8 Intro to Communications Studies

Chapter & Discussion

This chapter includes a presentation that can be navigated in a classroom setting or independently. You can access the presentation via the link below.

Communications Studies

Work through the different sections of the chapter and discuss ideas and topics as they arise. If you’re working independently, take notes instead. Notes and active discussion will be helpful in navigating this week’s assignments.

Background

• Communications Studies is a social science that looks at human behavior by studying patterns of communication in:
• Personal Relationships
• Social Situations
• The Media
• World Cultures

Communication plays a role in nearly all human activities. The study of communications can help us to:

• Build stronger interpersonal relationships with others
• Become better writers and be more clear in our professional communications
• Articulate your ideas so that you can use them to
• create positive change
• Develop media literacy so that you can learn what messages to trust

Code

Whenever a message is created, it is encoded by the creator and decoded by the receiver. The code that’s used is usually language.

We code our messages with cues.
Verbal cues use language to make meaning (this includes writing)
Non-verbal cues use tone, gestures and other signs (like our clothing) to make meaning

The Transactional Model of communication is the idea that the sender and the receiver create meaning together.

This means that there are many factors that can affect how the receiver decodes your message. And they may not get it as you intended.

Making Meaning

We don’t communicate in a vacuum. Many other factors can affect how someone interprets our messages.

MESSAGE. This is the thing we’re trying to say. It also includes the verbal and nonverbal cues that we encode.

CONTEXT. The context of our message can include the setting, circumstances, and relationships of the receivers. It can also include a person’s worldview, culture, and lived experiences.

CODE. The code itself is usually the language we use.

CHANNEL. This is the medium used to relay the message. It could be audio, writing, sign, or even touch.

Understanding how all these factors come together can help us develop communications awareness, which can have an impact on how people respond to what we have to say.

How to Use Communications Studies

Here are some of the goals of communications studies. For each, I’ll include action items to practice in working towards that goal.

Goal #1: Strengthen Interpersonal Communication Skills. You can work towards this by practicing active listening (with your eyes, ears, and gut), taking time to understand as you try to be understood, and being aware of personal perceptual filters.

Goal #2: Develop Communication Skills for Professional Life. Here, you can work on practicing clarity in your messaging, crafting your message for your purpose and audience, and learning the standard format for a particular type of communication.

Goal #3: Use Your Ideas to Make Positive Change. This is not easily accomplished, but you can start by assessing needs, making allies with people with similar interests, and sharing your ideas with those allies.

Goal #4: Practice Media Literacy. For this goal, you can consider the sources of the media you consume and practice tools for evaluating whether or not they are trustworthy.

Assigned Reading

Here are this week’s readings. Additionally, please read for your own personal enjoyment for 1/2 hour each day. This will be called your “Reading Zone” reading and it will coincide with many upcoming activities.

How Miscommunication Happens by Katherine Hampsten via Ted Ed