertainment Does Hollywood reflect or shape society Reflect and influence changing moral climates o Higher Education Many schools have lost their own moral compass Reporting crime statistics Identifying enrollment patters for legislate and financial support New ways of counting heads o Medical o Politics Physician assisted suicides Life support issues Human cloning drug enhanced athletes medicinal marijuana Incompatible with ethics Opinion and cynical Scandals Watergate etc o Technology Internet censoring Free speech Virtual child pornography o Other thoughts Strategies to consider when reading communication theory Remain open Remain willing Accept multiple perspective Attempt to test tentatively held knowledge Live with ambiguity Evaluate claims again personal experience Value of Understanding Communication Theory o Understanding Cultivates Critical Thinking Skills Apply theory to your own life Recognize the research Understand how theories evolve o Recognize the Breadth and Depth of Research Appreciate richness of research Learning is a result of theoretical thinking o Makes Sense of Personal Life Experiences Theory aids in understanding of people media events and helps you answer questions Much of life is better understood because of communication theory o Fosters Self Awareness Learning about who you are how you function in society the influence you have on other and extent to which you are influenced by the media How Thinking About the Field Traditions and Contexts Seven Tradition in the Communication Field o Rhetorical Tradition W are interested in public address and public speaking and their functions in society Understands influences of speech and effectiveness Viewpoints It is very useful Elements pertaining to language and the audience o Semiotic Tradition study of signs Meaning is achieved when we share a common language What we consider natural and obvious must be considered in context life o Phenomenological Tradition personal interpretation of everyday Intuitive viewing through personal lens Individual s system of believes should not influence the dialogue taking place Applicable to identity diversity class sexuality and religion o Cybernetic Tradition Looks at problems such as noise Unravels the complexities of message meaning by underscoring the unpredictability of the feedback we receive Understand that individuals enter settings with different abilities o Socio Psychological Tradition Cause effect model Someone s behavior is influence by some called a variable Cause of why communication patterns vary with different people o Socio Cultural Tradition patterns and social structures o Critical Tradition Everyday interactions depend on preexisting shared cultural Critiquing the social order and imposing structures Marx Questioning assumptions that guide a society is legitimate 7 Contexts in the Communication Field Contexts environments in which communication takes place Situational contexts environments that are limited by such facts as the number of people present
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