WHAT IS COMMUNICATION?


Communication is the process of sharing information.
In a simplistic form information is sent from a sender or encoder to a receiver or decoder. In a more complex form feedback links a sender to a receiver.
This requires a symbolic activity, sometimes via a language.

Specialized fields focus on various aspects of communication, and include

1. Mass Communication,
2. Communication Studies,
3. Organizational Communication,
4. Sociolinguistics,
5. Conversation Analysis,
6. Cognitive Linguistics,
7. Linguistics,
8. Pragmatics,
9. Semiotics, and
10. Discourse Analysis.


DEFINITIONS OF COMMUNICATION:

THE WORD COMMUNICATION IS DERIVED FROM THE LATIN WORD “COMMUNIS” THAT MEANS SOMETHING COMMON.
FURTHER IT CAN BE DEFINED AS UNDER:

Ø The exchange of thoughts, messages, or information, as by speech, signals, writing, or behavior.
v Communications (used with a sing. or pl. verb)
Ø The art and technique of using words effectively to impart information or ideas.
Ø The field of study concerned with the transmission of information by various means, such as print or broadcasting.
Ø Any of various professions involved with the transmission of information, such as advertising, broadcasting, or journalism.
v Communications A means of communicating, especially:
Ø A system, such as mail, telephone, or television, for sending and receiving messages.
Ø A network of routes for sending messages and transporting troops and supplies.

What are Methods of Communication?

The importance of the two-way nature of communication in which the success of the process depends heavily upon the sender receiving feedback.
The sender requires assurance that his / her points are being received and understood, e.g., on a notice board, if a petition has been put up, the group organising the petition need others to put their name on the petition to give feedback, and show that the message is being spread across.
It is the use of a common system of symbols, signs and behaviour in exchange for information, ideas and emotions.
Communication Process

SENDER --> MESSAGE --> VISUAL / ORAL / WRITTEN -->RECIPIENT


v SOURCE
v ENCODING
v MESSAGE
v CHANNEL
v RECEIVER
v DECODING
v FEEDBACK.

Example:

Sender Recipient
Teacher Students
Manager Employees

The small number of employees in a small organisation means that most of the communication is informal. In a larger business, communication becomes more formal as each employee / worker will come into personal contact with few others outside their own area of work.

What are the types of communication?

Communication is the production and exchange of information and meaning by use of signs and symbols. It involves encoding and sending messages, receiving and decoding them, and synthesizing information and meaning. Communication permeates all levels of human experience and it is central to understanding human behavior and to nearly all public health efforts aimed at fostering health behavior change among individuals, populations, organizations, communities, and societies.
There are various methods of internal communication, which can be used in an organisation. These include notices, bulletins, newsletters, tannoy, fax, letters, telephone, memos, and communication by computer, face to face, reports, memorandums etc.

Communication may be studied empirically and critically at different levels of interaction.
These levels, often described on

o A "micro-to-micro" continuum are:
o "Intra-personal" (how individuals process information),
o "Inter-personal" (how two individuals interact to influence one another),
o Group (how communication dynamics occur among many individuals),
oFormal and informal "organizations" (how communication occurs and functions in the context of organizations such as hospitals, schools, or public health agencies), and

o "Community" and
o "Society" (how communication builds or changes the agenda of important issues).
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FOR MORE INFORMATION

REFER TO MY BOOK:
"MASS COMMUNICATION"
PUBLISHED BY:
FARIDI BOOK CENTRE URDU BAZAR KARACHI.
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